Brody (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood #3) - Kathy Ivan Page 0,33
back a curse, he laid Beth’s phone on the coffee table in front of her. He’d managed to get her seated while he’d finished the call, but knew she’d retreated into her thoughts. Didn’t take a genius to figure out exactly what she’d do. The minute she got herself together, she’d head to the Big House, grab Jamie, and hightail it out of Shiloh Springs as fast as she could load herself and her daughter in their car. No, he wasn’t about to let that happen, not if he could stop it.
He yanked his cell phone out of his pocket and hit speed dial for Rafe’s number. He paced across the living room floor, agitated his brother didn’t answer on the first ring.
“Hey, Brody, what’s up?”
“Why didn’t you call me the second you heard about Stewart?” Brody’s tone sounded overly harsh, but he was pissed, and didn’t really care who knew it. He kept his voice low, because Beth didn’t need to hear this conversation. She’d been blindsided by the news about her ex. Somebody better have some answers for him, ones that made more sense than the little he’d been able to pry outta the deputy warden. Otherwise, he might not be responsible for his actions.
“Stewart? Are you talking about Evan Stewart?”
“Why didn’t you tell me he escaped? How come you don’t have somebody watching Beth’s house?”
“Whoa, hold on. What are you talking about?”
Brody took a deep breath, trying to quash down the rage coursing through him, which wasn’t easy. Every second Evan was free meant Beth and Jamie were in danger. He might not be a cop, but he’d protect them both with his life.
He took another steadying breath, focusing on the facts. Rafe was a good sheriff; he wouldn’t let anything happen to Beth or Jamie. His gut tightened at the thought of Beth’s ex getting his hands on her, and literally saw red. “Beth got a call a few minutes ago from Huntsville. Apparently, Evan and another prisoner escaped this afternoon. Are you telling me you didn’t know?”
“Son of a—no, I didn’t know. Let me make some calls and get back to you.” Rafe hung up before Brody could say anything else. He glared at his phone, fighting the compulsion to throw it against the wall. He couldn’t; he needed to keep it handy in case Beth’s ex showed up. If Stewart was smart, he’d be halfway to Mexico now, instead of heading toward Shiloh Springs. Stewart had to be certifiable if he thought he’d get anywhere close to Beth or Jamie.
“What did Rafe say?” Beth’s words were spoken quietly, as if she felt the rage boiling beneath the surface, the seething anger needing an outlet. The thought of her in danger, he refused to give it any credence, because he’d lose his mind. She had enough do deal with without him loosing what little control he clung to. Reining his emotions back, cooling down the spike of adrenaline coursing through his veins, he moved over to sit beside her, and pulled her hands between his. They were icy to his touch.
Calm. You’ve gotta stay calm. Beth needs you in control.
“He didn’t know anything about Evan. Nobody from the prison called him. He’s trying to find out more information. Come here.” Reaching for her, he pulled her against his side, and tucked her head against his shoulder. Felt her body trembling again his. Reaching along the back of the sofa, he lifted the crocheted afghan with one hand and wrapped it around her. “He’ll call back as soon as he knows something. If Evan’s smart, he’ll head anywhere but Shiloh Springs. It’s the first place anybody’s gonna look for him.”
“I know that in here,” she pointed to her head. “But I can’t trust him around Jamie. He won’t hesitate to use her as a bargaining chip to get me to do anything he wants.”
“He won’t get the chance. Let me call the Big House, and put them on alert, just in case. The Boudreaus can circle the wagons and keep Jamie safe.”
At her nod, he pressed the speed dial for home. His dad answered on the first ring. “Hey, Brody. I thought you were on a date with Beth.”
“Change of plans. Beth got a call from Huntsville.”
“What happened?” His father tone went instantly alert, concern lacing his father’s words. Douglas had dealt with more than his fair share of crises through the years, and Brody knew he’d protect Jamie with his life. There wasn’t a doubt