Page 35 of Dancing With Doubt

“Of course, Roxie, anything you need, babe. I told you that earlier.” Emily hugged her close as Dylan turned the car off.

Roxie saw even more security personnel on the grounds of the house and while it made her feel safer, she couldn’t help but wish they’d all been with Lincoln earlier. She nearly fell apart as they walked up the steps, but she got herself under control again.

“Can you tell me what exactly is going on?” Dylan asked once they were in the house and seated around the kitchen table, more coffee brewing on the counter. Roxie doubted she’d get much sleep, even if she tried.

“I don’t know where to start,” Roxie said, her lips pursed as she tried to figure out exactly what was going on. “I’ve known Lincoln all my life, really. When I was eighteen, my parents died in a fire.”

“I’m so sorry about that, Roxie,” Emily said, understanding dawning on her face. “That’s why you hate electronics. I thought it was the fire at Elmo’s.”

“That made it worse, actually.” Roxie conceded, before she filled them in on the men she’d seen the night of the fire, and how she didn’t know if it was them, Nathan, or the people after Nathan that took Lincoln.

Roxie’s head was in her hands as Dylan asked another question. “Do you think it was something to do with his business instead of to do with you? Maybe he pissed off a rival, or something like that. It might not be to do with you at all, Roxie.”

“I guess anything is possible. I don’t see Lincoln getting mixed up in any kind of deals that would result in this though. He’s always organizing parties for charitable events, volunteering his time, and actually working to help those in need. I don’t see him getting involved in anything shady and lately, he’s always at home. People really love Lincoln, because he earns it. I can’t think of anyone that would want to hurt him, not from his life, only mine.” Her throat closed on the last word, and she couldn’t hold back a sob.

Emily took her friend in her arms and tried to soothe her, but the dam had finally broken. Lincoln was gone and it was her fault, Roxie sobbed over and over again. She was still sobbing when June and Kai came in. June knelt beside Roxie to add her arms to Emily’s encircling her.

“Roxie, you stop blaming yourself right now. My brother adores you unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. He would hate knowing you’re blaming yourself. None of the blame lies with you, anyway. It rests with whoever was stupid enough to take him. And they better hope the police find them, whoever it is that took him, because if Kai finds them first, they’ll wish they’d never set eyes on either of you.”

Roxie wiped at her face, her eyes aching from her tears. “I hope he cuts their balls off.”

“That’ll be only the beginning, my love,” June said, her eyes hard and almost as reassuring as Lincoln’s were. “I promise you that Kai will make them pay, no matter what.”