“No, I didn’t,” I growl. “I found out tonight, and I’m less happy than you are right now. This is what I was fucking scared of.”
Beau curses, ending the call, and walks over to us. “What is fucking going on? Who has my daughter?”
“I don’t know. They’ve got their hands full trying to detain the group of teenagers that showed up. He can’t account for anyone missing, and everyone who is suspect isn’t in his line of vision right now.”
“You said that the cattle market was a ploy. If they knew, why would they send people there?” I ask, ducking further under the shelter when the rain begins to come down faster.
“I don’t give a fuck what was a ploy or what wasn’t. I give a fuck that my daughter isn’t here right now,” Max roars, his face paling as he struggles to catch his breath.
Beau launches through what has happened, what Hayden found out and about the night she went to him and Maverick. Another thing she hid from me.
Max turns to me, pointing at the building. “Check the CCTV footage. There has to be something on there,” he declares, his voice cracking.
I grimace, shoving my hands in my pockets. “The lines were cut at quarter past eight.”
His jaw clenches as he stares at Beau, a storm brewing in his eyes before he steps forward, knocking the wind out of him when he shoves him back.
“Why the fuck didn’t any of you protect her? You should have been watching her.”
“Max,” I call out, trying to pull him back, but he shoves me away, breathing hard as his face reddens.
“Don’t fucking touch me. How the fuck didn’t you notice she was gone? And why the fuck are you here?”
“Are you listening to yourself?”
“Calm down,” Beau warns, breaking us apart.
“He doesn’t need to be here,” Max snaps.
“Yes, I do,” I burst out, clenching my hands.
“Calm down,” Beau warns when Max takes a threatening step towards me.
“Calm down? Calm down? She’s my fucking daughter and she’s missing. I just had to lie to her fucking mother, so she didn’t worry herself sick again. Don’t tell me to calm the fuck down,” he roars, letting the rain pour over him. “She didn’t fight as a premi to get fucking murdered by some corrupt pig. So get out of my way and tell me something useful,” he yells, before turning to me. “And get out of my face. She should have been safe here.”
“Yes, she should have. And I’ll blame myself for the rest of my life. I was the reason she came out for fresh air,” I tell him vehemently, letting him see the guilt and pain it has caused me. “But respectfully, I’m not going anywhere. Not until Hayden tells me otherwise.”
“You’re her boss. She doesn’t need a fucking paycheque right now.”
“I’m more than her boss and you know it,” I snap. “Now shut up and let’s figure out where she is.”
He snorts. “You’re too old for her.”
“I love her,” I burst out, surprising myself. “And there’s nothing you can do that will make me walk away, so don’t even fucking try it.”
‘Max!” Maverick calls, jumping out the back of the van he and Liam have been working in. He wanted to check the surveillance videos from other buildings.
“You fucking knew,” Max growls, his feet splashing up puddles as he races over, charging at his brother. He punches him the jaw, taking him to the ground.
“Max,” Beau yells, trying to pull him off.
“Calm the fuck down,” Maverick snaps, pushing him away and getting up.
Max follows, grinding his teeth together as he meets Maverick’s unrelenting glare. “You fucking knew.”
“Max, if I knew it was going to turn out like this, I would never have let her be involved,” he explains, wiping blood off his lip. “I would have told you. I swear to you.”
Max’s temples pulse as he drops his hands to his sides, clenching his fists. “No, you should have told me anyway. You watched what I went through in that hospital when we almost lost Landon. You saw what it did to me. How could you think this would be okay? Why, Mav? Why?” he asks, staring daggers into his brother. “If I lose my daughter, I’ll never forgive you. We will be done.”
Maverick staggers back, looking utterly wounded, like he’s just taken a knife to the stomach.
“Max, there was no way of talking her out of this. I tried,” Beau explains gently, bracing himself.
Max’s chin drops to his neck, his shoulders sagging. “I can’t lose her. I can’t. We can’t. This will kill my wife. She’s only just recovering from Landon’s scare,” he whispers brokenly.
“I’m so sorry,” Maverick rasps, his watery eyes on his brother. “I’m truly sorry.”
“Dad?” Liam and Landon call out, running over to us through the rain.
He startles, scrubbing the rain off his face before looking up at his sons. “What are you doing here?”
Landon shares a look with Liam before turning to his dad. “We aren’t sure. We both felt like we needed to get to Hayden. We tried calling her, but she didn’t answer, so we rang Mum, knowing Hayden goes to see her most Friday’s after work, and Mum said you were coming to look at Hayden’s car, but that she didn’t believe you.”
“You lied, didn’t you?” Liam asks, looking distraught. “Something has happened to our sister.”
Landon casts him a sharp look. “No, it hasn’t. Don’t talk daft.”
Liam shakes his head, his eyes dropping. “Yes, it has. This is the same feeling Hayden and I got when you were in the hospital. We just knew.”
“She’s a fighter,” I remind them, hating the dread in their expressions. It’s like they’ve cast her off already.
“Why are you even here?” Landon barks, eyeing me with disgust.
Max’s phone rings and we all turn to him, watching as his brows pull together while he looks down at his phone.
“Hello? Hayden? Where the fuck are you? Are you hurt?” he rushes out, moving under the shelter as he puts his phone on loudspeaker.
Beau races off to the back of the van, while Landon, Liam and Maverick step under the shelter, crowding the phone.
“Hayden, where are you?” Landon asks, but Max slaps his chest.
“Shut up, let her speak.”
Hayden groans, and in the background, it sounds like rain is hitting a tin. “Dad, I really need a favour. I’ve been kidnapped and I need you to come and get me.”
“I fucking know you’ve been kidnapped. I’m your dad; I know everything. Tell me something I don’t know,” he barks, yet the relief pours over his expression at the sound of her voice.
“In the boot of a car,” she fires back. “I cannot believe you are having a go right now.”
“Whose phone are you on?” Maverick asks, glancing at Max hesitantly.
She groans. “Please tell me the whole family isn’t there.”
“Hayden,” Max growls.
“Alright, alright. I don’t know whose phone this is. There were three or four of them. I pinched it out of a pocket when they were struggling to get me in the boot. Fuckers knocked me out.”