Page 126 of Maximus

“What…” Liam started then trailed off.

“Ask, bud. I’ll answer anything you wanna know.”

“What happens if you can’t find her?”

“Liam, we’re gonna find her.”

“But what happens if you can’t?” I took in Liam’s panic and pain-filled eyes, his bright red cheeks, and his vibrating body, and bile churned in my gut.

“We’re—”

“What happens if you can’t find her?” Liam shouted and Eli startled in my arms. “Where will we go?”

“Where will who go?”

“Me and Eli.”

“Nowhere, Liam.”

“You won’t get rid of us? You promise.”

Fucking Jesus Christ. My throat clogged and my sinuses tingled. I was so lost in what Liam had said I couldn’t contain my response.

“Son, no matter what, you and Eli are mine,” I choked out, not bothering to hide the wetness I felt spilling from my eyes. “You and your brother will never go anywhere. You understand?”

Liam nodded his head and crawled across the bed when I picked one arm off Eli’s back and motioned him over.

Somehow, some way, I had to shove my fear aside. Eva needed me on my game, she needed me to be smart and find her and bring her home.

The three of us huddled together on the bed I’d shared with Eva. I was stuck in the worst possible scenario. I had two children who needed comfort and reassurance—they needed me. Yet everything inside of me was screaming to go out and find her—hunt, rescue, kill.

But I didn’t move. I held my boys and trusted my team had my back.

Chapter 35

“I’m not gonna do it!” I screamed, and the throbbing in my head intensified.

Once again I was screwed—no, I was worse than screwed.

My life was over.

And my boys would be alone—but right now I couldn’t think about them or I would have a complete breakdown. I had to believe Max would take care of them, it was the only thing keeping me from going into a full-blown panic. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to focus on getting myself out of this latest situation because no one was coming for me.

I didn’t have my phone, my purse, or the necklace Tex had given me that had a tracking device in the pendant. As a matter of fact, my watch was gone, too.

“Then you’re gonna die,” Novak returned, his lip curling in disgust.

My eyes darted to the woman standing near the trunks that were being packed into the Cessna 172. She had her arms wrapped around her middle, hugging herself tightly. She looked disheveled, and frightened. Whoever she was, she didn’t want to be standing on the tarmac of a small airport in God-knows-where-fucking-fucking-Alaska anymore than I wanted to be.

My eyes snapped back to Novak and I knew I’d messed up. And when he walked to the woman, snatched her by her ponytail, and turned his gun to her head, my thoughts were confirmed.

“Actually, we’re gonna start with this bitch.” Novak shoved his gun to her temple. “Is this what you want, Eva? You wanna watch me blow this bitch’s head off?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t take my eyes off the woman. She looked resigned, hopeless. It was as if she was begging me with her gaze to say yes.

What had Novak already done to her that was so horrible she’d rather die?

I searched my memory and thought back to all of the interaction I’d had with Novak Yazzie. He and Jay used to be partners and I’d seen him around a lot. The drugs that Jay had stowed in my plane when I’d been arrested were actually Novak’s, which got me thinking about something else.