“Good morning to you too, Wyatt,” Clay grunted. “What the fuck?”
“Just gimme the damn number!”
“And catch it again from Jules, I don’t think—”
“I think Jules is gone, and I think your buddy Wellings is responsible!”
“Gone?”
“Jules and Wellings may have run off last night. I got to get home and check, but I—”
“I’ll call Romeo. You head home. Call me if you find her,” Clay said, obviously catching the urgency and not putting it past Jules to leave if she thought she could somehow help Romeo. “I’ll let ya know if I get ahold of him.”
“You get ahold of him, and you make sure he brings Jules back home ASAP.” Wyatt jumped up and fished in his pocket for his keys. Not seeing any other way to stress the emergency, Wyatt admitted to Clay and Adam and anyone else sitting in the station at six in the morning, “Jules is pregnant.”
“No shit?” Adam asked, wide-eyed in shock.
Clay wasn’t so easily convinced. “There ain’t a chance in hell she’d run off knowing she was pregnant.”
293
Wyatt winced. “She doesn’t know. Doc called, and I ain’t told her yet.”
“That’s why you beat on Wellings.” Adam pointed at Wyatt knowingly. “I knew it had to have been something. I told Kesha there must’ve been a good reason.”
“It’s like a dang TV show ’round here,” added Harvey, working dispatch. “Jules and the Gladiator, I can’t even believe that.”
“I’m tired of being the entertainment in this station,” Wyatt announced as he pushed at the glass doors leading to the parking lot. He turned to Adam before he left.
“You can work that double.”
“Let us know if you find Jules.” Adam followed Wyatt into the parking lot, understanding the direness of the situation in a way Harvey didn’t. “Call if you need anything from us.”
Wyatt waved to him, wishing he could express his gratitude, but all the words were trapped behind the fear in his chest. He got into his SUV and put his keys in the ignition before Clay cleared his throat, reminding Wyatt he was still holding the phone.
“Is she really pregnant?” Clay asked as if it took that long for the reality to sink in.
Wyatt sighed. “Doc says she is, and I’m guessing he ain’t wrong ’bout it.”
“If I can’t get ahold of Romeo, I’ll drive to the lake house.”
“I’ll check home. If she’s gone, I’ll meet you there.” Wyatt found exactly what he expected at home, a note on the door and evidence of Jules packing fast and leaving without thinking everything through clearly. She’d even left the glass door in their father’s room wide open, and the early morning rain had wet the carpet. Yesterday Wyatt would have gone insane over the damage; today all he wanted was one minute to tell Jules what he should have yesterday—she had more to live for than Romeo Wellings.
He called Clay as he ran out of the house, and by the time he got to the lake house, Clay was already there. They walked up to the front door shoulder to shoulder, and Wyatt used his fist to pound on it, hitting the wood so hard the frame shook.
294
Tino Moretti opened the door, looking worse for the wear. His hair stood up in black spikes as if he’d been running his hand through it. His eyes were bloodshot, and his shoulders were stiff in defensiveness.
“Can I help you?” Tino asked, looking from Clay to Wyatt. “I don’t remember calling 911.”
“You can tell me where the fuck my sister is.”
Tino gave him a wide-eyed look of innocence. “Is your sister missing?”
“Listen, boy.” Wyatt pushed into the house, forcing Tino to back up. “I ain’t fucking with ya. I suggest you get over your amnesia and tell me what you know.”
“You can’t come in here without a warrant!” Tino snarled when Clay closed the door behind them. “This is fucking bullshit! You think I don’t know my rights?”
“I’m sure you’re very familiar with your rights.” Wyatt snorted. “But you’re in my town, and you lost your rights the moment your brother ran off with my sister.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tino’s eyes darted from Clay to Wyatt. “This shit actually happens? Redneck pigs. It’s like the laws are a friggin’ suggestion. How do you guys walk with the big-ass elephant balls you got hanging between your legs?” Clay snorted, and Wyatt couldn’t blame him. The gall of this kid was awe inspiring.
Wyatt glared. “Your mouth is ’bout to get you in a whole heap of trouble.”