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Talon touched my shoulder. “Doc, it’s going to be okay.”
I let out a sigh. If only… I was in a position right now that I was never supposed to be in. Not only was the man I loved missing, probably taken by a woman who was clearly mad, but someone had to tell Talon what Jonah and I had learned from the yearbooks. That was never supposed to be me, but right now, I didn’t have a choice.
“We’ll get through this, Tal,” Ryan said gently.
He shook his head. “I still can’t get over it. One of those motherfuckers was here the whole time, and I didn’t know it. The fucking mayor. He congratulated me on my heroics overseas, officiated at that stupid-ass ceremony they did for me in town. And all that time…”
“I’d like to tear his fucking head off,” Ryan said, tensing.
“I think we all would, Ryan,” I said.
“And the other one… I was right. Jade’s mother’s boyfriend.” He shook his head again. “I was actually right.”
“You were,” I said.
“Funny,” he said. “It doesn’t feel good to be right.”
“Of course it doesn’t. It doesn’t change what happened to you. I always told you that your healing didn’t depend on finding those three.” I rubbed at my forehead. Now wasn’t the time for a therapy session. “But there is a silver lining to this cloud. We know who we’re looking for now. And they can’t hide forever.”
Talon stood, his eyelids heavy. “I don’t even care anymore, Doc. I just want my big brother back.”
So did I. Tears emerged at the corners of my eyes. I sniffled. “I’m worried and scared, just like you two. But we need to take solace in the fact that if Wendy has him, she probably won’t hurt him. After all, she was in love with your father.”
As I said the word “father,” my heart sank. The next step was to show Talon and Ryan the yearbooks—and the connection between Rodney Cates, Wendy, the three abductors…and Bradford Steel.
I doubted they’d take it any better than Jonah had.
>
I inhaled a deep breath.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
* * *
After half an hour of telling the story and looking at Talon’s and Ryan’s mouths wide open, we were all ready for a drink. Ryan played bartender at Jonah’s bar, mixing up a bourbon for Talon, a martini for me, and then, in a surprise twist, a bourbon for himself.
“I thought you were a wine guy,” I said.
“Today screams for something stronger,” he replied, taking a sip of his bourbon and then clenching his jaw. “We need to get out of here. We should be out looking for Joe. He’d be doing that for us.”
“True,” Talon said, standing.
I hadn’t been able to shake the nausea I’d been experiencing since I realized Jonah was gone. I’d thought a drink might be a good idea, but I couldn’t choke any of it down. “The police are on it. So are Mills and Johnson. There’s nothing more we can do.”
“The hell there’s not,” Ryan said, downing his bourbon like a shot. “Let’s go, Tal.”
“If you two are going, I’m going with you,” I said.
Talon turned to me, handing me the yearbooks. “You stay here, Doc. Joe would never forgive us if we put you in harm’s way.” He checked his watch. “Jade should be home from work soon. I’m going to text her and tell her to come stay with you. I don’t want you to be alone.”
“You’re crazy.” My blood was rushing through my veins. I could almost hear the whoosh. “I’m not staying here.”
“Please,” Ryan said. “Stay here. We need to know you’re safe. For Joe.”
For Joe.
They knew the words that would get to me. I would do anything for their brother. Finally, I relented. I would stay, but I elicited a promise that they would text me every half hour. I didn’t need to be worrying about them, as well.
