Chapter 9
9
D uncan had spent the last ten minutes listening to Chastity read through the rest of Serenity’s journal. She’d been head over heels in love with this Joey kid. Hell, he wasn’t a kid at twenty and probably severely hardened by his time in jail. He’d manipulated Serenity and her need for attention. Joey knew exactly what to say to get Serenity to follow him to the ends of the world. Duncan just hoped they’d be able to find the couple and, more importantly, that Serenity was unharmed.
He had serious doubts about that. However, he couldn’t let Chastity or her family know that’s how he felt. Chastity needed him to be her rock, and he could give her that. The need to protect and care for her came as naturally to him as running into a burning building.
He fought his feelings for her tooth and nail and now he regretted not letting his love for this woman blossom while they discovered and explored each other. He didn’t need a lot of time with her to know she was the one.
His mother always told him that when the right one came along, it would be both terrifying and joyful. He never understood that love could be such a sharp contrast, but that’s exactly how he felt about Chastity.
He rolled the Charger to a stop in front of a double-wide in a trailer park just outside the town limits of Walnut Creek.
“Let me do all the talking and asking of questions, okay?” The anger seeping from Chastity’s body filled the air like thick smoke choking and burning his lungs. He couldn’t let her go off on anyone they might speak to or they’d never find Serenity, and time was of the essence.
“I can’t promise I’ll keep my mouth closed.”
“At least I know you’ll try.” The pavement crumbled under his boots. He took his sunglasses off, shoving them in his breast pocket. He’d worn a pale-blue button-down shirt out of respect for her parents’ lifestyle. The jeans didn’t really fit in as most men wore black slacks, but it was close enough.
An older man wearing a jean vest with chains dangling everywhere stepped from the trailer. He wore a red bandana, and both arms were lined with tats. The right was dedicated to a bald eagle and the American flag, while the left had an image of a woman with long hair and an ominous smile.
“Can I help you?” the man asked, folding his thick arms over his broad chest.
“We’re looking for Joey Richards.”
“That’s my son. What do you want with him?” The man broadened his stance.
Duncan took that as an act of quiet aggression. “He’s been seeing my friend’s little sister.”
“The Mennonite girl, right?”
“Yes. And she’s missing,” Duncan said, holding Chastity’s hand with a little more strength than necessary. He wasn’t sure if he was the one squeezing or if it was her with the death grip, but he supposed it didn’t matter.
The man took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I kicked my son out a couple of weeks ago.”
“Why?” Duncan asked.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but he was freeloading, and I won’t have it. He’s a grown man and capable of work. If he can’t live by my rules in my home, he can go find another place to live.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Duncan asked.
“A couple of days ago. He said he got a job as a mechanic up in Canton and already found a place to live.”
“Do you know the name of the auto shop?” Duncan wasn’t sure if he believed this man or not. But right now, he had no choice.
“Putter Auto. I already told the police all this.”
Duncan arched a brow and stole a glance at Chastity. “When were they by?”
“Two days ago. They were asking about the girl, whom I never met. I didn’t even know he’d been seeing anyone.” The man relaxed his stance. “I’m sorry she’s missing, and I truly hope you find her. If I knew more, I’d tell you and the police.”
Duncan handed the man his card. “If you hear from him, can you give me a call?”
“Will do.”
Duncan tugged at Chastity’s hand, but she dug her heels into the ground.
“I didn’t get your name,” Chastity said.
But Darius had given them Joey’s father name, so Duncan wasn’t sure why she was asking, but he decided to let her have a crack at it.
“It’s Lester.”
“Lester,” she started, “did Joey leave anything behind?”
“Some clothes. I told him he had one month to get them all. If not, I’d donate them. I don’t think he’s coming back for them since he called me a jerk of a father when he left.”
“Do you mind if we take a look at them? Look inside his room?” Chastity asked.
Duncan inched closer, slipping his hand from hers and wrapping his arm around her waist, bracing for Lester to tell them to take a hike. The intel Darius had given them about Joey’s father wasn’t much better than his son. Though it had been years since he’d been picked up for anything and he’d supposedly turned over a new leaf.
The jury was still out.
“Are you related to the girl who’s missing?” Lester asked as he rubbed the side of his scruffy face.
“She’s my little sister.” Chastity’s voice quivered.
Lester nodded. “All right. Come on in.”
Duncan blew out a long breath as he followed Chastity and Lester into the trailer. As mobile homes go, it was spacious with a large family room. A dark-brown sofa was pushed up against the wall under a window that looked out over the backyard. A blue recliner with a handmade afghan tossed across it separated the family room from the kitchen.
“Anyone else live here?” Duncan asked as Lester pushed back one of the bedroom doors.
“Just me.”
Duncan leaned against the doorjamb, watching Chastity look under the bed, in the closet, and open and close the dresser drawers, shoving what few contents were inside around.
“What are you looking for?” According to the journal, Serenity had been inside this trailer at least once, if not more.
“I have no idea, but maybe she left something behind, or he did.” Chastity glanced up. “I don’t believe Joey just got a job and moved my sister there. When Serenity is done with something, she’s done and all she wanted to do was confront him for using her and cheating on her.”
“I already sent Darius and Timothy the name of the auto shop. The Aegis Network happens to have a guy in the area. Dylan Sarich. He’ll stop in and see what’s what. If Joey is there, we’ll drive up tonight. If not, we’ll stay at your folks and regroup in the morning.”
“I can’t sit around and do nothing.” Chastity planted her hands on her hips and stared.
Duncan swallowed. He understood her restlessness, but they had only one lead, and his buddy happened to be in Canton for something else and said he’d stop by. He was closer, and it made more sense.
“I want to talk to some of her friends, but they might be more apt to talk with you,” Duncan said.
Chastity rubbed her eyes, looking the other way.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. If we hear that Joey is in Canton, I’ll turn the car around and drive like a madman to get you there. I promise.”
Chastity nodded, taking the hand he offered. One thing he wished more than anything was to be able to hold her in his arms all night. It wasn’t about sex right now; he just wanted to comfort her. Be there for her.
Be her rock.
Be the man she relied on.
Shit, he really was head over heels in love with her, and they hadn’t even had a single date. His mother always told him that when it was right, he’d know it.
Well, he’d tried to run from it, and that had gotten him nowhere.
“Thank you for your time.” Duncan shook Lester’s hand.
“My son is a lot of things, but I don’t think he’d hurt that girl.”
Duncan led Chastity back to the car, where he tucked her in the passenger seat. He could feel the tension seeping from her skin. He had a sister, and he couldn’t imagine what it might be like to know she could have been kidnapped, or even just run away with a deadbeat guy.
Duncan pulled out of the trailer park and headed back toward the farm.
“Why don’t you check my phone?” He pulled it from his back pocket and rested it on her thigh. He thought if she had something to focus on, it might change her mood.
She tapped the keypad and scrolled through his texts and emails.
“Nothing.”
“We’ll hear something soon.” He gunned the muscle car as he entered the highway. He’d always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but the older he got, the more he only wanted to settle down and have a family. He’d watched many of his co-workers find the love of their lives and ride off into the sunset.
Could he have that with Chastity?
“Can I ask you something?” She shifted in the seat, facing him.
“Of course.”
“It couldn’t be a coincidence that your passcode is the beginning of my name. So, why’d you make it that? And when?”
He gripped the steering wheel. Butterflies danced in his stomach as if he were in middle school and trying to steal his first kiss.
The only question that remained was whether he would be truthful.
Screw it. If he wanted a chance, he had to be.
“Remember Rex and Tilly’s big party a few months ago?”
“You mean the one where I fell down the stairs and took you out with me?”
He laughed at the memory of him trying to catch her before she face-planted on the floor, only she ended up with her face in his chest and her legs around his waist.
It was a really nice feeling, even if it had thrown his back out.
“Do you remember me kissing you?”
“I wasn’t drunk, so yeah, I remember. But then things got all awkward again.”
“I thought you were still hung up on your ex,” he admitted. “But it was that night that I changed my passcode, and I’ve been kind of stuck on you since.”
“You have a weird way of showing it.”
His heart lurched to his throat. “I know and I’m sorry about that. I want us to try our hand at dating.” Jeez, he sounded like a total moron.
She let out a dry laugh. “I’m not sure how to take that, but we need to talk about some things.”
“What things?”
She leaned over, checking out the dashboard. “This isn’t something that should be talked about at eighty miles an hour.”
“Now you’re freaking me out.” Either she was going to tell him no way in hell would she date him because that ship had sailed. Or something entirely worse, though he couldn’t figure out what that could be. “There, I eased up on the gas, so what’s on your mind?”
“I was just messing with you.” She punched his shoulder. “Sometimes it’s too easy.”
He didn’t believe her for a second, but he wasn’t about to push.