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“You couldn’t have taken me if we were in the ring,” I retorted.
“It’s true. I won’t even fight her,” Fox grinned. “Of course, I have my knives, so I don’t need to fight her.”
I ignored them and got to work running a search on the missing child. Theo was five years old now, and the fact that he was gone for over a month was not good news, especially considering the people Carolyn hung around. I had little hope of finding the kid alive, but I wouldn’t give up hope until I’d turned over every rock. And I was the best chance Duke had of finding this kid. I wouldn’t let him down.
* * *
I entered another search, this one digging into the seedy underbelly of trafficking. It stood to reason that if this boyfriend was connected to a trafficking ring, the son might somehow have been pulled into his world.
I finished entering my command and then hit enter. I leaned back in my chair and stretched. My back was stiff from sitting at the computer for so long, and my ass was numb. I normally got up and moved around, but time was of the essence.
I glanced over at Duke who had passed out in his chair several hours ago. It was six in the morning, and without sleeping all night, I desperately needed coffee. But I didn’t want to get up and wake Duke. Nick had left a couple hours ago when it became clear there was nothing more he could do here. Fox had informed me he was ready to move as soon as I got more intel, but could I please bring his favorite snack for the ride.
I stretched a few more times, then pulled up another search and started entering code. My eyes were starting to cross from all the strings of code I’d been working on, and I had to be careful now that I was entering the right search parameters. Another hour went by when I felt strong hands slip over my shoulders and start to massage.
I groaned and leaned into Duke’s touch as I finished up what I was doing. When I was finished, I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh.
“Have you been working all night?”
His deep voice slid over me like silk, lulling me into a peaceful state. I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed with him, but we both had jobs to do.
“I think I’ve done all the searches I can. Now I just need to wait to get a hit.”
“How long will that take?”
“Hours,” I murmured, craning my neck to the side so he could dig into the sore spot by my neck with his thumb.
“You should get some sleep.”
“I have to check in with Cash first. Don’t you have to get to work?”
I turned to face him as he checked his watch. Squinting, he swore under his breath. “Fuck. Bowie should be there. I’ll give him a call and let him know I won’t be in for a few hours.”
I waited as he dialed Bowie’s number, then shook his head in frustration. “Bowie, I’m stuck at OPS. I need you to run the shop by yourself today. Give me a call back.”
“He didn’t answer?”
“He might be in the middle of a job.”
I pushed out of the chair and allowed him to pull me into his arms. I wasn’t normally the affectionate type, but I was willing to take comfort where I could right now. A missing child was more important than my need for healthy space.
His lips brushed over my temple before he let out a warm breath that caressed my skin. I tried not to think about how much I liked the feel of his arms around me, or the fact that I was actually enjoying him kissing my face so gently. I didn’t do gentle, but I’d already made a lot of concessions where Duke was concerned.
“We should go talk to Cash,” I said, stepping back and giving myself some space. It was ridiculous, but I felt like I needed to keep a clear head. I felt something coming, something that I knew had the ability to create a huge divide between us. If I was going to handle whatever storm was brewing, I had to think like myself, and not like Duke’s lover.
I headed for the door, but Duke quickly caught my hand and held it tight. I nearly stumbled, but caught myself and continued on. It was going to be hard to keep a level head with Duke invading my space.
I stopped outside Cash’s door and knocked. He should be in by now, and if I wasn’t so tired, I would have thought to message him first. Luckily, his voice boomed for us to enter. I pushed open the door to see him just settling in for the day.
His eyes paused momentarily on our joined hands before he continued getting settled in behind his desk. “To what do I owe this early morning visit…with Duke?”
“We need to discuss something that’s happened.”
I took a seat across from him, finally releasing Duke’s hand as he took the other seat.
“Man, this looks serious. Did you decide to quit and get married?” When I didn’t laugh, he leaned forward in his seat, his eyes focusing intently on me. “What happened?
“Nicholas Tate came to my house last night,” Duke said. “He was bringing me some disturbing news about my ex-wife.”
