Page 22 of Knight

"Now, I'm welcoming my husband up to the podium to give us an update on where we're at with finding her."

Turning away from the podium, I turn to watch Mason making his way toward me. His beard is freshly shaped, he seems to have gotten a good night's sleep, and I'm excited for what he's going to announce today. It's not as if I never thought they'd figure out who the person is who took Taylor, I just worried it would be too late. Right now I still have a good feeling about her being alive. Mason looks as if he's ready to fuck some shit up. It's my favorite way for him to be. He's got all his evidence where it needs to be, he knows he's got this dude by the balls, and he's ready to show all his cards. The way his dark eyes glow as he approaches, is enough to make me want to get naked right here, and let him have his way with me.

Luckily for everyone else involved, I realize he'd be arresting me if I actually tried to do that.

"Good luck," I whisper, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Don't need luck," he whispers back. "I have everything I need right here," he holds up a folder.

He hasn't told me what's in there, and I'm as anxious as everyone else to see what he's going to say. There's a look he has when he's ready to blow everyone away. He's got that look tonight, one I haven't seen in far too long.

I almost feel sorry for this guy. He thought he was being hunted previously. It's going to be a whole new ballgame now that they have whatever this new information is.

I have a seat and sit back to watch whatever is about to happen.

Mason clears his throat. "I thank you all for continuing to come to these press conferences. I know you're always wanting the updates on what's going on, and we've had very few updates. We've worked extremely hard to find out whatever information we could find. It's been slow going until a tip was given to us a day ago. Thankfully for us, the perpetrator, didn't seem to think about all the cameras that are around in town this day and age. While there weren't any cameras out at the scene, what you failed to think of was we'd be able to follow your movements. I now know where you were in the days previous to taking Taylor, and where you've been in the months prior. It took me a while to figure out what your name is, and where you could possibly be, you gave me a run for my money, but I'm ready for you now."

He steps back, and shuffles his paperwork, not sure whether he's collecting his thoughts, or if he's building up suspense. "There are a few places you can be. I do know that. It's still probably going to take us a little bit to find you, and to safely take Taylor away from you, but there are a few things you need to know about me. I have a plan for everything. I don't do anything half-assed. I refuse to lose. You don't know when we'll be coming for you, Troy Noble. But rest assured we're coming. You might not know when, and I'm thankful for that. You'll spend the next few days looking over your shoulder and wondering when you're gonna get the surprise of your life. Like I've told you from the beginning. Enjoy your freedom. It's coming to an end even sooner than you thought."

Chapter Eighteen

Menace

Calling him out by name is a choice, one we all know could go one of two ways. It could either bring him out of the shadows, or force him to do the unthinkable. I'm very clear on both of these options, and I know however this plays out, the speech I just gave will be the catalyst. It'll either go down as one of the smartest things I've done, or the worst decisions I've ever made.

"What are your plans?" Rina asks as she corners me.

I blow out a deep breath. "I don't have a ton babe. I just know I'm going to find this fucker and make him understand this doesn't happen in our town. I've got this damn newspaper reporter breathing down my neck. Did you see that article?"

"I did, and I'm sorry she did that to you. I know you're doing the best you can with what you've got. I have to admit she was right about a few things, though."

Immediately I'm on the defensive, wondering what she's seeing me as lacking. Wondering why the fuck I can't seem to be able to get all of this on my own merit. "Oh yeah," I cross my arms over my chest. "What do you think she had right?"

"You've been handed a hell of a good crew from Holden, and there's no denying that."

"No, and I haven't ever tried to take credit for something he spent years developing and nurturing. I wouldn't do that. So many of you seem to think I want to ride on his coat tails, and I don't. I want to do something that's completely mine. Have I been lucky in the fact he gave me a really good crew? Yes, and I'll never pretend like he didn't give me the best group to work with, but the fact this is completely different than anything he had to deal with. It's not fair to compare us, or to assume I'm not good at my job because I was set up in such a perfect way."

"No one's saying you aren't good at your job, they're just sick of not knowing anything," She reminds me." I'm a member of the community and I only know as much as I do because I'm married to you."

"I can't tell them anything, because the little amount I do have is important. I shouldn't have to explain this to you, Rina. You know who I am, you know exactly how hard I work, and what I deal with."

"I do," she reaches forward, rubbing my arm. "I just want you to understand where the public is coming from. I'm trying to give you what you're missing from your day-to-day by not being out with the people."

"I can't understand where the public is coming from," I argue with her. "Because they can't understand where I'm coming from. There's so much I have to keep to myself," I tilt my head back, looking up at the sky. "I would gladly tell it all if I thought it would bring her back. But I can't. First of all, I don't think it would help, and second of all, I'm scared to death that I'm making all the wrong goddamn decisions, Rina. I don't have the answers, everyone's looking at me like I should have them, like I should be done with this already, but the fact is I don't have much more than what I've told you. I'm not perfect, never claimed to be, and I'm sick of everybody parading me around like I should be."

"Mason, that's not what I meant," she reaches out to grab me. "I don't mean to make this harder on you."

"I know, I know you don't want to make it harder, but sometimes there's nothing I can do to make this easier on either of us. I have a house that I think he's in. We're breaching it this afternoon."

"Are you kidding me?" She gasps. "Why didn't you tell me anything about it?"

"I couldn't, still can't. But while we were running our grid searches, we found a house in the middle of nowhere. We've been surveiling it for the past few days, and we think we've found Troy. Which is the only reason I called him out by name today."

She doesn't say anything, just hugs me hard. "Please be safe, he's not going to go quietly."

"I don't know how he's going to go, but I'm ready for whatever it is, Rina." I hug her just as tightly as she does me. My heart pounds as I realize this might be one of the last times I'm able to wrap my arms around her. I'm cognizant in dangerous situations, always, but this is probably the most dangerous one I've ever been in. "I gotta go. I'm heading down to the old MTF base for us to get prepared."

"Please let me know when you're okay," she kisses me softly.

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