I’d taken that role seriously all my life. Believed I was good at it. In three and a half seconds, I’d been proven useless.
And as I’d relayed what had happened with Daniel, even his words hadn’t been any consolation.
“You had to make a choice, Lincoln. And with that gun pointed at Eric’s head, the right choice was to do as Marlene Logan had asked,” Daniel said. “People like that are motivated by money, and Eric was her best shot.”
“What if she hurts him? What do I do—”
“Lincoln, they want the money. He’s their ticket.”
If I’d charged her to get him back, she might have hurt him.
I couldn’t take that risk.
But the utter fear on his face was stamped in my brain. Would be forever. What agony and terror he must be going through. I was petrified and the gun had only been pointed at me for a mere second. Though it had been far more frightening when she turned the gun on him.
What if this traumatized him permanently? What if he was never the same? Because I’d let him down.
I’d never forgive myself.
I wasn’t going to anyway.
Even if it was the last thing I ever did, I would get him back to Lexie.
“That’s it.” She pointed to a five-story building that appeared unoccupied and dilapidated. We weren’t far from the property I wanted Beau to purchase.
Lexie and Eric had grown up in one of those horror houses.
Her phone rang and she picked up before a second tone sounded. “Where are you?” She paled and hung up. “They’re in our old apartment.”
She swallowed hard but pushed open the door. I grabbed the duffel bag and followed her to the entrance.
The glass was busted out and the lock was gone.
“Where is the apartment? I’ll go get him. You stay out here.”
She shoved past me as if I wasn’t moving fast enough. She turned on the flashlight on her phone. Her shoulders were tense as she darted up the steps. She danced around holes in the floor as if she had them memorized from years of practice.
A rat scurried across the third-floor landing. She kept going past as if she hadn’t noticed.
The walls were dank and stained from water leaks. It smelled as if it had been closed up for a decade. And I wasn’t sure the structure was safe enough to support us.
Lexie stopped in front of a fourth-floor apartment. She hesitated only for a moment before she kicked the door open.
Her father grinned when she burst inside. “Hi, baby doll. No hug for your daddy?”
Lexie frantically looked around. “Where’s Eric?”
His expression turned serious. “Where’s my money?”
“You get nothing until we have him back.”
Donnie Logan slowly looked at me as if just realizing I was there. “You brought your fancy pants sugar daddy? From now on you can pay me for the ‘services’ she gives you.”
I was going to kill him. As soon as we got Eric back, I would put my bare hands around his neck and squeeze the life out of that bastard.
“The sooner you return Eric, the sooner you get your money.”
He leaned on the wall. “I think the deal has changed. If you brought what I asked, that’s just the down payment. You’re gonna owe me for both of my children. In cash. Every week.”
Lexie screamed as she charged at the opening he blocked. “Eric!” she cried as she plowed into him.
“Oomph.” He doubled over but caught her leg as she leaped over him.
He tackled her to the floor and held her down.
“Eric! I’m here!”
I dropped the duffel bag and ran for them.
Get your hands off of her.
She clawed and kicked, landing several blows before I could get to them.
I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked.
“Let him go.” The woman’s voice from earlier spoke from behind me. Something round and cool and metal pressed into the center of my back.
I held him like a rag doll suspended in air long enough for Lexie to get away. The hall was dark. She’d lost her light. And I couldn’t see where she’d gone.
I counted to ten and dropped the bastard, but slammed my foot on the small of his back.
The barrel of the gun dug deeper against me.
“Let. Him. Go.”
Reluctantly, I removed my hold.
Donnie crawled to his feet. “Shoot that asshole,” he grunted.
“You never could think, Donnie. He’s the one with the money.”
“Now I am,” he said triumphantly.
I spun. He held up a lighter which provided enough light to see the strap of the duffle bag firmly in his grasp.
Damn it. This entire scenario had not gone to plan. I’d screwed up again.
“You have baby doll call me every Friday for our little arrangement. I want ten grand. It ain’t delivered when I say, and we’ll crank this party up.” He motioned for his wife. “C’mon, honey. We’ve got some catching up to do.”
I couldn’t see the details of her features, but her hair was a completely different length and color than it had been earlier in the evening. Even her face didn’t look the same.
She glanced back at me with a sneer. “She thinks she knows where he’s at, but she’s gonna have to look real hard.”
They vanished, and I fired off a text to Daniel after turning off the recording.
Now.
I’d recorded every word out of that son of a bitch’s mouth. Daniel had organized for Officer Wilson to be at the door after we went in. I just hoped he’d gotten here soon enough.
Right now, I had to find my girl.
I turned on my flashlight and shined it in the direction Lexie had gone. “Lexie,” I called. My shout echoed in the empty space.
Her troubled face appeared. “He’s not here. I’ve looked everywhere.”
No.
No.
“We will find him.”
She didn’t look as if she believed me. “Let me check the kitchen.”
She threw open cabinet doors. One of them fell off and clattered to the floor.
I helped her search, but it was empty too.
“What could they have done with him?”
Anything.
But I kept that to myself.
“She said you were going to have to look really hard.”
I’d let them walk away. With the money. And no Eric.
“Let’s try another apartment,” I suggested. I’d search the entire building from top to bottom twice if I had to. “We stay together.”
Teague had always emphasized in the fire department’s crisis training the importance of partners. This building was dangerous. It was dark—
Teague.
I pressed his contact info. I’d told him about what happened because he’d called when we hadn’t shown up for popsicles. I don’t know why I didn’t think of him before.
“Any news?” He sounded as concerned as I felt.
“We think he’s in the apartment building where they grew up. But it’s abandoned and we don’t have any light other than our phones. Any chance you could help in that department?”
“Text me the address and I’ll have you hooked up in ten minutes.”
I sent the location and prayed help arrived soon.