Page 103 of Carver’s Craving

Something I’d noticed almost from the beginning, but I’d never been able to convince Baxter of. I hadn’t been willing to risk our friendship. Yeah, but maybe Frank would be alive if you had. I pushed that thought aside.

Around midnight, Carver shut the laptop. “That’s four massive emails. I think by the end, we were treading over old territory.”

I scritched two sets of ears before stretching. “I think we documented every single interaction I ever had with the bitch.”

“Probably.”

I winced. “I hate calling anyone by a bad name.”

Carver tapped the laptop. “First, you said a few positive things. She wasn’t constantly a monster. Which probably made things harder for Baxter to leave. Secondly, she was a bitch to you, Frank, and just about everyone else. And, after Baxter left her, him as well. It’s not like you throw the word around casually. You’re incredibly respectful of women. Even your mother who’s done very little to earn it.”

I waved him off. “My sister-in-law Jenny’s a good woman. Probably better than Barry deserves. Oh, did I tell you?”

He shook his head.

“They’re expecting a baby. April. They waited to share that because apparently Jenny’s had two miscarriages and they wanted reassurances from the doctor that things looked good. I mean, shit still happens…but I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

“I wish you well. Look, you’re exhausted. I’m exhausted—”

“You’ve got to work tomorrow—”

He shook his head. “Nope. I texted Foster. I didn’t go into details, but I told him you needed me. He said to take as much time as I needed.”

My eyes watered again, and I sniffled. “The man barely knows me.” I swiped at my tears.

“Oh sweetheart.” Carver was out of the recliner, put the laptop on the coffee table, and was to me in an instant. Again, he yanked me into his arms. “It’s okay.” He held me tight. “Foster knows me. He knows I’d never take time off unless the situation was urgent. Or, at least, I’d give him more warning. And I would. So when I asked, he was quick to say yes. So we go to bed and deal with everything in the morning.”

I sniffled again. “I feel like I’m letting Baxter down if I go to bed.”

Carver ran his hand up and down my back. “Nothing could be further from the truth. You can’t do anything. Better to be fresh and—”

My phone rang.

I stepped away from Carver and pulled it from my back pocket. I swiped to accept the call and hit the button for speaker. “Hello?”

“Styx? It’s Seth Jacobs. We found him. We found Baxter. He’s on the way to the Abbotsford Hospital. He’s—” A long pause followed.

My stomach bottomed out.

“He’s conscious. He’s talking. He needs medical intervention—”

“He’s alive.”

“Yep. And he asked after you. I told him that you’re the reason we found him. You and Carver.” Seth let out a strangled laugh. “That caught him off guard because apparently he had no idea Carver was here either.”

Carver chuckled. “I seem to be surprising everyone.” He grasped my elbow. “We’re leaving right now. We have a million questions, but Styx needs to see Baxter.”

“He might not be able to right away. He might—”

“Doesn’t matter.” Carver held my gaze. “We need to be where he is. That’s all that matters.”

“Corporals Colton Pritchard and Dorrie Duhamel will need to question him. But I’ll let them know you’re on the way.”

“Thank you.” I could barely get the words past the lump in my throat.

“All good. Drive safely.”

“We will.” Carver smiled. “Thank you, Seth.”