Blind Salvage: A Rylee Adamson Novel(22)

“We need to talk about Alex,” Liam said, leaning across the desk, his hands flat on it. Alex peeked up over the edge of the desk, then moved to mimic Liam.
“Yuppy doody, Alex is good wolf.”
I didn’t answer, but instead picked up the old school phone lying on the desk.
“Who is this?”
“Me. Who the hell do yous thinks it was going to be?”
I let out a sigh of relief. Of course, Charlie knew to call Dox’s place if he couldn’t reach me. As my middle man with the parents of lost children, the brownie needed to be able to get a hold of me, or at least get a message to me via one of my friends.
“What’s up?”
“Yous going to be at the big blue ox’s place for a bits?”
“Yes, at least another day.”
“Good. I be sending a parent to yous. I’ve done me best to puts them off, but now that yous be back, yous can deal with them.”
I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair. “What are the particulars of the salvage?”
“Nope, I can’t tell yous. They said that yous need to be hearing it straights from the father.” His voice sobered. “And I’d be making sure that yous and me do rights by them. I think they be holding your bird hostage.”
My jaw dropped, and I scooted forward in my chair. Liam leaned over the desk, eyebrows furrowing. Right, of course he could hear everything.
I licked my lips. “Eve? They have Eve?” She must have flown straight across again, instead of hopscotching like she’d said she would. Damn it, she just had to prove herself, no matter the cost.
Charlie let out a sigh. “Yes, theys don’t be calling it hostage per se. Buts they does be saying they will be ‘caring’ for her until yous bring their kidlet backs to them.”
Damn it all to hell and back. “Charlie, are they threatening her?”
He clicked his tongue several times. “I think they would kill her if yous don’t be bringing the kidlet back to them. I’ll do what I can, but all I can do is stay with your bird. Right now she’s in your barn, so easy enough for me to keeps me eyes on hers.”
Much as I appreciated what he was willing to do, Charlie staying with her wouldn’t work, not on Eve. “Charlie, give me second. I have to think this through.”
I put the phone down on the desk and relayed what Charlie had told me to Liam; though he didn’t need me to, I needed to say it to clear it in my own head. I couldn’t believe that someone would hold Eve ransom, or that they’d be able to for that matter.
Liam went directly into agent mode, which was what I needed. “Blackmail? Have you run into it before?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I have to say this is a first.”
“And Charlie can’t tell you anything about the kid or the parents?”
Charlie squawked through the phone. “Nots if yous want your bird kept off the rotisserie. My instructions were clearer than a mid summers night sky. No telling yous nothing.”
Liam and I stared at each other. We had no choice but to go along, or Eve was done. And if they—whoever they were—could take out Eve so easily, I wasn’t so sure that we weren’t in for a wild fucking ride of a salvage.
“Send Pamela and Alex back to keep her calm; you can’t go if the parents are coming this way, and you can’t save Eve and the kid if you go to Eve,” Liam said, his voice calm, casual as if it was the logical solution.
“You’re just trying to get rid of Pamela,” I countered, irritation flaring in my guts. “You have to learn to deal with her; she’s a part of this family, pack, whatever you want to call it, as much as you or I am.”#p#分页标题#e#
He ground his teeth, and when he answered me, he did so without acknowledging my words. “This time around, you need her to help, but not at your side. She can keep Eve calm, and if necessary, she can probably get Eve out of there if the shit hits the fan.”
Damn, he was right, that was the sticky part. Not that I couldn’t let someone else be right, but that he was neatly avoiding Pamela, without actually having to avoid her.
I picked the phone up, but my eyes never left Liam’s. “Charlie, I’m going to send Pamela and Alex to you. Tell Eve that they are coming, that should help. Tell her that I will find this kid, where he is—”
“It be a girl, I can tell yous that much.”
“Fine, I’ll find this kid wherever she is and bring her home.”
“Okays. Be quick about it, Rylee.” He hung up the phone, the line going dead in my ear.
 


Pamela was eager to go ‘save’ Eve. Maybe a little too eager.
“Are you sure you want me to just go and sit with her? I can get her away from them, I know I can.”