Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to hers in a gentle kiss.
“You guys ready?” Hansen calls out.
Lifting my head, I look toward him and jerk my chin. Dropping my hands from Tennessee, I wrap my fingers around hers and together we make our way over to the table. Room service should be here any minute, but I know that Tennessee and Hansen are both itching to start this.
Personally, I don’t know if I’m ready to know what the fuck is really going on. Because I know without a doubt that whatever this is, it has to do with me.
Being mine has almost ruined her entire fucking life, if Helen is hurt, there will be no going back from this. She’ll never forgive me, and I don’t know if we would even survive it. I love her and I know she loves me, but how can she love someone who brought this much pain into her life?
TENNESSEE
Hansen has a bunch of paperwork spread out at the end of the table, and I can’t help but feel nervous as we approach. I don’t know what I’m walking into with this, he hasn’t been forthcoming at all up to this point and I know that he’s been here for days and working, but he hasn’t updated us on anything, not a single thing other than she’s gone, but everything looks undisturbed in her house.
“Just tell me, please, tell me what you found,” I beg.
I stand at the end of the table, across from him and I wait. Slowly, he lifts his head, but the look on his face isn’t hopeful at all. In fact, it looks almost pitying and that’s when I know that this is bad, this is really, really bad.
Hansen clears his throat. “How much do you know about your biological father?”
I blink, then I swallow a lump that’s immediately formed in my throat. “Danny Bradley is just a name on my birth certificate. I don’t even remember what color hair he has,” I snap.
Hansen nods his head once and I feel Landry’s hand slide around my hip and grip me for support. Reaching out, I wrap my fingers around the back of the chair to brace myself for whatever is about to come.
“He’s given your mother money recently, back child support. She made an agreement with him for a lump sum after a few payments. It was much less than what he actually owed. But it was agreed upon and he paid, check cleared and everything seemed good.”
I’m about to scream. I’m seconds away from losing my shit completely and if Hansen doesn’t start talking faster, I’m going to do just that. He clears his throat, his eyes finding mine and he holds my gaze for a beat before he speaks again.
“I had a hunch. I tracked him down, thinking that maybe he could have had something to do with Helen’s disappearance.”
He pauses again and I can’t stand it. “And what?” I snap.
His mouth turns down into a frown, his brows furrow and he watches me for just a moment. “And he’s also missing. Nobody has seen him for almost two weeks.”
“Hansen, get on with it. We’re waiting and you’re dragging this shit out,” Landry states.
I almost thank him, but instead, I focus on Hansen and hope that he starts talking a hell of a lot faster.
Hansen clears his throat, then levels us with a gaze. “The bottom line is they’re both missing. The only contact that I have seen between them was when he gave her the final check almost a year ago. I think they’re together, but I don’t think he took her.”
“Susan?” Landry asks.
I’m glad he asked before me, because Susan is the only person I could think of that could have anything to do with this. I want that bitch in jail over this one. All she does is attempt to make my life miserable. And for what? Status and money, nothing more. She disgusts me.
“Possibly.”
“But the police don’t think so?” Landry asks.
Hansen shakes his head once. “They didn’t even connect that they could be together. They are completely stumped. With no sightings, with no electronic trail, they have zero to go off of. Nobody has anything against Helen. Everyone at both of her jobs likes her, she isn’t dating and hasn’t dated anyone for a while. There is seemingly nobody that would want to do her any harm at all.”
“Nobody but Susan,” I mutter.
Hansen snorts just as there is a knock on the door.