Page 141 of Road to Redemption

I knew what most kidnappers did to the people they took. I saw it firsthand, the way Dom, Leo, and Spencer had roughed Grant up. They wanted answers, or to vent their own frustration. But they wouldn’t have just left him there, untouched.

I’d been trying to decipher who their boss would be. The first answer felt obvious: Isaac.

It was too easy, he would’ve come to gloat by now. Or killed me if the wedding had gone through. And Isaac wasn’t one to stop his cronies from taking whatever they wanted. He would’ve sold me to his friends if Dom hadn’t found me.

Besides, he’d put a hit out on me. Any number of seedy men could have tracked us down with Spencer’s picture all over the news.

Whoever had sent these men after me cast such a large shadow that their lackeys wouldn’t even play with their food.

The pounding of my heart was making my eyes bulge out, looking over my shoulder as if someone was lurking behind me.

But I was alone. Completely alone. All there was to do was wait and wonder how much power my kidnapper truly wielded.

79

SPENCER

It was the middle of the night, Caleb and Abi were asleep on the bed while I stared out the motel window from this polyester, upholstered chair.

I spun my phone in my hands, watching the parking lot. The kids' bags were packed by the door, their escort would be here any minute.

We’d been without Kiera for two days. And the wedding was today.

Just after midnight, we had just twelve hours until Isaac would be walking down the aisle to marry Kiera’s mother. And we still didn’t know where our girl was being held hostage.

Every second was killing me, a new knife to the chest.

In the neighboring room, Dom and Leo were triangulating cell phone signals. The motel was a far cry from the Ritz, food crumbs in the corners of the rooms and flickering lights outside our doors.

We knew that it was temporary, we’d only be here until the wedding. And we were willing to put up with it if it gave us the wifi we needed to hack Zeus’ goons.

We knew he’d taken her, or that he had possession of her by now. Whatever he planned — something Dom assumed the worst of — Isaac would need Kiera nearby for the ceremony.

But most importantly, this gave us a target. We’d started with a broad search of cell phones which turned out to be too unspecific, leaving us with too many geese to chase. We stared at our screens all day, desperate for any sign.

By the time I left Dom and Leo’s room for the night, we’d narrowed the signals down to a select group of suspects. Anyone out lurking around after midnight was worth looking into.

I’d only tapped out for the night to come watch the kids. Their dad was up my ass, threatening to call the cops after my face showed up on the news.

I knew it was all bullshit.

And even if it wasn’t, I’d go to prison before I let Isaac’s henchmen anywhere near those two.

When the kids were awake, I did what I could to keep them entertained. I hated that I had to ask Caleb for so much help. But he’d really stepped up and I knew that one day he’d be the responsible, kind man that I’d raised him to be.

That didn’t change that when the lights dimmed and the room grew quiet, the reality of what I’d done hit.

The weight of it sat heavy on my shoulders. I’d lifted my visor. It was how they found Abi and Caleb, how Isaac tracked them from their home to Dom’s.

I didn’t regret protecting my family. Fuck, I’d never regret that.

But more than that I’d gotten all of us into such a mess to begin with.

I couldn’t help myself. Not when Kiera was unable to move, stuck under that overpass and terrified. Someone had to reach her.

A gentle rap at the door signalled the safehouse escort's arrival. Blinking the exhaustion away, I gently nudged the kids. “Guys, time to get up.”

Caleb rolled out of bed, yawning and stretching. My little Abi, who’d grown so much but still looked so small when she was sleeping, rubbing sleep from her eyes with balled fists.