“Call Dad,” I beg him. I’m so fucking out of my depth here.
The sound of his cell ringing fills the car, my dad answers after the first few rings. “Jagger, is everything okay?” There’s hope in dad’s voice along with anguish.
“Harrison, we’ve found her.” Jagger’s voice is tight, he, like me, is barely holding on right now.
“Is she okay?”
“We need to get her to a doctor, Hudson’s asked me to have you organize it.” That’s technically not what I said but it’s good, at least I don’t sound like I’ve no idea what to do.
“On it, I’ll call you with a location,” Dad instructs and relief washes through me, she’s going to be okay.
I place a kiss against her forehead, as I pull her closer to me. It’s good to have her back in my arms but not like this, she’s been gone too long, she’s not been looked after, I feel the bones in her body protruding through her skin. “Love you, Mia, I promise you, nothing like this is ever going to happen to you again.” I won’t let anything like this happen to her again. No way, not ever.
“Hudson,” Jagger’s voice is soft. Looking up at the mirror, I see a tear falling down his face. “Why would they kill Lacey? It doesn’t make sense.”
I nod. “I know Jag, I know. None of this makes sense and I promise you, I’m going to find out the truth.”
“Good, I can’t believe that Barney had her killed. Why fucking sleep with her if that was the end game?”
Yeah, I’m not buying it either. “Maybe we got it wrong? What if everything Barney said was the truth? What if someone is setting him up?”
Silence fills the car. “Who would go to those extreme lengths? Boss, you saw the money in his account, the money lead us to Mia.”
“It was too easy.” Way too easy in the end.
I watch as he frowns. “Too easy? How did you work that out?”
“Jag, there was no one at the house, either in the main house or basement other than Mia and Lacey. Why is that? If they were holding them for a reason why were there no guards? Why was the door open for Mia to walk out if she so wanted?” Nothing is making sense right now and until Mia can help us connect the dots, we’re stuck in limbo, going round in circles trying to make sense of this.
“And she what? Decided to stay there instead of walking out of the door? Hudson, I think we got the right man.”
I shake my head, I don’t. “Call Aaron,” I instruct him, I want to have Aaron check into what Barney was saying.
He sighs but does as I ask, and set his cell calling. “Jag?”
“Aaron, I need you to do something for me,” I say loud enough so that I can be heard from the backseat. “It needs to be done discreetly, only Jagger and I are to know about this. You do not say a word to anyone. You do, you die.” It’s that simple.
He doesn’t even hesitate. “What do you need, Boss?”
“Find out if what Barney told us was correct. I want to know why he was with Tianna.” I’ll call Landon once I get Mia to a doctor.
“O
n it boss. I won’t say anything to anyone. If I’m asked, I’ll say that I’m given some personal time while Mia is recuperating.”
I smile. “Good, I’ll talk to you soon, Aaron.”
“Boss,” he says quickly so that Jagger doesn’t end the call. “How is Mia?”
“I don’t know Aaron, I’ll find out once I get her to a doctor.” I need Dad to hurry the hell up and call with a location.
“Okay boss, keep me informed. My prayers are with you both. I’ll call when I find out any information.”
“Thanks Aaron and I will do,” I tell him and Jagger ends the call. “Fuck, when the hell is Dad going to call?” I’m ready to go to the damn hospital. Mia needs medical attention and I’ll deal with the fall out.
“He’ll call, Hudson, you know he will,” Jagger says calmly and I know I should be too, but right now, with Mia unconscious in my arms, calm has gone out the window and fear has a grip of me. “Hudson, you have her back, that is the main thing. She’s going to be okay.”
My jaw clenches as my eyes close. I lean into Mia and inhale deeply, he’s right; I do have her back but I think he’s wrong, I don’t believe that she’s going to be okay. She was there when Lacey died, the dried blood on her top is a testament to how she tried to help her. If it were me and Jagger was killed, I’d go on a rampage, but this is Mia we’re talking about. She’s good and pure, nothing evil was meant to have touched her.