“Should I feel guilty about all of this?” I ask, more to myself than actually to Laurent.
The answer is simple, but it’s not, all at the same time.
Should I feel guilty? No.
Do I feel guilty? Yes.
Then Laurent speaks. “Dad. We’ve known about Mom’s drinking and her men for years. You weren’t shielding any of us by staying, but then again, you were, weren’t you?”
“I was,” I admit.
“We’re adults now. Mom is who she is, but what she is has never been innocent. Nobody is perfect, not even our parents. It’s time for you to find your happiness and you have that with Tennessee. I may not love it, especially since I was trying to get in there before you, but whatever.” He chuckles.
“You never had a chance,” I snort.
His lips twitch into a cocky smile. “I could have, if I wanted it bad enough, but as soon as I found out about her kid, I knew that she wouldn’t be cool with a fuck and dash.”
I growl, unable to hold back my anger at his words. He laughs a little harder, knowing exactly what it takes to get to me. He winks, telling me it’s far too easy to rile me up these days, then we get down to business.
I’m thankful for the distraction, knowing that if Laurent weren’t here, I would just be sitting here in his chair watching the phone and waiting for Hansen’s call.
By the time we finish, both of us feel really good about the meeting coming up and we decide to blow off some steam and go to the club to box for a little while. Kissing Tennessee on the cheek, I let her know where I’ll be for the afternoon and that I’ll return to pick her and Holden up later.
“Be careful,” she says with a smile.
“You know I will. If I hear anything, I’ll call you, okay?”
She nods, knowing exactly what I’m referring to. Turning away from her, I go with Laurent, leaving her at her desk to worry, knowing that right now there is nothing that I can do to ease her mind. Not even an orgasm could do it at this point. What we need is news.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
TENNESSEE
We didn’t hear anything all day long. Nothing. If I’m not with Holden, I’m pacing and even when I’ve been with him today, I’ve been pacing. I have to know where my mom is. I’m a ball of nerves, my mind going a million miles an hour coming up with a million different scenarios of where she could be and what could have happened to her.
I hate it.
I just wish Hansen would freaking call us already.
Dinner consumed, Holden in bed, Landry working on some last-minute things in his office for the transfer tomorrow and me? I’m pacing in the bedroom.
“Honey, you’re going to wear a hole in that floor.”
Looking down, I snort, then lift my gaze to meet his. “It may look like wood, Landry, but it’s tile. There won’t be a hole.”
His lips twitch into a small smile as he steps into the room, closing the door behind him, and my breath hitches when I hear the lock click into place. “Landry,” I hiss.
“He called me.”
“And you locked the door because?”
“Because I’m afraid you’re going to attempt to sprint out of here and run when I need you to stay here for a few more days, then we can go together.”
“Landry,” I whimper, my lips trembling.
He shakes his head. “She wasn’t there. Everything was in its place. No blood, no sign of a struggle.”
“But she’s not there. Her house is empty?” I ask.
He nods his head once. “Her purse is there, her phone is on the counter, her car is in the garage.”
“If that bitch hurts her, I’ll kill her,” I snap.
Landry closes the distance between us completely, he reaches out, wrapping his fingers around my waist and tugs me against his chest in one quick tug. Lifting my hands, I place my palms against his chest to brace myself as my head tips back to look up into his amber-colored eyes.
He looks just as worried as I feel and I know that this isn’t good. None of this is good at all. Inhaling a deep breath, I let it out with a sigh.
“You won’t have to hurt her, honey, because I will destroy her,” he growls.
He’s intense and he’s never looked more beautiful. Lifting my hand, I cup his cheek, feeling his beard against my hand. Rising to my