Page 76 of CHASE: Captive to the Dark

The hammer swung in a slow rhythm at my side. He stole glances as his lips parted. “Father…”

“Seven.”

Max’s stare jerked to Ed, and then Dennis. “She wanted to think,” he blurted out. “Alone. She’s scared. I felt bad for her. She’s young. She shouldn’t have to live this life.”

“Where is she?”

“Chase.” The pleading got louder as I got closer. “Just let her go. She’s better off this way.”

Sickening pain twisted my stomach. I didn’t believe him and I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. I had learned to trust Max. It showed me just how much I couldn’t let myself get close to anyone. No one but her.

“Last chance. Where is she?”

“I’ll call her for you. She’ll tell you she’s okay, that she wants to think.”

Call her, but not tell me where she was? No, something was off. I could feel it.

Groaning in the background from Cody had me turning so I could view both of them. Were they connected? Did they know each other? I wasn’t going to risk it. “I see we’re having a problem with honesty today. Dennis,” I said, glancing over, “grab our friend another chair.”

Max’s hands drew up in fear. He edged toward Ed before realizing the man’s gun was aimed at him. The realization in his eyes had him coming to an abrupt stop.

“Wait,” he said, holding his palms out, “let me get her on the phone.”

“First slide over your gun. You can dial as you walk over here and take a seat.”

Dennis set the chair down and I held onto the back of it, waiting. Trembling shook Max’s hands as he pulled the gun from the holster under his jacket.

“On the ground and slide it over.”

The pause had Ed stepping more toward us. Max threw him a glance and lowered, letting the gun come to a stop at my feet. He reached into his pocket and pulled the phone out, dialing a number before bringing it to his ear. My finger called him forward and I could tell he didn’t want to listen, but he did.

“Kit.”

One word. Whether she was the one who answered or not was beyond me and I hated that I hadn’t told him to put it on speaker phone before he dialed.

“Give me that.” I sprang forward, yanking him by the jacket and pushing him into the chair. “Kit?” Sniffling broke through and my jaw tightened as I listened to her soft cries. “Talk to me, little one. What’s going on? You okay?”

“I don’t…know,” she said, broken up. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be afraid. Tell me where you are. I’m going to come get you.”

Silence and what sounded like shuffling had my other hand coming to cover my ear so I could hear better.

“Kit, where are you? Is someone there with you?”

A few seconds went by before she sniffled again. “No. I’m alone. I’m…sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t stay with you anymore.”

“Where are you?” The anger was in my voice, no matter how hard I tried to conceal it.

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

“No. Until I see you in person and you tell me to my face, I’m going to assume what you’re feeding me is a load of shit. You want to stay. I know you do. Someone has you and they’re making you say this. Is it Jim?”

A high-pitched sound broke through the phone and her heavy pants told me just how distraught she was. Whatever she was facing wasn’t good.

“No one has me. Just…stay inside.”

The line went dead and I dropped my hand, confirming the call ended as I looked at the screen. Stay inside? My stare cut over to my front door and then to Max. If I’d been afraid for the mother of my child before, it didn’t compare to the rage and desperation the father and Dom in me felt now. Everything I held dear, everything that mattered and was mine, was being threatened. And there wasn’t a soul that could prepare for the amount of blood I’d spill to get them back.

---