Page 98 of Bourbon and Proof

Lincoln’s attention whips to his wife. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She kisses the air. “Love you, Foxx, but I’ll fill you in later.” She raises her phone to her ear. While she waits for whomever she’s calling to answer, she says, “Your father could easily get a money transfer with a mobile phone and pin number access from Ace, or any of the Foxx family, for that matter.”

I watch as Faye relays what she knows. She’s a private investigator, but she also helps Fiasco PD from time to time. I want to trust that Ace will be okay, that there are enough people moving to make sure, but I can’t just sit here.

I try thinking six steps ahead. If my father was going to make a run for it, he’d need a new passport and ID. And there’s one person who lives right along the river at the edge of the town line, where he could get that fast and without much notice. The realization lights a fire within me. I know where they’re going. Now, I need help to get there.

Taking a breath, I swipe at the newest contact added to my phone.

Without so much as a hello, she says, “What do you need, Hadley?”

“Are you still in Fiasco?”

“I am,” she says in a curt tone. “What happened?”

“I think my father?—”

“Text me where,” she cuts me off. And then the line goes dead.

Immediately, Linc’s asking, “Who was that, Hads?”

I ignore his question, and text the location of where I’m hoping Ace is. Lady kicks the side of that trailer again, snorting her frustration, like she knows the mess we’re in. Flexing my hands, the gravel is still embedded deep in my palms, I shake them out as I look toward the chaotic mess of the street. The road is blocked off, police cruisers at one end, and the fire trucks at the other, with more and more people crowding around. I don’t see Griz anywhere and Grant is lost in the sea of bodies, still calling out for whomever they came with.

No, I can’t just sit around here and wait.

“Linc, you need to find Del, and tell him he needs to get to Presh’s place.” Spinning around, I flip the pin and open the latch to the trailer. “My father’s making desperate moves.”

Lincoln’s face squints as I ease Lady back and out of the trailer. “Wait, what? What the fuck is happening? I don’t?—”

I’m shaking my head as I turn to face him. “Lincoln! I don’t know. I told you, Hawk and my dad took Ace. And right now, I can’t freak out, I just need to go.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he shouts, loud enough that it has Faye turning back from her phone call. When she widens her eyes at him, he huffs out. “Unbelievable. Both of you. Sit down and let me get a paramedic. You’re fucking bleeding,” he snaps back at me.

“LINCOLN!” Swallowing, and more even toned, I say, “I need a minute.”

He searches for what I’m asking of him. A simple few words that we agreed on a long time ago. A request, or rather a demand, for support. No questions asked—it’s a way of telling the other that we need time and space. And maybe an alibi. He told me once that“It’s what best friends do.”And now, I need to collect on it.

As I ease my thoroughbred out, Lady Brittany Christina Pink’s ears shift toward me when I click my tongue. She leans her head down and huffs like she’s equal parts relieved to see me and annoyed I took so long to get her out of here. “You might have saved my life having a temper tantrum in there, you know that?” I pet along her neck. “That’s my girl,” I coo.

“Hadley, there’s no reins or saddle,” Lincoln says, rubbing his temple, eyes wild. He’s about to combust. “You’re not riding her?—”

“Lincoln Foxx,” I argue back. “I’m not wasting any more time. I need to get to my husband, and this is the fastest way I know how. Now give me a fucking boost! I said I needed a minute.”

Glancing back at Faye, he’s hoping for backup, but she hangs up the phone and calls out, “Don’t think, Hadley. Just move!” Linc nods immediately, his face shifting to me with a soft smile. Moving next to me, he squats down and links his fingers together so I can use them as leverage to get onto my horse's back. Dammit, this is going to hurt. My body is sore from getting knocked down and now I need to ride bareback to the town line. “Linc, remember what I said. Find Del and get the police to meet me atChurch.”

“Fucking hell,” he breathes out as I turn Lady in the direction we need to go. “I’m right behind you,” Lincoln yells, and then he’s pressing a quick kiss to Faye’s head before turning and running to where Grant was headed.

Gripping onto Lady’s mane, I wrap her hair around my wrists, squeeze my thighs, and lean forward. “Let’s go, girl!”

For so long, I’ve fought with the idea that I could be anything like my father, that I’ve seen enough and absorbed enough of the ruthlessness and narcissistic behavior, so I know how to turn it away. That I can recognize those things and close the door on them before they ever have a chance to hurt me. Some people aremeant to cause hurt. They have no way of turning it off because it’s who they are. And then there are others, who would burn the world down to keep that kind of harm from ever touching the ones they love. That’s the difference between a Finch and a Foxx.

With the wind whipping my hair, I squeeze my thighs tighter and turn into the last bend in the road. I ride her ruthlessly through the dim evening and hope like hell I’m going to the right place. That what I know about my father might help me this time around.

The sign for The Holey Donut isn’t lit as I approach, but the lights in the house bleed enough onto the patio so I can see it’s empty.

Any noise coming from the property is washed out by the rushing river, making it difficult to know which way to go. I swallow down the nerves that are making my hands and arms shake as my eyes frantically flick around the trees and open space, the change in terrain leading to the river. Squinting when I see some movement and the outline of bodies kneeling with their hands behind their backs, my breath catches, and my heart nearly stops.

“Ace,” I breathe out, just as fireworks go off in the distance.

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