Even stranger, the doors were all unlocked. Had someone pawed through it?
“Here, put these on.”
Storm tossed Nox some examination gloves from his pocket so they wouldn’t contaminate the crime scene. Although, Nox thought they were most likely dealing with professionals. After all, they’d taken the time to cover their tracks, and he doubted they’d find any prints on the car.
Storm opened the passenger door. “I’ve got blood on the front seat.”
“Blood? Someone shot her?” Maeve asked. She stood on the sidelines, watching them.
“I can’t be sure, but there isn’t much of it. It must’ve been a minor wound.”
It was the first piece of positive news they had.
“Let’s search through the car and see if we find anything,” Nox said. Storm took the front seat, while Nox took the back.
Maeve’s face had gone pale, and she was silent as the grave. To her credit, she was holding it together. Her eyes swam with tears, but she wasn’t hysterical. Yet.
“I’ve got her cell phone,” Nox said, yanking it out from under the seat. He tossed it to Storm. “Here, have a look.”
Storm scrolled through the messages. “I see missed texts and phone calls from Maeve, a couple from somebody named Jim O’Neal, and one or two calls from an unknown number.”
Fucking Jim.” Nox gritted his teeth.
“Unknown?” Maeve asked.
“Blocked,” Storm said. “Whoever called her, didn’t want to be found.”
Storm slid the phone into his pocket. “When we get back to HQ, I’ll work on this, and see what I can find out.”
After they’d been over every square inch of the interior, they hopped out again.
“There’s just one area left to search,” Maeve said, pointing to the trunk.
Nox tried it, but the latch wouldn’t budge. Unlike the rest of the vehicle, it was locked.
“Do you have the keys?”
“Yeah, I’ve got the spare.” She pulled them from her purse. “I’ll open it.”
And what if she unlocked it, only to see her sister’s body? Fuck that.
“Throw them to me.” Nox held out his hand.
She opened her mouth to argue, but he shook his head. “Maeve, come on. There are some images, you don’t want in your head. Trust me.”
Every once in a while, he was plagued by pictures from his past.
As a sniper, he’d killed hundreds of people. Their heads had exploded like ripe watermelons, nothing but a cloud of pink mist in the distance. He could hear the gunshots sometimes, echoing in his head. Nox refused to emotionally scar Maeve. She deserved better.
Reluctantly, she handed them over.
Holding his breath, Nox unlatched the trunk, but the compartment was empty.
“Tell me,” Maeve said hoarsely.
Nox sagged in relief. “She’s not in there.”
“Oh, thank God.” Maeve ran a hand down her face.
Storm frowned. “Yeah, but where the hell is she?”
***
“Okay, this changes everything,” West said.
They were back at HQ, seated in the meeting room.
Maeve felt numb.
She’d barely noticed the car ride home or the trip to the local sheriff’s office. She’d filled out a missing person’s report with Huck, and he’d said, he’d have a tow truck bring her sister’s car in so they could dust it for prints. Both Storm and Nox were doubtful the cops would find anything useful.
Obviously, Amy had been taken by someone. She wasn’t off on a lark somewhere, living it up.
Everything seemed surreal like she was trapped in a nightmare, she couldn’t wake from. She was trying to pay attention to everyone around her, but Maeve couldn’t.
Storm nodded. “This has all the hallmarks of a kidnapping, but the abductors haven’t asked for ransom.”
Maeve glanced around the room and noticed everyone had grim faces. What weren’t they telling her?
“Which means what?”
Storm hesitated, glancing at Nox, who nodded solemnly, as though giving Storm permission.
“More than likely, this isn’t about cash.”
“Meaning?”
“This is personal, they want to hurt you, or Amy,” Mack said. “And they may have other plans for your sister.”
“You said ‘they,’ do you think more than one person has her?” Maeve asked.
“We don’t know for sure,” Storm said. “But it looks like the kidnapper overpowered Amy in her own vehicle. It suggests that more than one person was involved.”
“And what kind of plans do they have…?” Maeve wanted to know who or what she was dealing with.
No one spoke up. Instead, they shifted guilty gazes back and forth, communicating silently with one another, but nobody would tell her what was going on.
Nox reached for her hand, and she took it, gripping his fingers tightly.
“Tell me,” Maeve demanded.
Finally, Storm said, “It could mean any number of things. Maybe they intend to sell her.”
“Sell her to who?”
“Interested parties who might want a young woman.” Storm cleared his throat. “Your sister is educated, pretty, and only twenty-one years old. There are several unsavory groups who traffic in pretty girls.”
“Oh, my God.”
She’d heard of human trafficking before, but Maeve had never thought about it happening to women from the United States. She always imagined it was girls and women from developing countries, who were bought and sold like animals.
“Or there’s another option,” Storm offered.
Nox scowled, and Storm clammed up.
Maeve sighed. “Please just say it.”
“They never intend for her to be found.”
Everyone went silent, and she struggled to understand it, let alone accept what he’d just said.
“Why would anyone want Amy dead? She’s a college student, for God’s sake. She’s never hurt, anyone.” Amy might be pampered and thoughtless, but she wasn’t a bad person.
“The truth is, we don’t know what happened to her,” Nox said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
She gulped. “Do you think she might already be dead?”
Storm shook his head. “We don’t know for sure. When we get done with this meeting, I’m gonna do some digging around on her phone and on the dark web. I’ll see what I can find. Until then, please don’t panic.”
Don’t panic.
She’d just been told Amy might be dead or sold off to some creep. How was she supposed to react to the news?
They continued droning on, but Maeve dashed from the room.
Maeve couldn’t take anymore. She ran upstairs to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Tears streamed down her face, and she nearly choked on her own sobs.
She kept coming back to the fight she’d had with her sister. What if those were the last words I said to Amy? She couldn’t bear it.
“You’ll get through this no matter what happens.” Nox appeared in the doorway, leaning against the wall. Maeve hadn’t even heard him approach.
She shook her head. “I don’t know how.”
“You’re strong.” He sat beside her and took Maeve by the shoulders. “Look at me.”
She met his gaze.
“Are you okay?”
“No. I’m supposed to say I am, but I’m not even in the ballpark.”
“It’s okay. Tell me what you need.”
“I don’t know.”
Right now, her thoughts were a jumble. It was a mixture of fears and memories.
And the guilt was staggering.
This is all my fault. I should’ve paid more attention to her.
When Maeve noticed Amy was missing, she should’ve stayed at the police precinct until they listened to her. She could’ve made a lot of noise, threatened to sue.
Maeve had assumed it wasn’t serious and Amy ran off on an adventure. She should
’ve been pushing everyone to find her sister. If they ever located her, Maeve would spend the rest of her life making it up to Amy.
“Maeve? Talk to me.”
She couldn’t give voice to her fears and recriminations. Not now. Maeve needed to escape from her own thoughts.
And then, Nox kissed her.
It was hesitant at first, a brush of his lips against hers. When she didn’t protest, he deepened the lip lock. His tongue teased hers, entwining with it.
She moaned into his mouth.
Nox cupped her head, tilted it back, and devoured her mouth hungrily, like he was a starving man. They were both shuddering when he pulled back.
“I want you to punish me,” she breathed.
Nox shook his head. “This is hardly the time for kinky games.”
“This isn’t a game at all. I need you to take me to that place. The isolated, quiet space inside where I drift. I don’t want to be me right now.”
“Maeve…”
“Please? I don’t want to think or feel. I want to lose myself.” Maeve couldn’t deal with any of this right now. She needed to escape.
He mulled it over for a moment. “Okay, but you’ve gotta talk to me for a little bit. Just to check in. I ain’t gonna take advantage of you.” Nox held out his hand, as though they were brokering a peace accord. “Deal?”
Maeve shook it. “Deal.”
“Go on, then, the floor is yours.”
Maeve struggled, trying to put her thoughts into words.
“I let her down. Remember how I told you we had a fight?”
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me much.”
“I told Amy she was a selfish party girl, who didn’t care about anything but taking selfies and going to parties.” Maeve swallowed the lump in her throat. “She’s only twenty-one. Of course, she’s a little self-interested. Almost everyone is at her age.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. People have arguments.”
“Yeah, but the truth is, there are twelve years between us. I’m older, more mature, and I should’ve known better.”
“She’s grown.”
“No, she’s in college, which is like extended adolescence. And I’ve been acting like she didn’t lose a father, too. Even worse, I left her alone. To deal with my grief, I threw myself into work, and now Amy is paying the price for my neglect.” Her breath hitched. “Or she already paid it.”
What she really needed now was answers, but they were few and far between. Unfortunately, her imagination had filled in all the blanks for her. Maeve was thinking up all sorts of terrible scenarios, and not just the ones Storm had mentioned.
“None of that. You’ve gotta stay positive.” Nox rubbed her back. “Don’t worry about somethin’ until it’s real, or you’ll only make yourself miserable.”
Maeve couldn’t help it. The situation looked pretty grim. Enough talk.
“Are you going to punish me? Or what?”
“Maeve, you haven’t done anythin’ wrong.”
“Yes, I have. My sister was kidnapped, and I didn’t even realize it.”
“Well, we’re gonna get her back. We already have a plan.”
“What is it?” She bit her lip
“Huck is on the case. As we speak, they’re dustin’ for prints, and Stormy’s going through her phone. Tonight. you’ll make a list of enemies, and we’ll go through them one by one until we narrow down the suspects.”
She nodded, calming down a bit. Taking some action eased her guilt a bit. At least she was doing something to find Amy.
“Do whatever you have to do. Money is no object.”
He winked. “Understood, although you probably shouldn’t tell the hired help to charge you through the nose.”
“I mean it. I have to get her back.” Maeve swallowed. “And if she’s…gone, I wanna punish the people who took her.”
Chapter 9
Nox didn’t know how to handle this.
Maeve was brave, full of piss and vinegar, but she’d been reduced to tears. She looked smaller, more vulnerable, and he had the urge to protect her. Defend her.
Nox couldn’t stand it. Her pain and fear twisted his insides into little knots. He wanted to fix this for her, but he didn’t know how.
“Tell me more about your sister. Anything. Your choice.”
“I thought you were going to spank me.”
The truth was, he longed to spank her. Nox didn’t have a problem doling out consequences for bratty behavior. He’d do it every damn day if Maeve liked. Twice on Sundays. She had a delicious ass, and he loved getting his hands on it.
It was an intimate act, a show of trust. And he knew it would make her feel better, but she needed to reach catharsis, find an emotional release first.
“I will, but not yet. Now, tell me.” Nox wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. She had to deal with the grief, let it out, and acknowledge the pain.
Maeve took in a shuddering breath. “When I was eighteen and Amy was six, my dad left for the weekend. He was screwing this college girl, and they’d run off together on this romantic trip. Anyway, we were between nannies at the moment, because Reggie kept sleeping with them too.”
“Go on.” He had no idea where this was going, but he wanted to keep her talking.
“It was just the two of us, and I let her watch a scary movie.”
“Yeah? Which one?”
“Scream.” Maeve stood, pacing as she spoke. “I didn’t even think about it. The movie was way too frightening for Amy, but I wanted to watch it. Anyway, after it was over, Amy was so scared, she couldn’t sleep. Amy was convinced the ghost face killer guy was in her closet, so I let her stay with me.”
Nox smiled, picturing the two little girls huddled together, protecting one another. He’d never had a sibling, or any family, other than his grandad. He hadn’t felt a sense of belonging until he’d joined the military, but the work he did had also hardened his heart.
What if I’m lonely?
The thought came out of nowhere, unbidden. And he quickly pushed it down, refused to think about it.
“Did you comfort her?”
“Yeah.” She chuckled. “We pulled the covers over our heads to hide, and I let her hold a flashlight. We stayed awake together all-night long.” Maeve smiled softly. “We didn’t go to sleep until the next morning.”
“So, you loved Amy, protected her.” Nox wanted Maeve to understand this wasn’t her fault. He wanted to ease her guilt.
“Yeah, but…” Her voice wavered.
“What?”
“That night, Amy asked me if she could call me ‘mom’ and I wouldn’t let her. I guess I’m my father’s daughter. I didn’t want the responsibility. Amy needed me, but I wasn’t there for her.”
“Come here.” Nox opened his arms, and she collapsed against his chest, wetting his neck with tears. He held her as she cried. Nox rubbed her back, talking nonsense to her, as he soothed Maeve, tried to calm her down.
Nox didn’t offer comforting, meaningless platitudes though. And he refused to make empty promises.
Nox couldn’t predict the outcome of this situation. He knew one thing for sure though. He’d do whatever it took to get her sister back. And if he couldn’t recover Amy, Nox would line up the bodies of the men who’d taken her. She would be avenged.
“Do you think she’s alive?” Maeve asked, after she’d calmed down.
“Yes.”
She pulled back to stare at him. “Don’t tell me what I want to hear. You’ve had a lot of experience in the field, and I want your best educated guess. Is she alive? Or dead?” Maeve wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “Either way, I need to know. Not knowing what to expect is killing me.”
Nox feared Amy was dead. It was his best guess, but Maeve seemed fragile.
“Like I said earlier, you’re strong, Maeve, you can get through this.”
She gulped. “You think she’s gone.”
“I honestly don’t know, but I want you to prepare yourse
lf for anything.”
When his grandfather died, he hadn’t been ready. Nox had been caught unaware, and it made the loss even more devastating. In retrospect, he should’ve anticipated the old man’s death. His granddad had been in poor health for years. He supposed no one was ever truly ready to say goodbye to a loved one.
“I feel like I’m coming unglued and I don’t think I can stand this anymore.”
“You’re tougher than you think.”
Maeve sighed. “You sound so confident, that I want to believe you.” She shut her eyes, collecting her thoughts for a moment, and then blew out a shaky breath. “Are you ever gonna spank me?”
“Are you sure, sex is what you want right now?” He’d never taken advantage of a woman in his life. She seemed on edge, a little crazy, and he didn’t want to push her. She’d already been through a lot already.
“I want, no, I need you to punish me. I feel guilty. I don’t want sex, I want to be disciplined.”
“And I’ve already told you, you’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Please Nox? You asked me what I needed earlier, and this is it.”
“So, if I were to spank you, you’d feel better.”
“Yes. Exactly.” She bit her lip. “Is it weird?”
“I don’t give a fuck about whether or not it’s strange. I already told you I’m over what other people think of me. They can go fuck themselves for all I care.” He’d never fit in anywhere, and Nox had stopped trying a long time ago.
“I wish I could be more like you.”
“No, you really don’t.” He hadn’t gotten here without being broken. Damaged. “Take off everything but your panties.” Nox positioned himself on the edge of the bed.
Maeve wore a silk blouse over a black tank top, with a matching skirt. obediently undressed down to her drawers, and Nox patted his lap.
“Lay down.”
She got across his lap without a second thought, trusting him utterly. Once again, he was humbled by her submission.
Nox rubbed her thighs. She wore this cheeky red lace underwear. She had the sweetest ass, all pale perfection. He lifted her legs, kissing Maeve’s feet. They were dainty with polished toenails.
His fingertips roamed all over her—the length of her thighs, the tight calves, the slender ankles. And then he cupped her sex through the fabric. As he predicted, her pussy was wet, weeping for him. Nox contemplated giving Maeve an orgasm, like this, while she was balanced on his knees.
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