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“Run,” my father rasps.
I can’t,I mouth. Tears fill my eyes as I look up at Aiden and take a steadying breath.
“So you what, waited?” I ask, trying to draw his attention away from my father. Trying to get one good chance to go for the tracker. Trying to understand his strategy so I can fight for a way out. “Now what? What are you going to do with me?”
“I have plans. I didn’t work this hard with this one”—he jerks the gun at Fallon and she flinches—“to not have a plan. You know that, Dakota. Don’t be so fucking stupid. You know you’re mine. You know I win.”
“Can you let her go? Please,” I beg.
“Dakota, shut up,” Fallon hisses.
I ignore her. “Fallon has nothing to do with this. Or us.”
My eyes land on the cheeseboard. The knife, in particular.
“Doesn’t she now? She’s family.” Aiden circles Fallon. “Why would I leave your pretty little sister out of this?”
He traces a hand down her arm.
Fallon snaps. “You motherfucker,” she shrieks, suddenly charging Aiden.
He backhands her with the gun, snapping her head back and stunning her. Eyes wide she stares at me, makes some sort of tiny, exhaled groan, and collapses to the ground.
A scream rips through my throat.
Choking on sobs, I crawl from my father to my sister. Her breathing’s hitched and her body convulses. “No,” I cry out, digging my nails into her shoulders to hold her steady.
Our father calls to us, his voice anguished.
There’s the crunch of popcorn as wing-tip loafers settle beside us.
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Please don’t do this. Don’t hurt her. I’ll go with you. Please.”
“That’s right. You’re going to pay for taking what’s mine, Dakota,” Aiden says, bending to lift Fallon’s limp body.
When he’s distracted, I slip the cheese knife into the large front pocket of my hoodie.
“Davis will kill you,” I growl, watching as he tosses my sister over his shoulder.
She flops against his body like a rag doll.
Aiden’s gaze snaps back to me.
“If he makes it in time. Which seems unlikely, seeing as how he’s on the other side of town saving little boys from deep dark forests.” Aiden jerks the gun at the front door. “Now get the fuck up and let’s go.”
My boots crunch gravel as I hop out of my pickup truck and head toward the bright lights of the Bullshit Box. Keena prances proudly beside me, even if tonight was a waste of time and manpower.
It took an hour to get over to Briar Gorge, only to discover there was no one there. No parents. Definitely no kid. Richter and the deputies stayed behind in case they showed. Maybe the parents found their son. Maybe they forgot to call it back in.
Regardless, I needed to get back to Dakota.
As I enter the Bullshit Box, I let out a tense breath.Home.
“You find the kid?” Charlie asks, angled into the dartboard, scrutinizing his target. Aiden King’s photo has a dart sticking in the middle of his forehead.
“Nope.” I settle in at my desk, unholster my gun, and take a quick breather. My gaze scans Wyatt, who’s reclined in a busted folding chair. Keena goes to her water bowl as I open my phone and check the tracker. The GPS still shows Dakota at Fallon’s.
“No one was there. Think it was a prank call,” I say, rolling out my shoulders. “I’m dropping off Keena, then I’m headed back out.”
