HUNT:You still there?
HUNT:Rad’s parents got him a lawyer. He’s not talking. We had to let him go.
HUNT:I’m sorry.
Cyn fumed, but it wasn’t Hunt’s fault. He was bound by the law. She wasn’t.
CYN:My mom knows.
CYN:Happy to be done with that madness for now.
CYN:Headed your way after I pick up some stuff at my place.
CYN:Need anything???
HUNT:YOU!!! Safe and in my sight.
Cyn started the car and pulled out of her mom’s place and headed home even though she wanted to go right to Hunt and fall into his warm embrace and shut off her head and heart and just let him hold the world at bay for a while.
But that wasn’t going to happen. She had things to do. Starting with searching for her sister. Because Cyn knew she was out there somewhere. Rad didn’t have enough time to take her far. She imagined he’d been in a hurry, out of sorts, not thinking clearly. He’d have wanted to ditch the car and hide the body. The woods were a good place to start. And she’d scour every inchof them, turn over every rock and pine needle, if that’s what it took to find her sister.
She had to believe her niece was safe somewhere else.
Because down the path where Cyn didn’t get either one of them back lay madness. And if Rad did that, he’d see what kind of wrath she’d bring down on him.
Chapter Nine
A wave of relief washed over Hunt the second Cyn’s car pulled in behind all the other vehicles clogging the recreation area parking lot that hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and ATV riders used. Today they were all here to help find Cyn’s sister.
They’d triangulated Angela’s cell phone to this geographic location filled with hiking and hunting trails, campsites and fishing holes along the river. There were no motels in the area. The best they could hope for was to find Angela’s car and her and the baby in it.
Alive and hiding from Rad, Hunt hoped.
It was a place to start.
Astonishment and surprise filled Cyn’s eyes when she got out of her car and saw how many people showed up. They’d put the call out to their regular volunteers and nearly everyone showed up with a few extras, too.
And he’d called in his own backup.
The second Shelby spotted Cyn, she ran for her. Cyn met his soon-to-be sister-in-law halfway across the lot. They embraced and held each other tight.
Another wave of relief swept over him. She was safeand leaning on a friend. He’d like her to rely on him, but for now, she got what she needed.
His brothers, Chase and Max, leaned against the horse trailer.
Chase eyed him. “That’s an intense look you’ve got for Shelby’s friend.”
Max pushed off the trailer and took two steps toward Cyn. “I think I’ll go see if she needs some consoling.”
“Take another step, little brother, it will be your last.”
Max grinned. “You owe me ten bucks,” he said to Chase, who pulled out a bill from his pocket and handed it over.
“I knew it was a sucker bet when I made it. I just love seeing the look on Hunt’s face.”
Hunt glared at them. “You guys are assholes. We’re here to find her missing sister.”
Both his brothers sobered.