We all listened at the click of the lock being turned, echoing off the walls.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to prepare myself for whatever was about to happen. But truthfully, I didn’t have a clue what would transpire from here. I just hoped that I could find a way out, and quick.
I spotted Kay’s car as soon as I pulled into the lot. Parking a couple of spaces down, I jumped out of my truck and jogged towards her car, looking all around it for any signs of anything to give me an idea of what happened.
“Boss? Anything?” Luke said from behind me.
I didn’t answer him, instead I lowered down on the ground and looked under the car. Stretching my hand out, I felt for anything I couldn’t see, I felt a bunch of keys and dragged them out. My heart pumped faster as I felt the teddy bear keyring that she kept on there, instinctively knowing that they were Kay’s before I even saw them.
“Boss?” Kitty asked. I could feel them all around me now, waiting for me to answer. I clutched the keys tighter and squeezed my eyes closed, not wanting to admit to myself what I already knew.
I counted to three before I lifted up off the ground and opened my eyes, looking down at my hand. “They’re Kay’s,” I said on an exhale. This wasn’t good, this was really, really bad.
“Shit,” Kitty said under her breath.
I stared at them in shock, this had really happened. She’d been taken away from me and there was only one person that would have don
e this. I felt sick, knowing that he must have been watching her and I had no idea that she was in so much danger. I hadn’t protected her.
“Kitty?” I looked up at her and threw her the keys. “Take Kay’s car home.”
She nodded and jumped straight into the car as I looked away, not being able to see her drive it without Kay being behind the wheel. I’d watched Kay drive off the compound in it this morning and now I hadn’t got a clue where she was.
My mind was swirling with thoughts, where did I go from here? How would I tell Eli?
Putting my hands on my head, I looked off into the distance, needing to get my head together before I went inside the preschool.
“Okay, this is what we’re gonna do,” I turned to Luke. “Call Charlie and then go somewhere so Eli can’t see you. I’ll get him and tell him…fuck! I don’t know.”
“Boss-”
Holding up my hand, not wanting to hear anything from him, I continued. “Come back and get the footage. I’ll meet you back at the warehouse when Eli is in bed.”
“Got it.” Luke nodded but stood there, his mouth opening and closing before thinking better of it and walking away. I didn’t need to know what he thought, all I wanted was for him to do as I’d told him to.
Scrubbing my hands down my face, I walked to the preschool door and took in a deep breath. I needed to make sure Eli didn’t know about any of this, how I was going to do that, I had no idea. I had to try and act normal while on the inside I was falling apart.
Eli was sat in the reception area with Miss Cooper when I opened the door. Putting a smile on my face, I rolled my shoulders back and walked over to him.
“Hey, bud,” I said, crouching down. “Sorry that I’m late.”
“I thought mama was picking me up,” he said, shuffling down off of his seat.
Looking up at Miss Cooper, I could tell that she knew something had happened. I nodded subtly and looked back at Eli, trying to think of something on the spot.
“She was gonna, bud, but she got caught up with Miss Maggie.”
“Oh.” He scanned my face, his green eyes looking for something. I tried my hardest to keep the worry that I was feeling off my face but I hadn’t got a clue if I managed it or not.
“Can we get a burger?”
“Sure.” I smiled and held my hand out to him as I picked up his bag off the chair, his small hand gripping mine while he waved bye to Miss Cooper.
She opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off. “Give it five minutes,” I said, trying to convey with my eyes what I couldn’t say aloud.
I wouldn’t talk about this in front of Eli, as far as he would be aware, Kay was fine. I was determined to make sure he didn’t know because he didn’t need to deal with any of this. He needed to keep being a kid and things like this wouldn’t allow him to do that.
“Okay,” she whispered back.