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He paused, maybe waiting for someone to take his side. To say anything at all.
There was only silence.
“Only today did I fully realize you were so much smarter than me. You wouldn’t pay anything to get her back, even if that story had been true. I was the idiot who would pay for her, if I even could. The fool who was still trying to get her to love me.”
Simon pushed away from the wall before he put his fist through it. Hopefully, with Ian’s head in between. “So, my pregnant wife is God knows where because you’re a fucking pathetic prick with mommy issues?”
He didn’t realize what he’d said until he caught a glimpse of Lila’s shocked expression. It cracked something open inside of him, something he didn’t know if he could ever hope to repair.
He wasn’t aware of slamming his fists into the wall until Nicky came up behind him. He didn’t stop him. Didn’t say a word. Just moved close until he was caged in.
Blindly, Simon turned and grabbed hold of his best friend. Not in a hug. It was as if he was under water and he had no choice but to reach out or drown.
Or die.
Even through his own blur of confusion and grief and panic, he heard Ian’s anguished voice.
“I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. My God, I didn’t know.”
Nicky held on to Simon, and together, like the pair of drunks they’d been more than a few times over the years, they moved toward the table. Simon didn’t protest when Nicky shoved him into a chair and pulled up his own so their knees were touching.
Through the tears, all Simon could see was Nicky’s face.
“We’ll get her back. She’s fucking ours. Ours. We’ll find her, and she’ll be just fine.” Nicky swallowed hard. “Her and the baby.”
Simon nodded and closed his eyes, because it hurt to keep them open. But the moment he did, the dream came roaring back. The empty swing. The empty yard.
Everyone he loved gone.
The chair on the opposite side of him bumped into his leg and his eyes flew open as Nicky snarled.
“Do you have a death wish, mate? If you want to go out of here in a body bag, just keep pushing it. I’ll make it happen.”
Ian didn’t so much as blink. His eyes were so impassioned that for a second, just one, Simon felt something. A tug. He didn’t understand it. Didn’t appreciate it. Hell, he hated himself for that unfortunate pull on a bloodline he would’ve burned out of his own body if he could have.
Because he was the reason Margo had been hurt, even if he hadn’t been behind the wheel of that car today. She could be in pain or worse. So much worse.
And God, the baby. Their baby they hadn’t been prepared for but wanted so goddamn much.
“Donovan is working the angles. He knows people, and I told him everything I know, right back to the beginning. I swear to you, I didn’t leave out a detail.”
Simon squinted at him as if he was a fucking alien. He might as well have been.
“Did you hear what I said? She’s fucking pregnant. A car rammed into her, at least once, possibly twice—” He choked and shook his head, pushing away Nicky. “Your goddamn details are just a little late.”
“They changed the script on me. It was never supposed to go down this way. It was just about money. Not people. Then today on the phone, she got brassed off when I told her I was done being her puppet. I was through. I’d send the money, but I wouldn’t dance to their tune any longer. Jesus, Simon, we sang together today, do you think I could just walk out of there and bleed you dry?”
“You are right now.” His own voice was flat. Emotionless. “You are far more than if you’d tried to get my fucking money. I’d give away every cent to have her back. I’d not sing another goddamn note in my life. Do you understand that?”
Ian’s gaze cut to Zoe, but she’d turned her face away. His Adam’s apple moved and he glanced back at Simon. “I do, right down to my marrow. I didn’t before I came here. You can’t understand that. I wouldn’t ask you to try. But I’ll fix this.”
“How?” Lila demanded, her voice icicle-sharp. “Tell me what you could possibly do to help instead of cause more hurt than you already have.”
“They must have taken her for ransom, so they’ll be making contact soon.”
Simon wiped his hand down his face. He’d already come to that conclusion himself. “They can have whatever I have. I’ll give them it all.”
Ian nodded as if he’d expected nothing less. “Once the money changes hands, I’ll tell Donovan to send me in her place. They’ll do it. I’m who they want, not Margo.”
