“Dad is calling James and Vincent, too.”
Kendry growled and said, “We should call True also, and find out what that son of a bitch is doing.”
“What?” Presley Ann said, shock evident on her face. “Why do you think it’s him?”
He gritted his teeth, guilt creeping in. Because he was the convenient choice. “I thought—”
She frowned at him and said, “He has the most to lose of anyone who would take Whit. His career is on the line. And he doesn’t know where Dad lives. I may not know him well but I know he’d never do this to me.”
“But that guy Paul wouldn’t give a damn how you felt. I heard you mention to them that Whit was with your dad, and Paul could easily find out where your dad lived. My gut has been telling me for days that something was…coming.”
“And you didn’t say anything? You knew how worried I was about leaving Whit overnight and you didn’t say anything?”
“I didn’t want to worry you, kitten.”
“True wouldn’t employ someone like that. And don’t ‘kitten’ me. Why would you think the worst of him like that?”
“Because I don’t want him interfering in your life!”
“Guys,” Jared said, holding up a hand, a whole lot of shut-the-fuck-up in his expression.
“You mean you don’t want him coming between us. Thank you for the vote of confidence, asshole!” she shouted, her beautiful face flushed and her demeanor suddenly fiery.
Jared got between them. “Kendry! Presley Ann! Stop! This isn’t helping. Hank is heading to your dad’s house. We need to meet him. Angel, we need to get you dressed—”
She slapped at Jared’s hands as he tried to urge her from the bed. “I can dress myself! I never should’ve left him! I should’ve known this was too good to last!”
Kendry and Jared both looked at her and at each other in shock as she hurried to the closet and began dressing, her gasping sobs echoing in the closet. Was she blaming them?
Jared shook his head as if clearing it and said, “I’ll go start the truck. Make sure she puts on a coat.”
Kendry nodded and stood there, the pain in his chest growing and the worry immobilizing him as he watched her struggle into her clothing as she muttered to herself, her tears flowing unabated.
“I’m going to hurt whoever took him. Hurt them bad,” she mumbled as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. He helped her into her coat with numb fingers and grabbed his as they ran out of the house. She suddenly stopped and looked back at him, her lip trembling. “I shouldn’t have called you an asshole, Kendry. I’m sorry. I know you’re protective of us both and only trying to help. I just want my baby back.”
He closed her in his arms and held her tight. “Aw, kitten. We’ll do everything we can to get him back in your arms soon.”
Chapter Nineteen
Presley Ann held the phone to her ear in weak fingers after dialing True’s number. Worries piled on top of her shoulders. Was she being naïve? Would True do something like that? Her heart told her no but she wasn’t so sure about his associate, Paul. What if Paul was employed by the record company and he was operating independent of True?
“Hello. Presley Ann?”
“True,” she said, losing her breath and then sobbing. “Whit’s gone.”
“What?” he blurted, and she heard the sound of rustling on the phone and then a series of thumps and then a soft curse from him. “What did you say?” To someone on the other end, he said, “Get up.”
Was there someone there with him?
“True, are you there?”
“Yes. Tell me again what you said.”
“Whit is gone. Someone took him from my dad’s house.”
She heard more vehement cursing on his end, as well as other voices. “Where are you?”
“On my way to my father’s house. Can you come?”
“Of course.”
She gave him directions and then hung up. Jared reached out to her and gripped her hand in his comforting clasp, anchoring her as her thoughts scattered. She couldn’t make any sense of what was happening. Her mind could only focus on the vacant ache in her chest and the emptiness in her arms. Her vision became tunnel-like as a thousand different messages bombarded her mind.
This is more sowing for what you’ve reaped!
You’ve never really been the maternal type.
What? Did you think that all your sins were just magically wiped away?
What a dingbat.
Funny how all the voices sounded like her Aunt Dorothy and Willie. Her eyes flashed open as she grew dizzy and the tunnel vision increased. “Oh, God, help me.”