Worley
My head aches. My back hurts. Everybody and everything has gotten on my last nerve. Nothing has gone right—absolutely nothing. Why Nick and his brother believe this rehab center is so great is beyond me. Okay, I take it back. They do have good ratings and reviews. I checked them out online earlier today. Ratings seem pretty cut and dry. A one-star is bad, and a five-star is great. The complaints in the reviews were trivial stuff. Nobody mentioned their loved one disappearing while under Doctor Spear’s care. Ratings and reviews don’t help us right now.
“Mack.” I find him in the front living room, lobby, or whatever a bed and breakfast calls this room. He sits near the window with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He didn’t hear me. I place my hand on his shoulder and try again. “Mack.”
“Worley.” He points to the chair across from him without lifting his head.
I sit and watch my best friend for a long moment. I’m supposed to ease his pain. Tonight, I have no news that will comfort him. I feel useless as a VP and a friend.
Nineteen years ago, Mack lost his brother in a motorcycle accident. I don’t believe it was an accident, but we can’t prove it. Fourteen years ago, he lost his oldest daughter and unborn granddaughter. Ariel and Baby Angel are why we do what we do. We rescue as many women and their children as we can from domestic violence.
Tonight, his second child is missing. Harley’s alive. She’s out there with a man we know very little about. Grown woman or not, Harley missing is destroying her parents, all of us really.
“Out with it.” Mack sits up and leans against the arm of the chair.
“It’s been over twenty-four hours. Nick and Sherlock don’t think they’re in the area anymore.”
“They steal the truck?”
“We think so. Cops found it at an abandoned store outside of Denver, not far from the interstate.”
He continues to stare out the window into the night. “Abandoned means no cameras.”
“Yeah. They’re still trying to find one, though.” Movement down the hall catches my eye. Jack and Jay returned from searching for Harley an hour ago. We had a quick meeting with Nick. Jack nods, telling me to continue. “I don’t know why, but Sherlock believes they’re heading north. We think staying here is pointless. They’re not coming back to Aspen Park.”
“I failed again, Worley.” He finally looks up at me. His eyes are lost and numb. They barely hold any signs of life. He’s on autopilot.
“You didn’t fail.” My words sound hollow because I know how he feels. He’s a brother to me. If he failed, I failed right alongside him.
“I failed my brother, and now two daughters.”
“That’s not true,” I say with force. “You can’t always stop evil, and Harley’s coming home.”
He tosses a hand toward the ceiling at the second floor. He’s still not hearing me. “I failed my wife, Worley. I failed her again. She’s falling back into the dark shell she was after losing Ariel.”
“We need to go home.” Jack steps into the room, changing the subject before his father loses his mind.
“What?” Mack snaps.
“Mom needs family. She needs Maci, Logan, and Everly. They ground her. They’ll give her purpose and keep her from falling all the way over the edge,” Jack explains.
He has a point. Taking care of Logan and Everly after losing their mother is the one thing that’s kept Nanny from going insane.
“We can’t leave your sister out there,” Mack yells.
“We’re not,” Jack insists. “Nick’s going to stay with his brother’s team. They won’t stop until they have Harley.”
“I can’t…” Mack leans back, closes his eyes, and runs a hand through his hair. He’s hurting to the point he can’t make clear decisions.
Jack kneels by his Dad’s chair. “I don’t want to leave with Harley still out there either, but we’re useless here.” He covers one of Mack’s hands with his. “And, Dad, we’re losing Mom. If Mom goes down, we all do. This family won’t function without her.”
That’s the truth. Evelyn McLeod holds this family and club together. Right now, she’s upstairs in bed, balled up in a fetal position, crying. Ciara has proven to be more than just a lawyer. She hasn’t left Nanny’s side. A tear slips from Mack’s eye. He looks from his son to me. I want to fix this for him. Sadly, the only thing I believe will help is finding his daughter.
“It’s a tough decision.” I release a long breath and nod slightly. “But we gotta make one.”
“Mr. McLeod.” Jude walks into the room with his team and Nick behind him. “I mean, Mack. I promise you that we won’tgive up searching until we find Harley. Sherlock’s the best IT guy and hacker I’ve seen.”
Jack stands. “Has he got a new lead?”
