When he turned to look at her, Cindy didn’t recognize the man. Gone was the slight hunch of his back, which she’d always found endearing. His jaw appeared harder, too. He looked tired, defeated, as though he’d run out of road and gas simultaneously. This was not the man she’d given her body to, and yes, if she was being honest, a little piece of her heart to go along with it.
“You can’t help me, Cin. God, I wish you could,” he said, his voice a hint deeper than usual and lacking that cool drawl she’d always found appealing. “But not this time.”
For some reason, she believed him.
Which explained the fear that slithered down her spine and made tears spring to her eyes.
Who was this man? And what did he want with her?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Flying down the road on the backof a machine was a rush Reese hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Not since the day he’d met Brantley.
Or the days that’d followed.
Beneath the visor of his helmet, he smiled. Okay, so maybe Brantley provided him this same rush on a daily basis, but there was still something exhilarating about this. A sense of freedom, perhaps.
He made a mental note to suggest they invest in motorcycles of their own. Might make traveling for work a little more exciting. At least every now and then. Then he thought about Tesha and decided that might not be the best idea. He liked having her with them, and this method of transportation didn’t allow for it.
An image of a sidecar had his grin widening.
Yeah. Probably not that either, although she would be cute as hell with some goggles and a doggy helmet.
Reese managed to keep pace with RT and Z, who were leading the way, while Brantley was staggered directly in front of him, and Deck pulled up the rear. Once they left the city, the traffic thinned enough to allow them to violate the speed limit and probably a few dozen other motor vehicle laws, but he didn’t care. His mother had been taken, and he was bound and determined to get to her before Tobias Land or Patrick O’Brien or whatever his fucking name was did anything to hurt her.
Would he hurt her? Had she always been a mark for him? If so, why? How?
There were too many questions, and they remained on constant repeat in his head for the entire drive. He’d thought going into this that he knew who Toby was. He was the happy-go-lucky guy who used to swing by the house for beer and pizza with the folks. He would hang out with Reese’s dad in the garage, tinkering with whatever project his father was messing with. Never anything that required too much time or effort because Thomas Tavoularis didn’t do that. He didn’t invest his time in something that wasn’t his family. That was the way he was built.
Reese felt a pang in his chest, the same one that consumed him when he thought about his dad. He missed him so fucking much, even all these years later. The world had lost a great man when his dad’s life was cut short, taking him from an animated character and placing him in a bed, oblivious to the world around him, for the seemingly never-ending days until he finally passed on.
He recalled the many times he’d visited his dad in the nursing facility, sitting with him, talking to him. He hadn’t spent as much time with him as Z had, but he’d dropped by whenever he could. He’d always imagined what his father would be saying if he could’ve opened his eyes to speak. He would’ve told him and his brother and sister to watch over their mother. Admittedly, Reese hadn’t done a good job of that, but he liked to think he was there when she really needed him.
Up ahead, he saw Z motion with his arm, pointing off to the right, seconds before his blinker turned on and he took the exit from the highway. RT was right there with him, the rest following close behind.
The two-lane road they took was less traveled than the highway, so they got more speed, pushing the limits of the motorcycles and likely tempting fate. He was sure there was going to be a small-town cop hiding behind a copse of trees, just waiting to take them down.
Thankfully, if there was, he chose not to give chase, so Reese considered them lucky. He did not have time to explain who they were and what their objective was. Without a badge, they had little leeway when it came to local cops. Something they’d learned soon after the task force had disbanded and they’d gone into the private sector.
Another four miles later, RT and Z began to slow, so Reese mirrored them until they were in a small bait shop parking lot. There were three trucks, one of them an antique, one that looked to be on its last leg, and another that was brand new. Gunmetal gray, shiny wheels, and more than a little out of place. On the side of the building, a bicycle leaned against the wall, chained to what appeared to be an ancient pay phone that had been gutted.
“JJ sent a map of the area,” Z explained, glancing at his phone. “There’s a handful of cabins, but the one closest to the water is Toby’s.”
Reese pulled out his phone to look at what JJ had sent. It was a satellite map of the area, but most of it was obscured by dense brush and trees.
“We have no idea what we’re walkin’ into,” Z noted, his gaze swinging between all of them. “But we do this calmly and rationally. No hero shit, understood?”
A few choice words for his brother hovered on the tip of his tongue, but Reese refrained from telling him he’d do whatever the hell he wanted. Z was right. They had to be cool about this. Yes, Toby had taken Cindy, but that didn’t mean she was in any immediate danger. They didn’t know what they were dealing with yet, or what Toby’s mental state was, so they had to go in with the intention of talking him down.
RT took the lead when he said, “Brantley and Reese, y’all go in from the front. Z and I’ll go in through the back. Deck, you secure the perimeter and wait for the others.”
Reese wished they had a floor plan for the cabin, but JJ hadn’t worked that kind of magic yet. If she’d had enough time, there was no doubt in his mind she would have.
“And remember, we’re here totalkto him,” Brantley reiterated. “That’s all.”
Reese looked at his brother. He wanted to say he wouldn’t do anything rash, but his mother’s life was at stake here. If Toby had hurt her…
