Terrence came over and started patting my shoulder. “There there, Haven. Detective Holmes and I will do everything we can to get your mother back. After all, I love her too. We all love her. And we won’t let anything happen to her. I swear, Haven.”
Tristan and the Twins walked over then and gently laid a hand on my head, patting it. He was being platonic, but I could see the anguish and desire he had for me in his eyes. He wanted to do more.
Drake was already talking to Detective Holmes, asking about whether Holmes had checked surveillance cameras, recordings, anything.
“I had the building maintenance send me the recordings for the day,” Holmes said. “But the evidence I told you about when I talked to you over the phone, is something I want to ask Haven about.”
I looked up and said, “What evidence?”
Detective Holmes took out a plastic baggie from his coat pocket and opened it. Inside was a lipstick. “Is this yours?” he asked.
I took one look at it. “No,” I said. Then I opened the case, rolled out the lipstick. It was a Chanel lipstick that I would not wear. I mostly wore lipgloss and moisturizing lipbalms, going for the natural look. This lipstick was a dark purple red.
“Is this your mother’s lipstick?” Detective Holmes asked.
“Not unless she likes to dress up as a vampire,” I said. “Especially in her office while meeting clients.”
I heard a laugh and looked over to see Dillon chuckling. Out of all the Tritons, Dillon had the best sense of humor. The others were a bit too serious.
“Could it be one of her clients?” I asked.
“That’s what I wanted to know,” Detective Holmes said.
“But we know she had been kidnapped,” Tristan said impatiently. “Why don’t you just go after them? Can’t you trace where the call came from?”
“Not so easy,” Detective Holmes said. “The voice was scrambled, and they used a throwaway.”
“Did they ask for anything?” Drake asked. “Any demands?”
“We are waiting,” Terrence said.
“For what?” Dillon asked. “Dad,” he looked angrily at Terrence, “shouldn’t we get the police involved? We can’t just sit and wait it out.”
“Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?” Terrence asked.
Detective Holmes said, “They told your father no police or you would not see Dr. Hillshire ever again.”
I shuddered hearing that.
“So,” Detective Holmes said, “We have to do this smartly.”
Chapter 4
Haven
“So we just sit and wait?” Drake asked.
“I wouldn’t do anything brash,” Detective Holmes said. “If you and your brothers try something now, and the kidnappers get a whiff of it, it can all end quickly. You won’t even get a chance to do anything…”
I shivered, and Max wrapped his arms around me tighter. He whispered into my ear, “I’m sorry you’re going through this, Baby. Is there any way I can get you to relax…”
“Take me away from here,” I said.
Max’s eyes registered what I said, and he whispered, “Anything for you.”
“Mr. Triton, Detective Holmes,” Max said. “Haven is shivering and on the verge of breaking down. For her sake, I’m taking her away from here. Everything here reminds her of her missing mother…”
“Fine,” Terrence said, “Take her away from here, someplace safe. I’m trusting her into your care, Max.”
“Yes, sir,” Max said, leading me out the door.
Tristan, Drake, and Dillon turned to leave with us, but Terrence said, “Boys, I need you here to help out. We’re going to do this the Triton way.”
Tristan stopped and looked at Drake and Dillon. Somehow when Terrence mentioned, ‘The Triton Way’, it made the Triton boys stop and straighten up as though it was some kind of secret command.
I confirmed it was when Tristan turned towards me and said, “Haven, get some rest. You’re not feeling well to begin with, and now this. You shouldn’t have to worry about getting Mom back. Leave it to us. You and Mom are family now. Tritons. We can’t let anyone hurt you.”
Max’s grip around my arms tightened to the point where he was digging into my flesh. I almost yelled at him but he immediately let go when Tristan said, “Max, why don’t you take her someplace she can get something to eat and lie down.”
Max said, “Sure, okay,” before leading the way out.
As I was leaving, I saw Tristan exchange a suspicious look at Terrence as they waited for Max and me to be out of ear shot. There was something they all knew that I didn’t, and they weren’t about to let me find out what. Or Max.
Max knew it too. He wasn’t a dummy as he sometimes pretended to be. “Hey Haven,” he said walking with me down the stairs of the building and into the parking lot. “I can take you to the steakhouse down the street, the Thai place near it, or…”
“Take me to your house, Max,” I said. “It’s close to here, isn’t it?”
“Oh, okay,” Max said. He looked around. “Damn. I forgot we came here all in one car…Tristan’s. Maybe we can walk to a place nearby to eat?”
I looked around and was surprised to see my mother’s SUV parked where I had left it. Mother had given me her old car to drive as my own now that Terrence bought her a new one. I had left the SUV where I had parked it when I visited her, not knowing that I would be picked up by Dillon later on to visit our new condo, where we made passionate love.
Dillon then dropped me off at the library where I did some research on the Tritons’ history in Heartbreak Falls. When walking out of the library to head to my car, Max drove by and saw me, then invited me to have dinner with him, driving me to the restaurant.
Things became strange when
