Page 64 of Knight's Journey

“You will be. So will Bridget. I’m going to have Sam and Gennessey bring them to your mom’s house, so they can see the mess left behind by the guys who did this. I think it’s time Bridget had her say with these people. She’s earned the right to tell them to go to hell for putting her and the kids through this.”

Zane nodded as he put his phone back to his ear. “I’m here, baby. I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to investigate the Williamses to see if they’re involved. Keep telling me what you’re thinking. Let’s talk through this. I’m here for whatever you need.”

He was met with silence. He glanced at his phone screen to make sure they hadn’t been cut off, but the call was still connected. He was about to speak again when she beat him to the punch.

“Is this my fault?”

“Hell, no, baby. None of this is your fault. You’ve done everything right. Your sister and brother-in-law would be proud of all you’ve done for Mathias and Marlowe. They chose the perfect person to be their guardian.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’m glad they did. I’m not sure when it happened, but Mat and Lowe are my life. I should call my parents to tell them what happened, but I’m scared. What if they blame me? What if they want to take the kids away from me? I think I need the kids more than they need me.”

“Your parents aren’t going to blame you. I think you should call them. They can offer support. Hell, if they want to be here for you, Tryst can arrange to have them flown here. If you think it would help you, I’ll make it happen, baby. I promise.”

More silence, but this time she broke it quicker. “I’ve always taken care of myself. I’ve been proud of how I’ve never needed anyone else. But I need them, and I think…I think I need you too. Does that scare you?”

His heart squeezed, and a slight smile curved his lips. “No, baby. It doesn’t.”

“It scares the hell out of me. This is unknown territory for me.”

“We’ll figure it out. I’ll be there soon. Call your parents, and I’ll call Kat. She and Tryst will work out arrangements for your parents, so they can be here.”

“Yeah, okay. I will. Thank you, Zane. For everything. I…I’ll never be able to repay you.”

“There’s no need. You’re one of us, and we look out for family.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Prior to leaving the hospital, Bridget was seized with panic. Since taking in the kids to live with her, she was never out of touch with them for this long, and she made a point to be reachable for them too, even at work. With Dean and Jennifer’s death happening so suddenly, they couldn’t stand being away from each other for even a short length of time without checking in. It was an unspoken rule they’d adopted from the beginning.

One of the first things she checked when she couldn’t raise them on the phone was her location app. When it still showed them at Maggie’s home, she and Sam immediately left the hospital to go and check on them, only to find them gone with their cell phones left behind. After that, chaos ensued as the entire staff of KSI ascended on the house and went to work. Bridget tried to stay out of their way even as her thoughts spiraled into worst-case scenario land.

When she first wondered about Oran and Ivy’s involvement, she’d felt guilty almost immediately. Whatever her differences with them were, they loved Mathias and Marlowe. They were grieving for their son, and while their choices hadn’t been in the kids’ best interest, she couldn’t believe they would risk the children’s safety to get their way.

Standing in the kitchen doorway, partially hidden behind Sam, she watched them where they sat in the living room. They wore stoic expressions. Ivy’s lips were pursed as if she’d sucked a lemon, and Oran’s anger had turned his skin an ugly puce hue. Even with Jay pacing in front of them and Brick and Cole standing nearby appearing almost dangerous, the Williamses still managed to peer down their noses at everyone, their haughtiness oozing from their stiff postures.

“Mr. Colter, I think it’s time you explain yourself. Why are we here, and what does this have to do with our grandchildren?” Oran demanded.

“No need to pretend, Mr. Williams. We already know about your involvement. We just need you to give us a location before we turn you over to the authorities. We know deputies with the Sheriff’s Department pretty well, and they take cases of kidnapping very seriously, I assure you.”

“Kidnapping?” Ivy gasped. “Are you saying…Oh, Oran, they think…the children!”

Oran gripped his wife’s hands tightly. “I demand to know what is going on. Now!”

Zane walked from the back of the house where he’d been searching his mother’s bedroom. He heard Oran’s last demand, and he crossed the room to stop in front of the man, towering over him from his considerable height.

“I’m betting you know exactly what’s going on.” Zane’s voice was scarily calm, almost evil in its tone. “You know exactly who took your grandchildren, and my mother in the process. You know exactly where they’re being held. And you’re going to tell us what you know. Because at this point, I have nothing to lose by doing everything I can to make you tell me the truth.”

“Are you threatening me?” Oran gasped.

“Hell, yeah. Now you’re catching on. So tell us. Did you get fed up with waiting for the court to award you custody? Is that why you took Mathias and Marlowe?”

“Oh, my God. They’ve been taken? Why haven’t you called the police? The FBI? Oh, my God. Why are you wasting your time with us? We had nothing to do with this,” Ivy wailed. “How could you even think such a thing?”

“Anyone who hires mercenaries like Tarrant Security is pretty much capable of anything. So did they charge you extra for the kidnapping? Why take my mother if they were after the children?”

Oran opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, reminding Bridget of a guppy hunting for food in a pond. “What — they would never. We would never.”

“We didn’t pay them to do anything but protect the children. We wanted them to collect evidence against their slut of an aunt. The children belong with us, but instead the court left them with her. She’s a terrible influence on them. She’s ruining their lives. We’re trying to save them from her!” Ivy stood, emboldened by her passionate speech.

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