Page 108 of Protected By the Sinner
“Has Amos arrived yet? You said you two had a meeting in New Orleans later today, when we got back,” she deflects instead of answering my question.
“Yes, he’s going to our house, but he’s not there yet.”
“Get him to Dallas. He’ll want to be here.”
“Amber, tell me what the hell is going on!”
“Elodie had a plan, Beau, and now I think we got him.”
My heart races so hard I feel like I might drop dead. “Who? Who did you catch, baby?” I already know the answer, but I’m too terrified for my mind to accept it as truth.
“Our father.”
“Amber, don’t mess with me.”
“Don’t freak out. We know what we’re doing, Beau. You guys would’ve never caught him any other way. He would’ve escaped and hurt more girls.”
I try a different approach because she sounds completely preoccupied. “Amber, where are you?”
“Elodie remembered this cabin in the woods here in Texas,” she says, while I’m already activating the tracker I had placed on her phone. “He used it for hunting. Maybe he thought we’d forgotten all about it.”
I’m losing it, but I can’t afford to lose control. Priority number one is getting her out of there.
“Can you forgive me?”
“Amber, that’s not important right now—your safety is. So listen carefully. I need every detail about where you are, okay?” I’m already leaving the office, signaling for Roman to follow me and gather the team. The tracker I installed isaccurate, but we may lose precious minutes before we reach them.
“Yes, that’s why we came here. Elodie will explain everything to you.”
“She’s with you?”
“She is, and we haven’t left the car. I would never put our daughter at risk.”
“Amber, I’m worried about all three of you. You did the right thing by staying in the car . . . Now let me speak with Elodie, and after that, don’t hang up until I get there, got it?”
“Okay. We won’t hang up, but let Amos know too. I love you.”
I can’t deal with feelings right now, only the urgency of protecting her. So I ignore the declaration. I have to stay focused. “Remember what you promised me. Don’t get out of the car.”
“I won’t. My sister will talk to you now.”
“Beau?” my sister-in-law’s voice asks.
There’s a lot I want to say to her, but now’s not the time, so I swallow my rage. “Elodie, don’t hang up. We’re going to stay on the phone the entire time until I get there.”
“Alright. I’ll tell you how to find us.”
There are three cars behind us with the rest of the security team. In mine, it’s just Roman and me.
I’ve said every prayer I can remember. While I was still on the phone with them, I saw my head of security calling Amos.
Twenty-five minutes later, following Elodie’s directions, we find their car hidden in the woods.
“We’re here. Don’t move,” I tell them through the speakerphone. “I’m hanging up now, but Roman will come get you and take you back to the apartment. Amber, this is non-negotiable. Don’t test me.”
I’ve hit my limit, and I think she senses it, because she answers, “Yes, Beau.”
I hang up and turn to Roman. “Get them out of here. Take one of the security cars to escort you.”
