Page 99 of Playing With Temptation

Ethan waited until we were at our desks before he blew out a breath. “That was fucked-up.”

“Yep. Only good thing out of that is he admitted to shooting me. I’m sure Sanderson already sent the email from his corner to get the warrant. The gun will be there. But the question is, what else will they find.”

“Won’t be a body. He dumped the bodies, but whoever he’s protecting did the killing.”

“Agreed. Gotta get home and help unpack boxes.”

“The Great Slow Jason Turner, going home to unpack the girlfriend and her kid. I think you broke a land speed record for the fastest courtship in history.” Ethan chuckled.

“Says the man whose wife was his live-in babysitter before she was his wife.”

“Fair. See ya tomorrow, Jase.”

“See ya, E.”

If only I would’ve known my whole world was going to implode, I never would’ve stood in that interrogation after my shift ended.

I never would’ve stood around listening to a lunatic admit to murders he didn’t commit.

I would’ve gone straight home.

And if I had, I never would’ve lost the woman I’d waited sixteen years for.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I was in my SUV pulling out of my parking spot behind the station when my phone rang. I checked the screen, smiled, and tapped the button on my steering wheel to answer.

“Hey, baby, I’m just leaving the station.”

“Jase?”

I slammed on my brakes halfway out of the spot and put my car into park.

“What’s wrong, Lucas?”

He pulled in a long stuttering breath.

I clenched my molars, waiting for him to pull it together.

“My mom. She’s gone.”

I felt electricity prickle my skin.

“Gone where, and where are you, bud?”

I heard a tap on my passenger window. I hit the unlock button and Ethan swung in with his brows pulled tight with concern.

“Lucas, son, I need you to tell me where you are and what happened to your mom.”

“We went to Food Lion. We were shopping and we have this code. Mom made it up. If she squeezes my hand three times, I’m supposed to ask her if I can go to the bathroom, then run and find an adult. She squeezed my hand three times so I did that. But when I came back with the adult, she was gone. Her purse was on the ground so I got out her phone and called you.”

Ethan had his phone in his hand. His thumbs were flying over the screen.

“Okay. You did good, bud. Are you at the Food Lion by our house?”

“I think so. There’s a Dollar Store across the street.”

Ethan nodded.