Page 56 of Just Another Chance

“Obviously I never got around to the proposal, but I’m doing it now before anything else tries to come between us. Sliding off the couch, I get down on one knee and slide the diamond ring onto her finger. “Don’t answer yet but know this is your ring and I’m going to convince you to be with me. But first, we’re going to get Owen back and then do a real, proper proposal where we can both be in a happy place first because our son is safe. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispers.

I sit back down on the couch beside her, pull her into my arms and lay back on the pillows with her. Pressing my lips into her hair, I hold her tightly. “Everything is going to be okay.” I keep whispering those words to her until she’s breathing evenly and resting.

Finally, I have my girl back in my arms. Right where she belongs.

My phone buzzes at 5:15am and we both jump awake. I sit up, grab it off the coffee table and stand up. “It’s Sawyer,” I tell Addie. “Hey, Sawyer, what have you got for me?” I start pacing and rubbing the kink out of my neck.

I put him on speaker so Addie can hear, too.

“I just heard back from a Navy buddy of mine,” Sawyer tells us. “He managed to pull up CCTV footage in the area and used it to track Randy down. We have the location where he’s hiding.”

Relief fills me and Addie jumps up, wringing her hands. “Where are they?” she asks.

Sawyer rattles off an address that I instantly commit to memory.

“It looks like it’s about 30 minutes away and satellite images show an industrial-looking neighborhood.”

“He’s in South Grove,” Addie says. “The warehouse district.”

“I’m pulling up out front right now,” Sawyer says.

“You’re here already?” I ask.God, I fucking love my brother.

“Affirmative. Now get your asses down here and let’s go get my nephew back. I’d like to meet the kid, you know.”

Addie grabs her purse and keys, and we hurry out of the apartment and down to Sawyer’s Jeep idling at the curb. It’s still early and the sun is barely peeking up over the horizon which means we won’t have to deal with traffic and will make excellent timing over to South Grove.

I open the back door for Addie and then slide in beside her. Leaning forward, I rest my arms on the two front seats and clap my brother on the shoulder. “Thanks, Sawyer. You have no idea what this means to us.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” Addie says, moving up beside me.

“Hey, Addie,” Sawyer says with a crooked smile. “Long time no see.”

“Right? It’s been a while,” she agrees.

“Sorry our father and your stepdad are such fuckwads. But don’t worry. We’re getting Owen back right now.”

I can see her finally starting to believe what we’re telling her about getting Owen back. I need her to believe. We all need to believe it.

“Glad to see you and my brother worked things out,” Sawyer says, noticing the engagement ring on her finger. “Congrats. It’s about damn time.”

“Well, it’s technically not official yet,” I say.

“Oh, Christ,” Sawyer grumbles. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means we’re getting Owen back first. Then, hopefully, Miss Hayes will be able to happily tell me yes.”

Sawyer nods. “Well, then let’s make that happen. Hell, no one deserves a happy ending more than you two.”

“Thank you,” Addie whispers.

I give her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It’s almost over.” As we close in on the industrial section of South Grove and the address where Randy is hopefully still hiding out, I prepare myself for what’s to come. Because I don’t care what it takes or who I have to take down.

I’m getting our son back and I will burn the damn city down to the ground if I have to.

21

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