I don’t call her on her observation. I had one right in front of me, a big gigantic clean and good man, and I ran. I didn’t run because I thought that I deserved better, the exact opposite, I know that I didn’t deserve anything about him, not even the epic orgasm he gave me.
“This isn’t about me,” I point out.
She shakes her head, her defiance in full swing. She’s so young, and I wish that I could get through to her, but I also know that there is nothing I can do until she’s ready for help. She has to want more for herself, for her future. Until that time, I will be here, waiting and hoping that she will come to me when she’s ready.
Emily turns from me without saying a word and I watch her flounce into the backyard. I let out a sigh, turning away from the direction she’s left, and I go toward my car and slide into the driver’s seat to start the engine.
I turn back to stare at Jacob’s house. Narrowing my eyes, I see him watching me through the front window. Lifting my hand, I flip him off. His grin grows and he waves back at me. He reminds me too much of my father, of Emily’s father, he is a pedophile. If I could catch him, I’d make sure he went down for it and spent the rest of his days in jail.
Chapter Four
WYATT
Rylan climbs into the truck and a sense of dread skates over my skin. I know that it’s because today is his last day with me. He and Channing, their pasts are causing issues with their future, so I suggested that they move a couple hours away to a town that’s a little larger. Maybe they wouldn’t be judged so hard in a bigger city?
There was an opening on one of our crews for a groundhand, which is what position he has now. It seemed perfect at the time. Now that it’s almost here, I don’t want him to go. I like having him here, and I feel like we’ve finally reconnected in a way that I never thought possible.
“So, I just show up at the yard on Monday?” Rylan asks, breaking my bleak thoughts up.
I grunt, unable to really answer him, not the way he wants. I don’t want him to go, plain and simple. Letting out a sigh, I finally speak.
“Yeah, talk to Big Rickie, he’s your new foreman,” I instruct.
The rest of the drive home is silent. Both of us lost inside our own heads. Pulling up against the curb of their duplex, I frown when I notice that their driveway is empty.
“Where’s Channing?” I ask.
Rylan looks from the empty driveway, then back to me, his brow furrowed. “I don’t know. She didn’t say she was workin’ late. She should have been home around three.” His eyes move over to my dashboard clock and I see him visibly tense, then he frowns. It’s after six in the evening.
“I’m going inside with you,” I announce, turning my truck engine off.
Following behind Rylan, I watch as he shoves his hand in his pocket. His movements are stiff, jerky, and I know that he’s scared shitless. That alone causes my blood to run cold. He slowly unlocks the lock, I stay close at his back as he opens the door and takes a step inside.
The entire place is deathly quiet.
It only takes seconds for us to realize that the house is completely empty. She’s not here, and she damn well should be.
“Let’s go to the diner,” I suggest.
Rylan lifts his chin in a single nod. “I’m going to check the bedroom real quick.” He doesn’t need to, she isn’t here, I can feel it deep in my bones. Nobody is home, nobody has been home, not for hours.
I watch as Rylan runs to the bedroom, then on his way back, his eyes meet mine. “Let’s go to the diner,” he calls out.
“We’ll find her,” I nod.
I don’t know if I assure him more for his benefit, or mine. Maybe I’m just trying to reassure myself, but Channing isn’t just my cousin’s woman. She’s his saving grace, and without her, I’m not sure he would be doing as well as he is.
Without her, his world would be darker than mine.
Speeding through town, I don’t give a fuck if the sheriff finds me and pulls me over, in fact, I kind of hope that he does. It would make this situation that much fucking easier.
Pulling up to the diner, I sigh when I see Channing’s car parked in the same space she parks for work every day.
We both jump out of the truck and rush into the quiet place. Lulamae, her coworker, is at the counter, her brows lifting high when she sees us in our panicked state.
“Where is she?” Rylan shouts.
Lulamae’s body jerks and I watch as Clarence appears from behind the counter. The codgy old cook frowns at the sight of us. After finding the office empty with Channing’s final check still on the desk, Lulamae lifts her hands to her throat, her boney fingers wrapping around it as her eyes focus on mine.
“I thought she left. She said she was going. I told her to go,” she mumbles.
“Not your fault, Lulamae. Nobody could have known. They had to have taken her out of the back,” Rylan assures her.
“You know where they live?” she asks, turning to look at Rylan.
“They?” I ask, unsure of exactly who they’re talking about.
I assume all of this has to do with Channing’s baby daddy and his wife, both have been suspiciously hateful toward the young woman. Another reason why Rylan has become so taken with her, she needs as much saving as he does.
Clarence grunts, his cellphone in his hand. “I called the sheriff, but you two may want to take a little drive,” he suggests.
Rylan jerks his chin in my direction, then turns to walk out of the diner. I follow quickly behind him, needing to stay close, needing to help. I can’t have him going back to jail and I can’t have anything happen to his woman or their baby that she’s pregnant with.
I start the truck as soon as we climb inside, then take my phone out of my pocket and scroll through my contacts until I find the name that I’m looking for.
“Wyatt,” a voice drawls.
“You and Louis still in town?” I ask.
His throat clears on the other end. “What do you need?”
“I don’t know yet. Meet me at…” I rattle off the address, then I call Ford and say the same thing.
“Wyatt?” Rylan asks.
He obviously has no clue why I’m calling these men. These are the ones that you want at your back when shit goes south, these are men that will be at your side and have you no matter what fucking happens, and I have a feeling this situation is going to need witnesses, lots of fucking witnesses.
“Back up, witnesses, whatever they need to be, that’s what they’ll be,” I mutter.
I can’t think as I drive. The only thing that runs through my head is the fact that we could lose Channing in all of this. Rylan has finally found his other half, and we could fucking lose her.
Pulling up in front of a house, I grin when an expensive black pickup pulls up from the opposite direction. Beaumont and Louis sure do know how to make an appearance. Rylan doesn’t say anything as we exit my truck and walk over toward them.
“Ford’s a little bit away. Channing is missing. This is James and Jennifer’s place. Doesn’t look like anyone’s home, but fuck, we don’t know where else she could be,” I explain.