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“I bet you do. Love of your life, right? That’s what the neighbors said.”
“Yes. The love of my life.” I slide the statues into the backpack and push it across the foot of the bed toward him.
“Smart girl. I’m leaving now. I’ll set this little guy on the floor before I walk out the front door. You stay in this room and count to a hundred. If I see your face, even in the rearview mirror, I’ll ram you with my car and break your bones. The same way that fucking meathead broke my forearm. Want your arm full of plates and screws like mine? Stick your head out before I’m gone.”
Holding up my hands in surrender, I say, “Just go. I won’t try to stop you.”
As he backs out, he pulls the bedroom door closed. “Count to a hundred!”
I grab the door handle with trembling fingers. The second I hear the front door close, I rush out of the room.
The playpen’s empty, and so is the living room floor. My stomach plummets, and I feel sick.
The bastard took my baby boy.
CHAPTER13
LIAM
As we drive back to Olivia’s, we discuss an arms handoff we missed by coming here. That’s why I went with Aiden to get the lobster rolls. We needed to talk privately about work and to reach out to C Crue again.
On our drive to Maine, we left a message on the leader’s burn phone about needing to reschedule the meet. But I wanted to be sure they know we left on a personal emergency, not because law enforcement picked up on anything.
We manage to reach Trick, C Crue’s assassin and analyst. He’s a longtime friend from the old neighborhood. I explain what happened and say we’ll make up for the inconvenience. Trick says C, the leader, will get back with me, but for his part, I can forget about making amends. Going to get a stranded baby son who’s in danger trumps a business meeting. Trick’s a family man now, with little boys of his own. It seems to color his view of things these days.
When Aiden turns into Liv’s neighborhood, there’s a degenerate running down the street, carrying a box. Directly behind him, Olivia is giving chase.What the fuck?Did she put a box on the front porch, and this asshole stole it?
She’s screaming and her expression—it hits me all at once that there is no way Olivia would leave the baby alone in the house.
“Stop the car,” I bark.
Aiden slams on the brakes, and I throw the passenger door open and jump out. I can hear what she’s screaming now.
“Give him back!”
My son is in that box, and I don't know if he's hurt or not.
I sprint down the sidewalk, passing her and gaining on him. The asshole is fast even with the box in his arms.
An engine revs and tires screech. The guy looks back and then drops the box on the grass and dashes away.
Olivia’s car barrels down the street in reverse and rounds the corner. The car slams to a stop again, and the driver’s door opens. Aiden jumps out, and for a split second, I have a flash of childhood memories when Luke and I were partnered together during a game, and this is the way we trapped other kids, with me hot on their heels, driving them forward, and him popping up on the other side, so there was nowhere for them to go.
The man turns, jumps over a fence and cuts sideways down the street. Aiden goes after him. I doubt Aiden’s fast enough to catch him, but at this moment, I don't really care. I drop to my knees on the grass and yank open the box.
In a nest of bubble wrap, my son cries loudly. As giant tears run down his face, I pull him out.
When I stand, the bubble packing falls away like tissue paper. I don't see a mark on him.
Olivia arrives next to me, gasping. “Is he hurt?” Her voice is frantic. “Is he hurt?”
“I don’t think so.” I give her the baby, saying to him, “You’re all right, Brady. Here’s Mama.” I run my hands over his little body, moving his arms and legs, trying to gauge whether anything hurts him. He’s so upset it’s hard to tell.
She cuddles him in her arms, speaking in a soothing voice. “Are you cold? I know you are. Let’s go home.”
He seems to be settling down now that he’s with her. She turns, and as she starts to walk, she says, “He said all he wanted was the figurines. He had the backpack. Why would he take him?”
She doesn't even look back in an attempt to see what's going on with the hunt for the guy. The kid is her only concern.
