“I know we normally wouldn’t meddle like this, but it’s important.” My arms were still wrapped around his waist, and he tugged me toward him, holding me tight.
“Okay, I’ll make sure they’re there.” He didn’t ask any other questions, trusting me. I burrowed my head against his chest, his cotton scent comforting me. This day ranked high on the list for number of revelations in one day. Most of them had been challenging and upsetting, leaving me wondering what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter Eight
“How bad is this gonna be?” Connor whispered, leaning down and blocking anyone’s view of me. I winced, seeing a vague flicker of shouting and Danny storming out. Predicting the future wasn’t something I did normally, but in certain circumstances, such as a person’s gut reaction, it was easy to guess what could happen.
“Fantastic,” he muttered, straightening up.
“Maybe you should unhook the battery on his bike or something? So he can’t get away?” I suggested hopefully. Connor gave me a disgusted look.
“You don’t mess with a man’s bike, woman.”
I rolled my eyes and hissed, “Then you stand in front of the door when he decides to storm out.” That idea had him squirming uncomfortably. Danny had no compunction about decking a man, even if he was a cop.
We’d all arrived at Jake’s parents a little early. His momma’s warm hug as familiar to me as my own mom’s, but I could tell it had caught Danny off guard. Natalie and John had made their announcement of the newest Kincaid almost immediately, too excited to wait any longer.
Connor and I were standing next to the front window, keeping a lookout for the Phillips, while Jake and Danny talked about the docks where Danny worked. Considering where the kidnapper had been spotted in the water, there was a good chance something was happening at the docks where Danny worked. It was a massive complex, and Jake wanted inside information about the inner workings.
I tugged on Connor’s sleeve, seeing a car turn into the driveway. He glanced out and then over at Jake, with a small nod indicating it was show time. We all had our fingers crossed that being around friends and in neutral territory might smooth their reunion, but I was aware of the dark emotions that consumed Danny. The guilt, regret, and anger hadn’t abated in the last year, but only grew as it directed itself inward, destroying his ability to heal. I could only hope this had the effect I wanted and didn’t spin him completely out of control.
The ring of the doorbell surprised a few of them, not realizing we were waiting on two more for dinner. Jake’s dad answered the door, greeting Mr. and Mrs. Phillips warmly. I had my eyes on Danny though, watching his expression as he caught sight of them. There was pain and longing before he closed himself off, but it was enough for me.
“Daniel!” Mrs. Phillips cried out, tears filling her eyes. It was the first time she’d seen him in over two years. She rushed to him, throwing her arms around him. He didn’t reciprocate, and she slowly backed away, taking in every nuance of him as he stood there uncomfortably. His gaze flickered to her and then his father and he looked away, unable to make eye contact with them.
“We’ve missed you, Daniel. So very, very much.” Her words were a whisper, but we all heard them, the room still as we watched their reunion.
“Son,” his father said, a hand outstretched. This snapped Danny out of the frozen state he was in, and with a snarl he stepped around his mother, careful not to hit her, but there was no mistaking his anger.
“I don’t deserve that word,” he gritted out, headed straight for the door. Connor made a step toward it to block him from leaving, but I slid in front of it first. It was the first time I’d seen Danny so angry, and it was truly frightening. Every part of him was drawn tight, from the clenched fists hanging next to him, to his black stare, ice cold and intimidating, but I was ninety percent sure he wouldn’t hit me. Maybe seventy, I amended, as he leaned down and growled, “Move, or I will go through you.”
“No,” I told him, standing firm. Jake and Connor were on either side of him, ready to grab him if he swung at me. Carly hovered behind them, a pained expression on her face. His parents watched us, defeat warring with sorrow in their expressions.
He rocked back, echoing me, “No?”
He couldn’t believe I was standing up to him, and part of him wanted me too, firming my resolve.
“NO.”
His eyes narrowed, and he moved toward me, his hands on my waist to set me aside. I could see Jake and Connor stepping forward, and shook my head at them. I stared straight into Danny’s eyes, and told him the words he refused to believe.
“You deserve to live.” He shook his head violently, and I could feel his fingers pressing into my side.
“No, I don’t,” he gritted out between clenched teeth, the muscle working in his jaw as he attempted to control himself. “You need to move.”
“You need to listen to them.” He shook his head as I nodded mine. “Yes, you owe them that much.”
His head reared back, and he blinked at me.
“You heard me. You owe them a conversation. You’re the reason Samuel was taken. You’ve blamed yourself for what’s happened for too long. You should at least have the courtesy to let them tell you how they feel.” I saw the slight shake of his head, and the sudden fear in his eyes. He didn’t want to hear their accusations, or feel their pain on top of his own.
Connor’s eyes widened at my words, no doubt wondering what I was playing at. I knew Danny would keep running, avoiding what he believed he’d caused, and never find any peace. He would wind up dead by his own hand, unable to escape the demons he’d created.
I needed him to hear his parents, so maybe they could give him the forgiveness he couldn’t give himself.
“Are you going to deny them that? After everything?” I glared at him, forcing myself to be angry, so he would listen to me. “Are you a coward, as well?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!” he roared, rage causing him to push me against the door, his fingers digging deep into my sides, leaving bruises.
“Then tell me!” I screamed back, remembering the emotions I’d sensed swirling deep inside of him every time a question was brought up about Samuel or his parents. “Tell me how you decided to narc on your supplier, because Sam thought it was the right thing to do. Tell me how you made the decision to walk away from it all, because Sam asked you to.” His eyes grew damp as I pushed, telling him what I’d seen. “Tell me how you blame yourself for his death every single day. Tell me about the guilt, the regret, and the sheer hatred you feel toward yourself every single day. Tell me. And then tell them.” I pointed to his parents, and his head turned, his eyes closing at the sight of his mother’s tears.
“Look at me!” I shouted, and his gaze shot back to mine as everyone else jumped. “Now, let me tell you how they feel.” He shook his head desperately, but I pushed. “Let me tell you how your mother cries herself to sleep at night, because she lost two sons instead of one. How your dad blames himself, because he was late picking Sam up. How your mom almost took the entire bottle of prescription pills the doctor gave her, because she can’t bear knowing you blame yourself.”
“Wha …” He looked so lost standing there as I told him the things I’d seen countless times, when Jake talked to his parents.
“Maybe you should let them tell you how they feel. So at least they know they tried,” I whispered to him, feeling the weight of him against me as he sagged. He wasn’t digging into me anymore, so much as I was holding him up. I wrapped an arm around him, leading him, and he let me, too stunned by my revelations to protest. We walked to the couch, and I pushed him down.
“Are you going to listen now?” He nodded absently, still lost in what I’d revealed, and I looked over at his parents.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told everyone your business.” They shook their heads, not seeming to care, but I still felt guilty. I was the keeper of others’ secrets, and I didn’t take the job lightly. The
y sat on either side of Danny, and his mom hesitantly took his hand, smiling as he allowed it.
The rest of us backed out of the room, giving them the privacy they needed. I didn’t feel like Danny would run, but I locked the front door, just in case. Jake saw me and smiled as he settled his head on top of mine.
“You okay?” He’d been worried and was pissed at Danny touching me, but trusted I knew what I’d been doing. I spoke instead of nodding, not wanting him to move his head from mine.
“Yeah, I’ll warn you now, there might be bruises.” I felt him tense up at my words and squeezed him extra tight. “I might bruise, but I don’t break. He needed someone to get in his face. I thought I had the best chance of not getting punched.” He growled at that thought, making me chuckle.
“You laugh, but it would have been a fight if he’d tried.”
“I know,” I told him, relieved it hadn’t come to that. Danny truly was a good guy, but the demons that haunted him were fierce and made him dangerous in many respects.
“Why do you always have to be the one placing yourself in danger?” His question was rhetorical, but I could see the reasoning. I often knew where the danger was, and felt like I could step into a dangerous situation, already having an escape plan ready. When I told him this, he closed his eyes.
“That’s not comforting at all. Just so you know.”
After we had dinner, which was only marginally awkward after everything that had gone down, I had Jake drop me off at my mom’s. She’d gotten a new car, and I could finally have mine back again.
“I’m gonna go into the precinct. See what I can dig up. At least the dead kidnapper is our case.” I heard the irritation in his voice as he continued. “Maybe if I can find some evidence linking him to the kidnapped girls, we can get the case moving in the right direction.”
“He had to transport them somehow. The easiest way would be a car. Did the girls have cars?” I wasn’t sure if the kidnapper had taken the girls in their own cars or if he’d had a car. If we could find the vehicle, maybe there was evidence linking the two cases.
“No, they didn’t.” I heard his excitement as he made the same connections I did. “I can’t believe we missed that.”
“Well, it wasn’t your case,” I murmured, and he gave me a faint smile.
“Where is the kidnapper’s car?” he asked, knowing this would be an easy question for me. I rattled off an address, and puzzlement crossed his face for a second, then it cleared and he said, “That’s the dock.”
I remembered the enormous parking lot Carly and I had driven through, to get to Jake and the dead body yesterday, and knew it would be a needle in a haystack to find.
“What type of car was he driving?” I told him a black Chevy Cobalt and he nodded. It narrowed it down, but would still take a little time to find. If our kidnapper was working with other people, and we were positive he was, they could have already disposed of the evidence. Jake leaned over and kissed me. His gentle kiss turned fiercely possessive as I tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck. I wanted him closer, and he obliged, tightening his arm around me as we leaned closer to one another. I bit his lower lip and soothed it with a kiss, our lips meeting over and over again, as neither of us attempted to pull away. I pressed kisses against the skin of his jaw, catching the faintest whiff of his aftershave, the scent sending spirals of lust through me. I kissed him harder, my lips finding the curve of his upper lip and nuzzling it.
“I have to call Connor,” he muttered, his hands under my shirt as his thumb caressed the side where Danny had bruised me. My laugh was muffled as I kissed him more firmly.
“Always Connor interrupting us,” I said, pulling my mouth from his as his hand slid out from under my shirt and rested on my ass. He gave a light squeeze and I yelped, surprised by his action.
“We have to find that car,” he said, his reluctance at letting me go obvious. I nodded, knowing he was right. He glanced toward the front door. “Are you going to be okay? I don’t like the idea of you going home alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” I told him, kissing him quickly on the corner of his mouth before jumping out of the car. I knew if I let him think too long on it, he’d call Jules to bring me home. “Be careful.”
“You too.” He gave me a serious look, and I nodded obediently. I really had no desire to be kidnapped or to hear any more questions about the kidnapped girls. “Tell your mom and grandfather I said hello.”
I smiled, knowing he liked hanging out with my grandfather. “I will.” I slammed the door shut on his black Camaro, a leftover from his undercover drug days, and watched him drive away.
I bounced inside. The door was unlocked, because neither of them remembered to lock it during the day. My grandfather was always there, so that somehow made it okay to leave the door unlocked.
“Hello! Anyone home? I’m here to rob the place.”
“Thank goodness. I’ve been wanting a bigger television,” my mom said as she walked from the kitchen and gave me a big hug. I hugged her back, forever grateful for her. I’d had a peek at just how much she loved me when I’d been shot, and it was difficult to describe the level of emotions I’d felt in those moments. Suffice to say, my mother was the constant in my life, and I couldn’t imagine life without her.
“Where’s Paw Paw?” I asked, figuring he was watching a Nascar race.
“Watching a race, where else?” she replied, walking back to the kitchen. “I’ve got cookies. You want some?”
“Is the Pope Catholic?” I answered, following her. Paw Paw had come to live with us after my grandmother’s death, at my insistence. He was one of my favorite people, and I missed seeing him every day. Mom and I talked on the phone constantly, but Paw Paw was deaf as a doorknob, so he wouldn’t talk on the phone. I made it a point to come by at least once a week to see him, though.
“Is Jake working on the case for those missing girls? It’s terrible. One might have run away, but now there’s two. That sounds suspicious to me. You need to be careful, you hear?” She pointed the spatula at me as she took the cookies off the pan, and I nodded, having heard it all before. I knew where the concern came from, tempering my aggravation. “And now I heard they found a man in the Mississippi River, drowned. What is the world coming to?”
She turned back to the cookies, but her question had opened the door in my mind. There was no answer, but the darkness consumed me as I balanced on the edge of the door in my mind. The dizziness that accompanied the absence of everything caused me to stumble forward into it.
“ADDIE!” Her voice screamed at me pulling me from the darkness, a blackness that I now realized was filled with images, blinks in time, rushing by so fast, it only appeared to be an empty vortex.
I blinked up at her, and she clutched me to her. “You fell off the barstool, your eyes just blank and staring. I thought you were having a stroke!” She scanned me. “Did you have a stroke? Oh my God, do I need to take you to the hospital?”
I shook my head, knowing I hadn’t had a stroke, but relieved she’d been able to snap me out of the darkness.
“What is going on?” Paw Paw asked, shuffling into the kitchen. “I heard you shouting.”
“Wow, you must have been loud if Paw Paw heard you,” I muttered, and Mom laughed semi-hysterically.
“It’s alright,” she told him, and he cupped a hand around his ear. “IT’S ALRIGHT,” she shouted loudly, and he jumped saying, “You don’t have to shout.” She peered up at me, exasperated, and I laughed, familiar with the fine line between loud enough for him to hear and shouting.
“We have cookies,” I told him loudly, and he nodded, grinning. I pulled myself up from the floor and helped Mom up.
“Maybe you should go to the doctor,” Mom suggested as we ate our cookies. Paw Paw had left to finish watching the race, and I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. It was a weird thing. Probably low blood sugar.” She gave me a disbelieving look, but stopped pushing for the moment. I knew she was only gearing up to lau
nch another attack when I wasn’t expecting it.
“Do you have plans for Mardi Gras?” she asked, changing the subject. I shook my head, having forgotten Mardi Gras was coming up in another week. “Classes are out Monday and Tuesday, right?”
“Yeah, that’ll be nice,” I said, excited at the prospect. College was better than high school in a lot of ways, but it was still school, which I despised. She nodded knowingly, already aware of my dislike for the educational institution. It wasn’t the learning that bothered me, as much as the feeling of being trapped by school and homework. Homework alone was reason enough for me not to like going.
“They’re supposed to have a parade downtown on Monday,” she mentioned, and I gave her a funny look. Neither of us were parade people. She shrugged and said, “Thought I’d mention it. But maybe you should see about making a doctor’s appointment, while you’re off. You know, just a checkup.” I rolled my eyes, laughing.
“I should have known.” I gave her a kiss on the cheek and hopped down from the barstool. “I have to go. I’ve got an early class and some studying to do. Thanks for giving my car back.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me borrow it,” she replied drily.
“What’s mine is yours!” I told her with a salute, as I headed out. “Bye, Paw Paw!” I shouted into the living room, and he waved at me.
I got in my car and had to sit there for a second, remembering where everything was. People had been chauffeuring me for so long, I’d almost forgotten how to drive. I put it in gear and headed to the dorms, flicking on my headlights when someone flashed theirs at me. “Oops,” I whispered to myself, knowing I’d ‘forget’ to mention that to my mom. I was notorious for driving without headlights, always forgetting to turn them on when it got dark.
When I got to the dorm, I had to park a few rows from the entrance, because it was late. I huddled into my jacket, hurrying toward the door. I wasn’t paying attention, as I took the stairs two at a time, eager to get out of the icy wind. I slammed into what felt like a brick wall, but clearly it wasn’t, as it grasped me by the arms and muttered, “What the hell are you doing? Does Jake know you’re by yourself? What if I’d been a kidnapper?”
Hidden Lies (The Hidden Series Book 2) Page 8