“We’re supposed to present a united front, honey,” Ian teased, pausing to squeeze her hands underneath the table. “What happened to being on the same team?”
Lucy laughed, and the sound was like music to his ears. “If you can’t beat them, join them.”
Ian couldn’t keep his eyes off of her all through dinner.
Conversation rose and fell around him while he sat there nursing his drink and taking small bites of his food. The kids kept up a steady stream of conversation, everything from childhood stories to embarrassing moments they’d walked in on. By the end of dinner, Ian’s mouth hurt from smiling so much. Lucy, on the other hand, had lost some of the color in her face and was struggling to keep her eyes open.
After paying for dinner, Ian draped an arm over Lucy’s shoulders and steered her toward the car. Once he was done waving the kids off, he drove them both home and carried Lucy inside. He helped her change into a nightgown, pulled the covers up to her chin, and left Dean parked on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on his lap.
When Ian got into the car, he had no idea where he was going, only that he needed to clear his head. He ended up pulling up outside the police station and staring at the building bathed in fluorescent lighting. No one was surprised when Ian walked in through the front doors and made a beeline for his desk. Over the next two hours, he combed through every inch of the evidence, hoping to find something different.
Nothing jumped out at him.
Ian stayed until his eyes burned from staring at the screen and until his body grew stiff. Then he stood up, walked out of the station, and got into his car. When he walked into the house, Dean was sprawled on the couch, his mouth half-open and drool forming on the sides of his lips. Carefully, Ian shook him awake and watched as Dean stumbled, half-asleep, into the basement. Moments later, his familiar snores rose up the stairs and filled the air in the living room.
With a slight shake of his head, Ian climbed up the stairs and stood in the doorway to their room. Lucy was flat on her back, wisps of hair framing her cheeks and a serene expression on her face. Soundlessly, he changed into a pair of sweatpants and ahoodie and crouched in front of her. His chest tightened when Lucy murmured his name in her sleep. When he pulled back the cover and got into bed, his mind began to race.
The harder he tried to make the pieces fit together, the less everything made sense.
He had no idea how Bryce Rolland was tied to any of it or why he’d suddenly stopped answering Ian’s calls or messages.
Had Eric gotten to him already, taking away Ian’s only real lead?
For a while, Ian tossed and turned in bed, alternating between staring at the wall opposite him and studying the ceiling. Finally, he threw the covers off, stuffed his feet into a pair of slippers, and crept down the stairs.
Outside, a cold breeze blew, and a crescent-shaped moon hung low in the sky. Ian flicked on the back porch lights and waited for his eyes to adjust.
As soon as they did, he rubbed his hands up and down his arms and shivered.
Another gust of wind blew past, and Ian glanced over his shoulders, debating whether or not to go back inside. Then he climbed down the stairs, pausing to retrieve the garden shears from the shed. He was muttering to himself and turning the matter over and over in his head when his pocket vibrated.
With a frown, he pulled it out and saw Marissa’s name flash across the screen. “It’s late. Are you okay?”
“I have a friend who works at the station where Jake is being kept,” Marissa said, the words tumbling out of her in a rush. “She said one of the guards attacked Jake.”
Ian went absolutely still, the garden shears falling from his hands and onto the ground with a low, clattering sound. “What? What happened? Is he okay?”
“He was taken to the hospital, and they’re checking on him now. Apparently, one of the guards on duty had a knife on him.”
Ian raked his fingers through his hair. “How the hell did this happen? It must’ve been Eric. He sent someone after him. Jake tried to tell me he wasn’t safe, but I dismissed him.”
Because he hadn’t taken the henchman seriously.
Why would he?
As far as Ian knew, Jake was still on Eric’s payroll, and he was playing all of them.
“It’s not your fault, and before you ask, I already had my friend try to dig around and see if we could get you there. Everyone is on high alert. They’re not going to let anyone from outside the station in or out for the next few days.”
Ian stared into the horizon and clenched his free hand at his side. “So, what now? I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“You don’t have a choice. I asked my friend to keep me posted, and I’ll tell you what happens next.”
“Mar, you know that’s not going to be enough—”
“Look, Ian, I know this is a big deal for you. I know how much you want to solve your mother’s case, but if you don’t let this go, it could be your job on the line. And you’re not going to be able to help anyone if you get fired.”
Ian snapped his mouth shut.
