The truck slowed to a stop at the four way. From the west side of town, two sheriffs, followed by a fire truck, sirens blasting, raced past. On some level she thought they’d magically know the girls needed saving. She could imagine them squealing to a stop, blocking the truck and forcing the men to give up theirhostages.
The cars sped past, however, crushing her dream. Diggs put on his blinker, turned left and drove out of town no one giving them a secondglance.
Faith tapped her leg again. “Who are they? Is Daddy leavingagain?”
She signed so rapidly that Laura could barely keep up. The rapid-fire questions preyed on her already frazzled nerves and Laura covered both the girl’s hands with her own and gave her a firm but gentle squeeze, trying to all at once calm the child and herself. Then she signed back, “They used to work with your dad. Everything’s going to beokay.”
She prayed everything would be okay. But praying and getting her heart to slow its rapid pace were two different matters altogether. After nearly a full year of thinking her brother dead, he’d showed up on her doorstep. Laura had been ecstatic, overwhelmed withjoy.
Faith had been hesitant, not really sure who the man was. He’d disappeared when she was four years old. John’s ex, who wanted nothing to do with Faith when she was a baby, ran off with the girl the minute John left fordeployment.
She ran back to her parents, immersed herself into their community for the deaf and hard of hearing, and almost disappeared off the map with Faith. It had taken Laura nearly a year to find herniece.
Faith clutched a tattered, stuffed cat with loose button sewn-on eyes to her chest and squeezed it. Laura’s heart tugged and she slid her arm around her shoulders, squeezing her to her side. She dropped a kiss to Faith’s forehead and drew in a deep breath. It was time for her to stop panicking, start using hermind.
“Where are you takingus?”
The quiet conversation in the front seat went silent. Diggs glanced up at her in the rearview mirror, his expression tight with worry. But it was King who shifted in his seat to face her. His midnight eyes were drawn, and his face a little bit pale. “Somewheresafe.”
She tried to hold the stare, but her willpower demanded her and she dropped her gaze to his chest, gasping when she saw his blood-soaked shirt. “You’re hurt. You need to go to thehospital.”
King glanced down as if they didn’t even know he was injured, brushing off the blood as if it were a coffee stain. “I’m fine. Are you okay? Is yourdaughter?”
“Physically, we are uninjured. But are we okay? Do you mean with being kidnapped or with my house being destroyed?” She decided to keep the fact that Faith wasn’t her daughter but her niece to herself. Although she wasn’t truly terrified for their lives with these men, as she should be, she sure as hell didn’t trust them one little bit. The less information they knew about them thebetter.
“I never intended for that to happen, and I am very sorry about your house.” King’s quiet voice was laced with an honesty that she couldn’t deny. She took a second glance at his face absorbing every hard line, the small white scar that marred his thick dark beard, and his strong straight nose. If they traveled back in time a few hundred years, she would swear he came fromroyalty.
Besides, she’d been a social worker long enough to discern when people were lying to her. Right now, King was not lying. But he’d still turned her life upside down and she wasn’t going to give him an ounce of pity for that. “Then take us back. I’ll pretend like I never sawyou.”
And then she could go on the hunt for her brother and demand he explain just exactly what was goingon.
King let out a long deep sigh and she knew he’d deny her request before he spoke. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. Not yetanyway.”
“So exactly how long do you plan to keep us prisoner? A week? A month? I need to call in sick to work or at least let them know why I won’t be showing up so I’m not fired. I’ve already lost my house; it would really suck to lose my job too.” Oh dear Lord, she could kick herself for her smart aleck comment. Why couldn’t she keep her mouthshut?
Diggs burst out laughing and she would’ve sworn King’s lips twitched, although he didn’t smile. “We’ll take care of the job. Consider yourself on extended paidvacation.”
“You could help us, tell us where your brother’s been staying.” King lowered the visor, watching her in themirror.
Laura glanced out the window, watching the familiar scenery fade behind her as they drove out of town. “You were justthere.”
King said something under his breath and although she couldn’t make out the words, she had a feeling it wasn’tpositive.
“He’s been with you this whole time?” he said outloud.
“Off and on,” sheanswered.
He’d drifted in and out, staying as long as he could to spend time and reconnect with Faith, with his daughter. She’d watch their bond grow stronger each time, although Faith still tended to shy away from him to Laura. When Laura told him about his ex taking her away, he’d been furious. She’d intended to tell him also about the bruises that had been on Faith’s body when she’d taken her back, but held her tongue. Her brother had enough guilt over his daughter; she hadn’t wanted to add toit.
He let out a long sigh, shifting in his seat. She could only imagine what that explosion had done to him, and if she hadn’t seen her brother run off down the street with her own eyes, she would have been frightened with worry over hiscondition.
Diggs turned off the main highway, cutting down a gravel one lane road. They rode in silence, only the sound of rocks pinging on the undercarriage of the truck sounding through the cab. Faith, bless her heart, fell asleep, propped up against Laura’s side. Laura was so keyed up she couldn’t imagine taking a nap. After a while he turned on the pavement, the only visible markers alongside the road were thick hardwoods and pines interspersed with the occasional blooming dogwood. She gave up trying to figure out what direction they were going or even where theywere.
Diggs drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel, and then blew out a long breath. “How old is yourdaughter?”
King had laid back in the front seat and closed his eyes, his body held so still she could’ve sworn he wasasleep.
“Faith is seven and a half.” Laura slid her fingers underneath the long stray strands of her blonde hair and pushed it off her face. She just clutched the cat to her chest even in her sleep. Laura had attempted to buy her a new one, but she refused. Princess Kitty, as fate had named the stuffed animal, was her best friend in the whole world and even though she looked like she’d been run over more than once, Faith loved her. So, when Princess Kitty’s eyes had popped off, Laura had found buttons to replace them. And when Faith had been asleep at night, she’d got the animal out quick for a wash and dry and had her back in the girl’s arms before she ever woke up in themorning.
