Page 120 of Alec’s Dream

“No, son, I am not mad. But we have to hurry and get you back to your mom.”

“Is she mad?”

Mad? No. Scared out of her skull? Yes. Macy was going crazy and he knew that for certain because he was.

“She’s not mad. Come on, we have to hurry.”

“Are you um… gonna find him? Tell him that me and Rory don’t wanna see him?”

Fuck yeah, he was going to find Doug Spencer. Only he wouldn’t be telling him anything—his fists might, but he had no words for the son of a bitch.

“I’m gonna find him,” Alec growled.

“I got Caleb,” Alec told Nixon as soon as he had service. “We’re headed—”

“Jonny’s not answering.”

“Come again?”

“Jonny’s MIA. Not picking up his cell, not at work, not at home, not answering his home phone. We can’t find him.”

“You’re telling me this why? I got more important—”

“I’m telling you this because Doug’s a fucking lunatic and before he took off down south, him and Jonny had words. Doug’s in town. Jonny’s MIA. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together and come up with Doug having something to do with Jonny disappearing.”

“Shit.”

“We’re hitting up every place we can think of and we notified the sheriff. He’s got his men out looking too. Drop off Caleb and check-in.”

Alec disconnected and had to close his eyes against the intensity of Caleb’s stare.

“Where’s Mom and Rory?”

“Your mom’s at home waiting—”

“Where’s Rory?”

“Bud. Let’s—”

“Where’s Rory?” Caleb asked again, his voice ragged.

“Caleb—”

“He has her doesn’t he?” Alec flinched at the pain he heard.

Fucking Cocksucker Doug Spencer was going to feel every ounce of pain he’d caused Macy, Caleb, and Aurora. The fucker was gonna feel it with his last breath.

Alec hooked his hand behind Caleb’s neck and pulled the boy close. So close, their foreheads touched and their uneven, choppy breaths mingled.

“Yeah, son, he has her. But I promise you I’m going to find her and bring her home. But first I need to get you to your mom.”

“Swear it, Alec? You promise?”

“I promise.”

“I believe you.”

Sweet Christ, Alec wouldn’t have believed that in the middle of the worst day of his life, three words could make him feel so damn good.