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“Walter.”
The next frame, Bron headed to the door with the dog in hand and disappeared out of it. The next person out on the restaurant floor was one of the waiters.
Cam’s fist slammed against the glass top of her desk. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
•••
The fucking iPhone screen would not unlock. He pressed his thumb into the home button to unlock the screen. It told him to try again. Again. He punched the numbers into the screen. Heat scaled its way almost violently up his chest. Rage threatened to choke him until he could barely breathe. He punched the digits on the screen as if his breathing was tethered to it. As if unlocking this screen would dislodge everything blocking the air path.
Deep down, part of him recognized he was most likely too pissed to hit the right keys but he couldn’t stop fingering the screen like a mad man. It didn’t help that feet away from him, Adrianna sat in the chair she’d dropped herself in, not moving with her hands pressed to her face.
And it was all his fault. He had been a fucking idiot again. He’d made the dumbest of decisions. He’d walked away from a child, leaving her alone, to make up with Adri.
“How could he have done this? She’s his granddaughter. His blood. She’s innocent.” Lauren’s voice carried confusion and the fear they all shared.
“I should’ve given him the money. The bistro doesn’t mean a damned thing…” Adri’s voice cracked and along with it a piece of Cam’s insides.
“He would’ve been back, Adri. He’s always back. The man’s sick and gambling’s all that matters to him,” Chase said.
He had the money to spare and paying Walter would have been easy and would’ve sent him away. Until he squandered that too and came back for more. But what did he care? It’s not like he didn’t have it. Cam had made a gamble of his own. He’d set out to prove a point, to beat his father, but he had never been good at gambling. His father, the more seasoned player, had bested him.
Cam had opened the door for Walter and left Bron vulnerable. His stupid decisions where always coming back to haunt the three of them.
Fucking Walter. Fucking Walter. Or better said, it was fucking Cam. He did this. If he hadn’t been a jealous idiot, he wouldn’t have had to chase after Adri. He wouldn’t have ruined their good moment. His bastard father shouldn’t have had the opportunity to use a little dog to lure Bron out.
Never in his life could he have thought this was possible. Walter had always been a deadbeat father. He’d played and lost the family assets, his wife’s inheritance, his children’s trust funds. He had used his children and he’d blackmailed an abused woman and her daughter for his own motives. Yet, it never occurred to him that his father would be capable of kidnapping Bron to get his way.
He always thought of Walter as a pathetic victim to his addiction. But this was more. He was a criminal. There was only one place for criminals.
Chase took the phone from his hand. “We have to be smart about this, Cam.”
“Give me the fucking phone.” He tried to snatch the device from his brother’s hand.
Chase shook his head, moving out of reach. “We need a plan first. You can’t just go crazy on him. We need to get Bron first.”
Bron. Jesus, how her name twisted his gut. The pain that broke throughout his chest was almost unbearable. He preferred the anger, the rage, the uncontrolled urge to kill his father.
“I’m going to call him. I’m going to get his location. I’m going to get my daughter. And then, I’m going to make sure he lands in jail. No one’s ever going to threaten Bron and get rewarded with money.”
Chase sucked in a gasp of air. His eyes clouded for a second and then that hardened look hooded over them. “He took Bron, so it’s only fair. That’s what we’re going to do. But I need you to be ready for this. You have to be cold and not let him get to you.”
Cam couldn’t promise anything, not with his little girl away. God, what could Walter be telling Bron? Was she crying or scared? The thought sent his hand to press on the desk for support. He couldn’t bear if Walter hurt her.
He listened to Chase. A breath, two breaths.
He was ready by the time his brother unlocked his phone and dialed.
Adri shot to her feet and came to stand next to him. He looked into her eyes but couldn’t hold her gaze. The fear in there was what he couldn’t take. He’d failed her, failed Bron. He had to fix it, quick.
Walter Blakenever couldresist a ringing phone. That’s what Cameron was counting on as he waited for the call to connect. He concentrated on his breath, using his old baseball game techniques to keep himself sane and in control. His blood ran hot and unbridled.
First ring. If he could get his hands on his father, he would choke the shit out of him. Second ring. He was definitely going to strangle him. Third ring. His gaze met Adri’s again, lingering on the way she’d stressed her lip into a bitten red mess.
Walter answered in the fourth ring. “Cameron. I’ve been expecting your call.”
Cameron jumped straight to the point. He wasn’t going to indulge the bullshit. “I know you have her. Bring her back.”
“Of course, son. We are just having a good time, here. She’s telling me about her paintings. She reminds me a lot of Luciana at her age.”
The words hit him like a boulder to the chest. Cam imagined a ball in his hand and twisted his fingers around it, timing his response like he used to do with his pitches. “Bronwyn is my daughter, your granddaughter. You actually took her to get some money out of me.”
“I just needed you to listen. You have to help me. My life depends on that money. I wouldn’t hurt your little girl. I got her Chick-fil-A, like she wanted. But you know that loan shark will hurt me.” Walter’s voice was so soft and casual, like he was talking about borrowing Cam’s shirt without his permission.
“Bron doesn’t have anything to do with this. Just give me my daughter back.”
“You can come get her anytime. Just tell me you’ll give me the money to pay the loan shark.”
The fuck-you was half hanging from his tongue but one look at Adrianna’s face and the words dried in his mouth. Her eyes were huge, her skin an unnatural shade. She rubbed her arm up and down in an absent way. He sighed.
“I’ll give you the money.”
