Doc chimes in next, “You can count me in as well,” before Stone carries it on, and one by one, including the old timers, we all bet against my little brother, who rubs his hand together like he’s won the lottery.
“Thirteen hundred bucks, here I fucking come,” he mutters, and my shoulders shake with silent laughter.
“More like thirteen hundred bucks outta pocket…” Scar, Trigger's dad mutters, and Ace glares his way, making me cough over my snort before he decides to shoot me.
“Alright fuckers,” Doc laughs, “Ace, how are the finances in the diner?”
I lean forward as Ace starts on the diner's finances, typing in the numbers in the laptop as he reads them and forcing myself to concentrate instead of thinking of my girl.
Soon, fucking soon, I’ll be throwing her over my shoulder.
***
An hour later, I shove Ace as we walk out of church. His face is like thunder from the brothers' ribbing over the'I don’t want an old lady'comments, making him smirk at me despite his obvious anger but my smile drops when I hear, “Daddy!” andI look in shock toward Caleb, who should be in school, just as he crashes into me, sobbing his eyes out and I wrap my arms around him as everyone freezes.
What the fuck?
I look towards my girl, our eyes instantly connecting, hers tearing, but the thing that has my heart stopping is the lack of Lyra who would have ran into my arms by now.
Where in the fuck is my daughter?
“Hol?” I question with concern, and my girl, my fucking heart, tears my world apart as she chokes, “Lyra’s been kidnapped.”
Her legs give out, and I quickly pass Caleb to my brother and rush towards Hol just as Joe catches her from behind before she can hit the floor, Caleb’s sobs echoing along with my girl’s, all while I try to comprehend that my daughter, my baby girl, has been taken.
Chapter 26
Holly
My body shakes as strong arms lift me bridal style making my whole body tingle and I grip Alex’s cut and cry my heart out now I know I don’t have to be strong and true fear consumes me.
Someone’s taken her, someone has taken my baby.
“I’ve got you, darling,” Alex chokes as Doc commands, “Brothers back in church now! Mama, call the hospital and get them to arrange cover for Tank and me as a precaution, Honey, stay with Caleb!”
I hear Caleb cry out in protest, and I flinch, clutching Alex even tighter, wishing I could try and be strong for him, but I-I can’t…
My baby, someone has my baby.
“Dirty, we can sit with her,” I hear some woman say, but Alex ignores her, holding me tighter while I sob my heart out, my body trembling.
I look as we walk into a large room. The walls are all dark oak with pictures lining them and a large TV at the back and a big table sits in the middle.
Ever so gently, Alex sits me in one of the seats. He cups my cheeks as everyone crowds in, and I hear a door closing.
“Talk to me, darling, what happened?” Alex asks quietly.
I choke, “Mrs. Trivers came to find me when I was setting up the c-classroom. She said Lyra went to the bathroom but didn’t come back out, and Sandra giggled.” Alex tenses. “She admitted to handing Lyra over to someone because she couldn’t have you out of revenge.”
“Fuck,” Ace chokes out.
My tears fall, and I cry, “She said you-you were always hers, that-that she wanted you in college but-but she had to-to settle.”
Alex’s face hardens before he declares, “She’s dead.”
“Find her,” I plead, “Find our-our daughter p-please.”
He nods and quickly kisses my forehead before he stands and rounds the table just as two strong hands cup my shoulders tightly, and I grip the right one, knowing it is Ace, while my body trembles and breathing becomes difficult as my thoughts spin.
