Man of Steel(43)

“Yeah? You plan on finding her standing around in here? She’s been missing for hours didn’t they tell you?”

“Yes but we were only informed a half an hour ago.” I glared at Deanna who cowered back in her seat but now was not the time to let loose on her ass. First things first I had to find my daughter.

The cops did their questioning as to where I was and all the shit they needed to get out of the way before they could proceed. They had already issued an Amber alert and done all the necessary things that were needed in situations like this. The irony was not lost on me and I thought, not for the first time since getting the call. If this might be payback for one of those times that I’d stepped in and saved a kid from a monster.

I couldn’t let myself go there. Couldn’t think on what may or may not be happening to my little girl right now. I just focused on finding her and getting her back in one piece. When the cops were through doing their thing and a search team had been coordinated it was time for me to go do my own thing.

I met with my guys out in the parking lot and gave them a quick rundown. I had no leads and nowhere to start, because Deanna swore she didn’t know who could’ve taken our daughter. But I already had my own ideas about that. “First place I want you guys is at this Paul’s apartment and any other place you’ve tracked him before. I could be wrong but my money’s on him.” the only thing that kept me from being one hundred percent certain about that was why in the fuck Deanna would tell that hump about the bracelet.

“I’ll follow you home Deanna.” I stopped her in the parking lot as she headed for her car. What I had to say to her wasn’t fit for public consumption. The cops set up strobe lights because darkness was setting in and there were volunteers lined up to start the search. Since it was already dark the search wouldn’t last too long tonight and they’d pick it up in the morning, at least that’s what the cop had said when he told Deanna it would be better if she were at home just in case there was a ransom call.

I followed her home while some of my guys went off in the directions I’d sent them and my three shadows followed me. When we reached the house I overlooked her distress and repeated apologies. There was so much wrong with the way she’d handled this shit that I didn’t know where to begin.

“Who did you tell about the bracelet?” She opened her mouth and I knew her so well that I knew she was about to lie to me. “And don’t fucking lie to me, you’ve fucked up enough as it is.” She wrung her hands and looked away.

“I might’ve mentioned something to Paul about it a while back.”

Fucking bitch, I ought to ring her fucking neck. “What else might you have told him and when is the last time you saw him?”

“Um, he came by not too long ago, maybe a couple days.” Now she was nervous and she had every right to be. “After I told you not to have this guy around my kid.”

I was barely holding onto my temper by a thread, but I needed to get as much information out of her as possible before I ended her ass. Somewhere out there I knew that sick fuck had her in his clutches and who knows what the fuck he was doing while I was here wasting time with this piece of navel lint. What the fuck was I thinking when I hitched up with her?

I got all I could out of her lying ass to try to get some type of handle on where this guy might be. In all the time he’s been on the scene I was never able to get beyond a certain level while researching him and that thought more than any bothered me right now. There was always something about him other than the obvious that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Now she was telling me how she’d told him about Holly’s security detail and shit.

I knew that she’d done it out of spite. Ever since Lily’s pregnancy she’s been acting crazier than usual but I never thought for one second that she would put my daughter in danger. I listened to her until she wound down and when I was sure I’d gotten everything out of her I let her see what I really thought of her. If I could’ve killed her then and there and get away with it I would’ve. Maybe I still could, and who would blame me? She’d practically hand delivered my kid to a man she’d been warned had a violent past.

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I didn't know.”

“I don't give a fuck about you and what you didn't know. Anything happens to my kid you're dead. Pack your shit and get the fuck outta my house. Now.”

“This is my home.” She flew up from the couch where she’d been sitting as I read her the riot act.

“No, here is where I let you stay for my daughter’s sake but since there isn’t a snowballs chance in hell that I'll ever let you near her again, there's no need for you to be here any longer.”