Kendall came out, carrying Livie. “Gotta go. I’ll let you know our plans.” He walked ahead of them to the car and opened the back door. He wanted to ask how it went, if Livie really was physically all right, but it wasn’t a question to ask in front of Livie. It about killed him that his daughter’s cheeks were wet with tears. “You need to make any stops on the way home?”
“Yes. Dr. Townsend called in a prescription for a mild children’s sedative in case she has trouble sleeping tonight.”
At the pharmacy, he had them stay in the car with the doors locked while he picked up the prescription. He didn’t like leaving them, but Livie had fallen asleep again, and Kendall didn’t want to wake her.
Back in the car, he leaned around the headrest so he could see them. Now that Livie was asleep, he could ask the question that was burning in his mind. “Did the doctor do a physical exam?”
“Yes, and there’s thankfully no sign of physical abuse…of any kind.”
Thank God.
Cooper sat on his end of the couch as Kendall read Livie a story. She had given Livie a bath, and then they’d gotten her to eat a few chicken nuggets and apple sauce. One thing was different from this afternoon. Livie was sneaking peeks at him, more out of curiosity than fear. Progress. After she’d done that for a while, he started making funny faces at her. The first time he did it, her eyes widened, but she didn’t shy away. The second time, her lips twitched. The third time, she giggled.
The sound was so surprising that both he and Kendall glanced at each other in surprise. That little giggle was music to his ears. And that smile from Kendall was a beautiful thing to see. It was a simple, sweet moment, but it felt like a turning point for all of them.
Kendall hadn’t gotten halfway through the story when Livie fell asleep again. “Don’t think you’re going to need the sedatives,” he whispered.
“Good. I didn’t really want to give her one. Maybe she’ll sleep through the night. I need to put her to bed.”
While she was doing that, he went to the kitchen and took out the note from the drawer he’d put it in. With the rubber gloves on, he snapped a picture and sent it to Grayson. He put the note back in the baggie, then back into the drawer.
The note was disturbing. His sense was that the man had been stalking Kendall for a while. That he was playing a game where he was the hunter, and she was the prey. He had no doubtthe man already had the opportunity to take her, but he wanted her scared.
What the man didn’t know was that the men of The Phoenix Three were experts at playing those kinds of games, and they played to win. He had a family now to protect, which made this game personal. He wasn’t going to be the loser.
“You want a drink?” Kendall asked when she returned.
“I’d love one, whatever you have on hand.”
“The cabinet above the fridge. My secret stash.”
He reached up and opened the door. “Ah, a minibar.” There was a bottle of vodka and a bottle of tequila and a Kahlúa. He grabbed the vodka. “What’s your poison?”
“A vodka and cranberry.”
“I’ll have the same.” He got the cranberry out of the refrigerator. “How strong do you want it?”
“Not very.”
He made their drinks, handed her the lightweight one, then followed her to the living room. As soon as they were seated, she asked the question he didn’t want to answer.
“What did the note say?”
Rather than respond, he found the photo he’d taken, then handed her his phone. As she read the note, color drained from her face. He leaned toward her and read the message again.
Dearest Kendall, your little girl is such a beautiful child. I thought about keeping her, but she’s not the prize I want. It was fun, though, being able to steal her away from you. To let you worry. You, with all your sad podcast stories. Now you understand how those families felt when their child went missing, so think of it as me doing you a favor. You’re welcome.
I’ll be seeing you, love. Soon.
A devoted fan.
“What does he mean, he’ll see me soon?”
“He’s playing games, Kendall. It’s all about having the power for him. He wants you scared and looking over your shoulder.”
“Well, he’s succeeded.”
“And he knows that. I’d like you to think about coming to Myrtle Beach for a little while.”
