“She could make a lot more money in Chicago. Not to mention Mueller is a bishop over there.”
Mueller. Another connection to the Church and Rhymer.
“It has to be the McLaughlins and Mueller,” I insisted. I didn’t need Terry to believe me or confirm it; I was sure Mueller was behind Madison’s kidnapping.
“I gotta make a call,” Terry said and stomped off, giving me time to listen to the recording again while he checked in with Jasper.
Since they didn’t know Madison was recording, the man and woman spoke freely, but the end of the recording grew faint because the door was open, and they were farther away from the bed.
“Drop her at The Last Stop with any driver heading south. Get rid of her.”
What followed was what I feared, sounds of Madison struggling against someone stronger, probably bigger too. And angry.
I knew exactly where The Last Stop was, at the crossroads of three different interstate highways that could get you to Mexico in just a few hours. With the phone clutched in my hand, I headed for the door just as Terry stepped inside.
“I talked to Jasper,” he said but I cut him off.
“I know where they took her. I’m going after her. Oliver will give you a ride back to the arena.” I didn’t stop to get his reaction, at least not until his hand flew out and wrapped around my wrist, giving me no choice but to stop.
He flashed that panty-melting smile at me, and I knew, without a doubt, he felt my pulse jumping and knew he did that to me. He gave me a long look and said, “I don’t think so, Kitty Kat. You go, I go.”
Because it was his job, I reminded myself, not because he gives a shit. Terry wasn’t a bad guy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I was just his best friend’s bitchy little sister. Not a desirable woman, at least not a woman he desired. Nope. Friend zone.
Best to keep that in mind moving forward, so I yanked my wrist out of his grasp, grateful he let go so easily.
“Fine. Let’s go, Stalker.” His chuckle sounded behind me, but my legs moved quickly, knowing Madison and her captors had at least a forty-minute head start on us.
“Hurry it up,” I snapped, “she could be on the 15 freeway headed toward Tijuana by now.”
“Go as fast as you want, Kitty Kat. I got the keys,” Terry said, amusement in his voice which both turned me on and pissed me off.
“I’m glad this is amusing to you,” I growled and stood beside the passenger door, tapping my foot impatiently.
Terry’s laughter pissing me off by the second.
Chapter Twelve
Terry
Kat said nothing to me for the first thirty minutes of our trip to rescue the tough girl who’d gotten to her. She kept her eyes on the road ahead, arms folded and a mostly blank expression on her face. But the way her dark brows dipped low and her lips pinched tight told me just how pissed off she was.
Big time.
Again.
“You’re worried.”
“No shit. A little girl has been kidnapped by people who specialize in sexually assaulting children and then disposing of them. What kind of monster would—never mind, I know the answer. Me.”
She shook her head and grumbled under her breath about blind assholes.
“I never said you were a monster, Kat.”
She turned to me, fury blazing in her blue eyes even with the starless night sky darkening everything around us.
“No, you didn’t, you only implied it. Anyway it doesn’t matter,” she went on. “The point is I didn’t invite you to come on this trip Terry so please don’t go questioning my motives. Please.”
“I’m not. I want to know why you’re so worried because this isn’t just that.” She might think I was just some dumb idiot, but I knew her better than she realized.
“Because I did some digging into these people and they’re awful. The worst kind of motherfuckers around. They do terrible shit to children and pay them off, kill them, or ship them off to parts unknown.” She shook her head and turned back to stare out the passenger side window. “The haunted look in Madison’s eyes when she talked about looking for Molly, the worry and fear that she’s already dead. It was heartbreaking, and I won’t let her down. I won’t.”
The steely determination was exactly the same as it had been when she’d fought Sadie and Jasper about going to college in California instead of UNLV where she’d be close to home. Safe.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
A small gasp escaped, and I felt her stare burning the side of my face. “Why are you sorry?”
My lips curled into a grin because Kat couldn’t just accept the apology, she always needed more. “For implying you were something you’re not. But in my defense, you do go out of your way to play the role of Rich Bitch Who Doesn’t Give A Flying Fuck.”
She smirked. “And you should know me better than that. Then again, why should you.”
Because you’re mine? But she wasn’t and she never would be. For about a million different reasons. “I think I do. And I’m starting to see where I was wrong about you.”
The bitchy thing really was just a part she played for the outside world, which made me feel stupid for not realizing it sooner.
“You don’t have to say that. Just…let’s get to Madison, okay?”
“We still have about fifty miles so why don’t you tell me why you care so much about this particular girl and her sister.”
She slid me a look that was nothing but side eye. “You know why.”
“I think I know why, but unless you tell me I have no way of knowing if I’m right or not.” This was a personal issue for both of us, though no one ever really talked about it. Our actions, individually and as a whole said a lot about the stains and scars that particular brand of abuse had left on all of
