AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Less than ten minutes later they were in Rueben’s car, because it fared better against the weather. Alisha continued to try and reach Adam on his phone, but it continued to ring until it hit voicemail.
Neither of them said anything as they slowly made their way to the Ranch. The dark, wet weather made it harder to see, but Rueben kept their speed low and Alisha kept her eyes peeled on the side of the road.
They’d nearly made it all the way to the Ranch when she saw it.
The distinct color of Adam’s car was impossible to miss, even in the downpour. Rueben pulled over to the side of the road, still not sure if he should be relieved or even more freaked out. He couldn’t see a silhouette in the car, but that didn’t mean the younger man hadn’t hunkered down.
“I can’t see him, Rue,” Alisha echoed his thoughts, her voice soft, almost inaudible over the sound of the rain hitting their car roof.
“I know, baby. He’s probably curled up asleep, waiting for the worst of the rain to go away,” Rueben responded, hoping that his words were true.
They climbed out, their flashlights trained in front of them, and Rueben had to force himself not to run over. While they made their way across, he ran his beam on the road around the car, in case there was anything to see there. Alisha went straight for the car and shone her light into the windows.
Her terrified face turned toward him.
“He’s not in there, Rue.”
“That doesn’t mean anything bad has happened. Maybe his car broke down and he got a lift back to the Ranch.”
Her expression told him that she didn’t believe that for one second, and if he was being honest, he didn’t really either. His gut told him something was wrong. Something wasreallywrong.
With careful steps he walked to the driver door and tested the handle. It gave way easily, confirming Rueben’s fears. If Adam had left there voluntarily, he’d have locked his car. He cared about it way too much to just leave it unsecured. Leaning into the front, he saw the car keys in the ignition. He gave them a quick turn and swore to himself when the car started without any trouble.
And then he saw it.
A folded note. With that same horrid handwriting.
He felt like he’d aged fifty years in the few seconds it took him to reach down and grab the piece of paper. As his eyes scanned the page, blood rushed to his ears and it actually felt like his heart was going to pound right out of his chest.
Little sluts don’t deserve their toys.
Little sluts don’t deserve their boys.
Maybe now you’ll learn your lesson.
Get rid of the old man, or I’ll kill the young one.
Then meet me at our place.
I’ll be waiting.
Your Steed.
“Rue?” Alisha called from just behind him. “What is it?”
He didn’t know how to answer her. He had wanted her to be more vulnerable, but knowing the man that had been stalking her, causing all her stress, was behind the kidnapping of one of her boyfriends might actually break her.
She put a hand on his hip and easily nudged her way closer to the car. The umbrella she was holding shielded them both from the rain as she leaned down to look into the car. When she saw what he was holding, she dropped the flashlight and quickly lunged for it, and before he could do anything to stop her, she was using the overhead light in the car to read the words inked on the page.
A soft gasp left her right before her knees gave way.
Luckily, thanks to their close proximity he managed to stop her fall. He carefully helped her into the front seat and checked her over.
“I know who it is.” The whispered words were so soft he almost didn’t hear them the first time. When he didn’t say anything in response, thinking he’d imagined what she’d said, she tugged his hand so he was forced to look at her. “Daddy. I know who it is.”
Chapter 27
“Dan? Yes, it’s Rueben. Adam’s been taken.”
