“I’m getting sick of your riddles, Wendy.”
“Did you ever find out who raped your wife?”
My eyebrows nearly flew off my forehead. Where the hell had that come from?
“No one was ever caught.”
“I know that. But I know who did it.”
It took all my strength not to wrap my fingers around her neck and strangle the life out of her right in her foyer. No one knew. It was long ago—years before I even met Daphne—and there were no clues left.
She was manipulating me. Trying to anger me. She knew as well as anyone that the thought of three masked strangers violating my innocent wife made me insane.
I would not play this game.
“You don’t know shit.”
“Maybe not. But someone knows.”
“Only the rapists themselves.”
“They do. But they’re not the only ones.”
“I’m out of here.” I turned.
She gripped my shoulder, but I shook myself free.
“This is over,” I said.
“Only I decide when it’s over, Brad.”
I walked out without meeting her gaze.
As I got into my truck and drove back to the ranch, a black cloud seemed to hover over me.
Wendy had something in the works.
Something that was going to hit me hard.
I had to be ready with everything.
This time, my family was disappearing.
Daphne could break all the vases in the house if she wanted to.
I would not take no for an answer.
Chapter Fifty
Daphne
Nerves.
All my nerves skittered across my flesh.
“You need to relax, honey.” Mazie held a cool washcloth to my forehead. “It’s not good for the baby.”
“It’s been two hours, and the boys haven’t called to get picked up. Why did I let this go? As soon as Joe came home without them, I should have driven into town. I need to go now. Right now.”
“Stop it. The boys are fine. You’re going to start having those contractions again if you don’t settle down.”
Settle down?
My boys were gone.
Two other children were missing from our small town.
How was I supposed to settle down?
I jumped when the phone rang.
“Easy. I’ll get it.” Mazie rose and grabbed the phone. “Steel residence.” Mazie’s face went pale. “Yes, yes. She’s here.” She brought the phone to me. “It’s the…police.”
“The police!” I sat up and grabbed the receiver. “Hello, this is Daphne Steel. What’s going on?”
“Mrs. Steel, we have your son at the station.”
“Son? You mean sons?”
“No.” A pause that seemed like an eternity. “Your son Ryan. He’s… I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, Mrs. Steel. Ryan and Talon were attacked. Ryan got away, but Talon is…missing.”
Pull. Slice. Wrap. Hand to customer and smile. “What else can I get for you today?”
The deli owner’s daughter listened intently as the police officer continued to speak. Ryan was upset, but he was okay.
Talon was missing.
Grabbed by two men.
He protected his little brother.
Ryan got away.
But Talon…
Two men had Talon…
Pull. Slice. Wrap. Hand to customer and smile. “What else can I get for you today?”
“You need to come to the station,” the officer said. “Your little boy needs you.”
Except Ryan wasn’t the deli owner’s daughter’s little boy. He wasn’t Daphne’s little boy.
He’d grown in some other woman’s body.
But that didn’t matter. She had a job to do—to protect those whom Daphne cared about.
“Yes, of course. I’ll be right there. Have you contacted Mr. Steel?”
“He’s not answering his office line.”
“Try his car phone.” The deli owner’s daughter recited the number.
“We will. And ma’am? We’re so very sorry. We’ll do everything we can to find your son.”
The deli owner’s daughter turned to Daphne’s mother-in-law. “I need to go into town. Talon is missing.”
Daphne’s mother-in-law clasped her hands to her mouth. “No! They’re wrong. They’re wrong.”
“They’re not wrong, Mazie. They’re the police. Call Brad on his car phone. Tell him to meet me at the police station. Please.”
“Yes, yes. Of course. I’ll go with you.”
“No. Stay here with Jonah. I don’t want him out of your sight.”
“Okay. If that’s what you want.”
“Yes. Protect him, Mazie. Please.”
Brad.
My rock.
My world.
He beat me to the police station, and I crumbled when I saw him.
Crumbled into his arms.
Tears didn’t come. When you’re numb, you can’t cry.
Brad spoke to the police, gathering all the information, and my Ryan… My baby… He was so strong. Like his father. He told the story again and again.
He was frantic and tear-stained, but not a cut or bruise anywhere on him, thank God. Brad’s and my presence seemed to calm him.
“It was an old cabin. Somewhere on Luke’s ranch,” Ryan said, sniffling. “Two men came out. They wore masks. They grabbed us. Talon kicked the one who had me and I got away. He yelled at me to run. So I ran. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore. When I got to Luke’s house, Mrs. Walker brought me here.”
Vicki Walker sat silently.
“Thank you,” I whispered to her.
Now we had something in common. Both of us had a son missing.
I should have taken Luke to Disneyland.