Special Forces Father - By Mallory Kane Page 0,32

this one.” Travis reached into his pocket and retrieved the burner phone.

Kate reached for the small black device. Travis gave it to her and she held on to it with both hands, as if she were afraid it would disappear.

“So any calls you receive—” he continued.

“Will transfer to this one?”

“That’s right,” he said, relieved that she wasn’t too distraught to understand. He smiled at her.

But suddenly, her eyes grew wide and her face went completely white. “You said— Oh my God!” Kate’s hand went to her mouth. “Your cousin—he talked to the kidnapper? What did he say? What did he do? Is Max all right?” Tears sprang to her eyes.

Travis caught her hands. “Listen to me, hon. I know you’re scared. I am, too. But Dawson knew just exactly how to handle him. The kidnapper’s going to call back—” he glanced at his watch “—any minute now. The call will come through this phone. We think he’s going to let you talk to Max.”

“Talk to Max?” Kate’s ravaged expression brightened a little. “Really? I can talk to him?”

And then he watched helplessly as she crumbled like one of those buildings that implodes in on itself.

She collapsed against the couch cushions, covered her face with her hands and cried. This wasn’t a stoic, silent weeping, characterized only by the tears that coursed down her face. This was a full-on breakdown, with heart-wrenching sobs that seemed to be torn from her soul.

Travis fell mute. He’d feared she would break down, but this was more awful than he’d imagined. There was nothing to do but offer his comfort. He put his arm around her tentatively, giving her the choice of rejecting or accepting his embrace. She stiffened. But he remained still, barely touching her, giving her the option of pulling away. Finally, she leaned into him, burying her face in the hollow between his neck and shoulder, her delicate back shaking, her tears soaking his shirt.

He held her and murmured meaningless words. He wasn’t sure what all he said. Meaningless things like it’s going to be okay, and don’t worry, everything’s going to be all right. He didn’t know where he’d learned how to comfort, but he remembered holding Harte and Cara Lynn and whispering to them while their dad had shouted and cursed at their mother or Lucas.

It seemed like a long time later when Kate finally stopped sobbing and merely sniffled occasionally. Her breath cooled his tear-soaked shirt. As she quieted, he turned his face toward her hair and breathed in the strawberry scent that he remembered. She still used the same shampoo.

Lifting his arm carefully so as not to startle her, Travis looked at his watch again. Four minutes after seven. Why hadn’t the kidnapper called? He blew out a frustrated breath.

Kate stirred, then pulled away. When she lifted her head, her face was splotchy and tear-streaked. She blinked, then looked at him wide-eyed, her wet, matted lashes surrounding her blue-green eyes like dark starbursts. “What’s wrong?” she asked, and sniffled.

“Nothing,” he said automatically.

She narrowed her gaze. “Yes. Something’s wrong.” She scowled. “You said the man would call any minute.” Her breath hitched. “He’s— Oh, God, he should have called by now. He’s not going to, is he?”

“He’s only a couple minutes late,” he murmured as he pushed a damp strand of hair away from her cheek and brushed it back at her temple. Then he looked solemnly into her eyes. “Listen to me. Dawson’s going to be recording every word both of you say. You need to get the guy to talk, to be as specific as possible about what he’s doing and why.”

Kate’s tongue slipped out to moisten her lips and Travis’s body, to his disgust and dismay, reacted immediately. After holding her close for those long moments, he was so in tune with her, so filled with the sight and scent and feel of her, that he was already half turned on. Now the sight of her tongue stirred him and made him long to taste it and the inside of her mouth. To kiss her and feel her kissing him back, like they’d done in college, when they were still in love.

But this wasn’t the time. Hell, it might never be the right time for that again. This was about Kate and her son, and his attempts to help her get her little boy back. It wasn’t about anything else. Certainly nothing to do with him.

He pulled her closer, willing to do nothing but hold her