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“Hard not to sometimes.”
I hated how dejected he was. My father was always so strong, hid his insecurities and troubles so well.
“Blake wouldn’t be the beautiful kid he is today without you. And I know I’m a pain in the ass, but anything good about me comes from you.”
Patrick squeezed my shoulder and gave me an approving nod.
“Sweetheart,” he said hoarsely.
“I’m the world’s worst about talking through things, but Patrick’s right. We need to fight this together.”
“Is it too much to hope she might just disappear again?” A chair scraped on the floor in the background.
“She insinuated I wasn’t a fit mother. That Patrick wasn’t a good father, either. We think she’s going after Blake.”
“I have to go.” Never in all my years had I heard such menace from my father.
Three tones beeped in my ear. “Daddy?”
Call ended.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Patrick
“Any word?’
I paced in front of the desk.
“Straight to voicemail every time.” Andrew leaned back in the chair behind it.
“Me and my big mouth,” Marlow said. “It’s been almost twenty-four hours. Where the hell is he?”
“Hell.”
We all looked at Blake, who grinned goofily, clueless he’d cursed. None of us corrected him.
“Mrs. Quinn can’t reach him either.” Trish held up her cell phone as she entered my study, disappointment etched her features.
“I can’t find him.” Holt was breathless as he barreled into the room, Baker on his trail. “We went to her place. It was dark. No one answered.”
“What’sherphone number?” My best friend pointed accusingly toward his sister.
She scrolled through her phone.
“I don’t think we should call her,” I said. All heads whipped to me. “Why tip her off? Besides, if she’s done something to him, she knows it’s only a matter of time before we come after her.”
My phone buzzed.
Tick.
I dropped it back in my pocket as if I hadn’t seen a thing. Too much other stuff was important for these games.
“How do we findher?” Holt took off his ballcap and yanked it back on his head. “We’ve tried everything we know.”
“I’ve got a guy on it, but he swears she’s like a ghost. No property in her name. No driver’s license. It’s almost like she doesn’t really exist.” I picked Blake up from his spot near the windows. “Can you see better now, little dude?”
He stared through the glass, head bobbing as he took in the outside world.
