“Savannah, you still need to testify against Lynn.”
I can’t. I won’t. I’m finished. “No.” I stand straight and my head spins. “I’m done, Frank.” I open the door and walk out.
Cole
Cole holds the little boy’s body close to his chest as they step off the chopper and head toward the safe house. Poor little guy passed out during the rescue operation. The kidnappers had Ryder for six days, tied to a bed in an old warehouse. All things considered, he’s all right. Abigail comes rushing up and takes Ryder from Cole, whisking him inside to a warm bed. His aunt is cleared to take him into a witness protection program in a few days. For now, the little guy just needs rest.
During Cole’s much-anticipated hot shower, he hears his phone ringing next to the sink. He clears the glass on the door and sees it’s Frank. He reaches out and answers it.
“Frank, what’s going on?”
“Oh, fuck, they were rough on her.” Frank’s voice is bone tired “They called her every name in the book, saying she was the mastermind, that she seduced Denton. It was nasty.”
Shit.
“How is she?”
There’s a pause. “She lost it at one point and yelled at Denton until she got kicked out.”
“Fuck.” Cole leans his head against the wet glass.
“Yeah, well, she left, saying she was done. We lost her, her phone is off, and the hotel room is empty. So, I’m guessing she’s heading home.”
Cole turns the water off. “All right, I’ll figure it out. Just deal with the shit on your end.”
By the time Cole starts downstairs, Keith is heading up. “She arrived at the airport. She’s in a cab heading back to her place. I’d have offered to go get her, but she didn’t call me. She called your mother.”
Cole nods and pulls out his phone, but Keith stops him. “I don’t care if she needs space, I’m not staying away. She’s family, and if she’s hurting—”
“I know, and I agree.” Cole sighs and brings the phone to his ear. His mother answers.
“Cole, she’s all right,” his mother says calmly. “I just left her place, and Jake said he’ll take her out to get something to eat. She’s upset, but she’s holding it together for now.”
“All right. Thanks, Mom.”
“Anytime, honey.”
After getting absolutely nothing productive done at work, Cole decides to check in on Ryder, who is still fast asleep in Savannah’s old room. “Looks so small,” he says softly to Abigail, who is sitting quietly beside the bed.
“It’s truly sad that anyone should be kidnapped, but a five-year-old child?” Abigail presses a hand against her chest. “Poor little angel must have been so scared.”
“Savages,” Cole mutters and checks the time. Seven-thirty. “I need to go out. Call me if he wakes.”
“Of course.” She smiles slightly. “Tell Savannah I say hello.”
A short time later, Cole knocks on Savannah’s apartment door, but there’s no answer, and no answer at Jake’s either, so he heads down to speak with the security guard.
“She left about an hour and a half ago looking mighty pretty. She was with her neighbor. Think they said something about Chaps bar.”
Why would she go to Chaps to eat?
“Thanks.”
Cole heads back out into the cold air, wondering what the hell is going on. Is that why she didn’t want Keith coming to get her because she had plans to go to a bar tonight? This doesn’t sound like Savi.
Chaps is loud and crowded. Every type of cowboy boot and hat known to man is in this bar tonight. He feels very out of place; this isnothis scene. Nor did he think it was Savannah’s. He uses his weight to move through the sea of bodies, pulling down his black baseball cap to shade his eyes from the blinding lights as he scans the faces. He soon spots Jake and heads over.
“Where is she?” Cole shouts over Big and Rich.