when I can.” He hangs up, turning to me with an annoyed look. “I’m going to strangle your ass if she shows up here.”
“She spoke with Cara.”
His eyes light up. “What? She didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, just about the time we were at your house. So, that’s like thirty to forty minutes ago. You take in that time, whoever it is that took her can’t be far.”
He gives me a look. “Do we know for sure that she was taken? I mean, we have to take everything into account.”
A door slams behind me, and I can’t even take my eyes off Easton as rage takes over. “What? You think she fucking ran? Fuck off, dude. Her ass was taken. Don’t say that shit again.”
Sadness takes over his face. “Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re right. My bad… it’s just… who?”
Hugo comes into view, and Wesley’s crying picks back up. It’s cool tonight, his skin cold from the chill. I’m sure he’s hungry, too. Cara would be feeding him, putting him to sleep now.
Where are you, Cara?
“Let’s go inside. I have to feed him.” Silently, we all walk inside. Hugo and Easton sit down at our thrift store kitchen table we bought at a steal while I go over to the fridge and grab a bag of breast milk to heat up.
He cries harder, the hunger and confusion probably getting to him. While his bottle heats, I go to his room and change his diaper and put pajamas on him. Loneliness hits me as I think about doing this alone. I can’t. I can’t be a crippled father by myself. I need her.
I need Cara.
By the time I get back to the kitchen, the bottle has been heated and I pop the bottle into his mouth. He takes it instantly, ravenous as he takes huge swallows. Gliding over to the table, I take one last look at Wesley before I look up at the both of them.
“Who do we think did it?” Hugo asks, setting his phone on the table. Looking down, I see Rich is on speaker phone.
“Jed?” I ask. That’s my first thought. Her mom has been unsettlingly silent these past few weeks. Jed might be pissed we took some shit. Maybe it’s payback for what Logan did to him when we were in school.
During senior year, Jed laid his hands on Cara’s ass. Turned it completely black and blue, his big ugly hand print painted across her white ass cheek. I’m glad Logan stood up and did something. If he would have let it fly, I think I would have killed Jed and laid one on Logan.
“No, Rose wanted to do something, so I had her walk around the park. She said both Jed and Cara’s mom were home. At least from what she could see.”
“Could he have gotten someone to do it? Maybe he paid someone?”
I shake my head. “No. Jed isn’t that smart and they don’t have the time to pay for a hit. Jed’s out.”
“Who else could it be?” Easton stresses.
It only takes a second, but we all look at each other in horror.
“It was the fucking Mexican’s.” Easton growls.
“I knew this shit was a bad idea from the beginning. What the fuck did I tell all of you! Fuck!” I roar, startling Wesley, who instantly start dozing from the bottle. Once he settles, I look back up at Hugo with rage in my eyes. My chest shakes uncontrollably.
The Mexican’s are dirty, greedy motherfuckers. They’re fucking into the bad shit.
Sex rings.
They find anyone. Minors. Adults. Orphans. High profile individuals. They groom you and sell you to the highest bidder before you can blink. There’s no trail. You’ll be shipped off to France before they even catch your scent.
“Hugo, get to my office immediately. Easton, Jackson, get here as soon as you can.” Hugo is about to hang up when Rich speaks again. “Jackson…”
“What?” I growl. I’m pissed. I’m pissed at each fucker sitting around this table. If we would have taken them down from the start the other week—or shit, even last time we were in California, we wouldn’t be dealing with this shit now.
“We’ll find her. Take a breath and keep it together. Right now, more than ever you need to hold it together and be the leader of this business we all know you are.”
My blood feels about a million degrees as it pumps through my veins. My eyesight is blurry from my fury. I can barely get a full breath, but I still mutter,