Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rylie
I squint my eyes, reading over the text again. What information could Jace possibly have? I give him the benefit of the doubt, and quickly dial his number.
He answers on the first ring.
“I need to talk to you,” he says urgently.
“Are you drunk, Jace, because I don’t have time for games.”
“No, I’m completely sober. I haven’t had a drop, but this information can’t wait. Where are you?” he asks.
“We’re still in Louisiana at a hotel,” I say.
“Can you send me the address? I feel like this needs to be in person,” he pleads.
I pause for a moment contemplating what to do. I don’t like Jace, but something in my gut tells me I need to listen to what he has to say. “Yes, I’ll send you the address.”
I hear him blow out a relieved breath. “Thank you. I’ll text you and let you know how far out I am. See you soon,” he replies and ends the call.
I look over to the girls who are watching me intently. “Jace is on his way here with information that can’t wait. It’s about Raelyn.”
“What?” Maddie and Brynn say almost at the same time.
“He didn’t give me any details but he swears he hasn’t been drinking. I need to call Holt and Kane. They need to be here.”
Thirty minutes goes by as we all wait patiently, but it seems like eternity. Holt and Kane came straight away. I’m still wracking my brain on what information Jace could possibly have.
There’s a hard knock at the door. I jump up to answer it but Holt beats me to it, yanking the door open. Maddie and Brynn are still seated on the couch.
I walk briskly to the door. “Holt, this is Jace.”
“What the fuck do you have?” Holt snarls at him.
“Look man, I’m not here to cause any problems. I’m here to help Raelyn. I have some information that I couldn’t sit on,” Jace says.
Everyone’s eyes are trained on Jace.
I motion to the couch. “Come sit down.”
Once everyone is seated, Jace starts talking.
Jace
I blow out a hard breath. “I’m going to start at the beginning. Jessica’s the woman I cheated on Raelyn with. Y’all know she sent photos to Raelyn of us that caused our relationship to end.”
Maddie glares at me. “You still need your dick chopped off.”
“Now is not the time or place,” Rylie says. “Let him talk.”
“I’m ashamed to say it happened more than once,” I continue. “Once she sent the pictures, I ended it. That’s when it seemed like a switch flipped. She became obsessive, pledging her undying love for me. I told her she was a mistake I wished I could take back—I never loved her.”
“It didn’t end well. She knew I was going to try to get Raelyn to take me back. I thought she finally understood there was no future for us. I haven’t heard from her in months, until now. She’s tried to call me a few times in the past week, and then messaged me yesterday telling me she was pregnant.”
Brynn scuffs. “Bullshit.”
“Yeah, I know, I thought the same thing. I agreed to meet with her this afternoon to talk about the baby. She said she’s five months along, and that I’m the father. So, here’s where things take an interesting turn. She got dinner for us, surprised me with what she claimed was my favorite meal. It was from The Cactus down the road—tacos with extra cilantro. The last time I ate at that restaurant, I got bad food poisoning, and vowed to never go back. That was before I met Jessica. Raelyn was the only person who knew.”
“Oh my God, I remember that,” Rylie says, looking at me. “Raelyn told me about you getting sick one hitch.”
I nod. “Jessica never knew about that, though. Raelyn also knows how much I hate cilantro.”
“Do you think Jessica abducted her?” Holt cuts in, looking murderous.
“I’m not sure, but I have this gut feeling that she could be involved. The news was giving a report about Raelyn during our dinner. Jessica made a comment about how Raelyn had a bad blow to her head that caused a lot of blood loss.”
Holt jumps up. “That detail wasn’t released. Where is she now?” he demands.
“Wait, there’s more. I told her I wanted a paternity test to prove the baby’s mine and she went crazy and kicked me out. When I got home, I started researching articles because I thought the stuff about her head injury wasn’t released and I had to be sure. I stumbled upon an article about the strippers who were recently murdered.”
I drop my head into my hands and take a deep breath. “I had heard news of it from some of the guys I work with. I didn’t know any of their names, but when I saw the pictures, I knew them.”
I stand up, rubbing my face as I look down at the floor. Guilt consumes me. “After Raelyn ended things, I fell into a dark place,” I say, pacing. “Drinking a lot and going to a strip club near our man camp.”
“They all had dark hair and blue eyes like Raelyn,” Maddie cuts in, her eyes growing wide.
I just nod.
“Oh my God,” Rylie exclaims, connecting the dots.
“I think Jessica killed them,” I finish.
Holt lunges at me before I can react, punching me in the face.
I stumble backward from the impact.
The big guy standing silently by the door springs into action, grabbing Holt, trying to calm him down.
The girls all jump up trying to diffuse the situation.
I feel warmth running down my cheek. Wiping my face, I see blood. I look at Holt. “I deserve that, but if you come at me again, I will fight back,” I say sternly.
“I should kill you; you did this to her,” he yells.
I hang my head, feeling defeated. “I know. I wish I could take it all back. I’m sorry.”
Rylie
Thank God Kane is here.
“Holt, you’ve got to calm down,” I say, as he continues to fight against Kane.
I get in front of him grabbing his face. “Jace came to help. What he just told us might possibly save her life. Right now, we need to focus on Raelyn, so you need to keep your emotions in check.”
Kane nods. “I agree.”
I chew on my lip. “It all adds up now. She’s sending Jace a sign.”
Holt hangs his head. There’s so much emotion on his face. “I won’t apologize, but I’ll keep it together.”
“We need to go to the cops,” Maddie says.
Holt shakes his head. “No, we find Jessica, now. I’m not wasting another minute.”
“Holt is right,” Kane cuts in. “She has no clue Jace has put this together. We still have that on our side. The cops will take too long to get a plan set in motion.”
Brynn scowls. “That’s true. This bitch is going down.”
Walking to the counter, I pick up a towel, handing it to Jace for his eye that is still bleeding down his face onto his shirt.
“Thank you for calling me,” I say. “Raelyn’s smart. I believe she is banking on you figuring it out. It sounds like something she would do, and I think you might have just saved her life.”
Jace gives me a solemn nod, though I still see the guilt in his eyes.
“I’ve never given up hope,” I say. I look at everyone. “Raelyn’s a fighter, now it’s our turn to fight for her. It’s time we bring our girl home.”
Raelyn
I hear the familiar crunch of gravel as her car arrives.
I haven’t seen her since yesterday. I was starting to wonder if she was going to come at all tonight.
After a few minutes, the padlock turns and there she stands, full of tension.
She approaches me holding a bag and tosses it on the table.
“Well, the meal worked, but now he wants a paternity test,” she fumes.
Think Raelyn, think, I tell myself.
“Everything was going great until he had to ruin it.” She’s pacing back and forth.
“It’s okay,” I say, trying to calm her. “You don’t normally have to get one of those until after the baby is born. You have time to figure something else out.”
She stops pacing as her eyes meet mine. She’s listening.
“Just tell him you don’t want to harm the baby, and it’s safer to wait until he or she is born,” I finish.
She thinks about it for a moment, then nods her head in agreement. “Okay, I can do that. Yes, that works perfectly. I picked up some things for you, but I’ll be back tomorrow.” Her mood instantly changes, as she exits the room smiling.
I wait until I hear her car leaving, then make my way to the bag. It’s more canned food with a few drinks.
I wonder if Jace picked up my signs. Is he getting help right now? Either way, I’ve made up my mind, I can’t keep doing this.
I’ve been saving the can tops, forming them into a sharp edge on one end of the toothbrush she’s given me.
I go into the bathroom and examine it, the camera can’t see me here. I pick it up and practice swinging it through the air, then lay it back down.
I carefully pull my hair up into a ponytail, my gash is still sore and tender. I stare at my reflection in the mirror.
Can I do this? Can I harm someone? I close my eyes and pray for strength. The answer comes immediately as a calmness runs through me. Yes, I have loved ones I won’t let down.
I hide my weapon.
This ends tomorrow.
Rylie
My nerves are at an all-time high as we turn down Jessica’s street.
A few houses line each side of the street, but they’re spaced out. The only glow is from the front porch lights.
“I’m going to drive by the house to scope everything out first,” Kane states.
Everyone sits in silence, watching the approaching houses.
I look at my phone to check the time. It’s now around ten at night.
“Her house is the third one on the left, and she drives a white Jeep Grand Cherokee,” Jace says.
As we drive by, we note the carport is empty and the house is dark.
Once we’re out of sight, Kane pulls the SUV to a stop. “Y’all hang tight, I’m going to look around since she isn’t home,” Kane says.
“I’m coming with you,” Holt replies.
“Me, too,” Jace chimes in. “Plus, I know where she hides the spare key.”
Brynn glares at Jace. “When you say stupid shit like that, it just makes me want to punch you in the face.”
Jace flinches at her words. “I deserved that.”
“We’ll keep watch on the road and house,” I say. “I’ll call Holt if someone is coming.”
“There’s a house under construction just up the road,” Kane points out. “Go park there and wait for us. Stay in the car,” he commands, in a stern tone.
The guys climb out and slip off in the darkness.
I pull into the empty driveway and cut the engine, so no lights can be seen.
“Do y’all really think she’s involved?” Maddie asks.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all—and the strippers—but I think Jace is right. I feel it in my gut,” I say.
Brynn punches her hand. “I want a round with this bitch before we bring her in.”
“Get in line,” I reply.
“Do y’all think Raelyn’s in the house?” Brynn asks.
“No, Jessica’s smarter than that. If she is in fact the murderer of those girls, she’s covered her steps well. I don’t think she would get sloppy now,” I reply. “I really think this may be our big break, though.”
I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer. “Just hang on a little longer, sis.”
We sit silently, staring out into the darkness.
“What if we’re too late, and we don’t get her back?” Maddie solemnly asks.
My heart sinks as her words replay in my head. Tears start to fill my eyes because that thought plagues me as well. “We can’t think about that right now. She’s a fighter.”
My phone lights up with a message from Holt. “They’re on the way back,” I say.
After a few minutes, we see them emerge from the darkness. The doors open as they climb inside.
“Did y’all find anything?” I ask.
“We didn’t find any evidence of Raelyn in there, but we know Jessica’s lying already. She’s not pregnant,” Kane states.
“How do you know?” Maddie asks.
“We found tampons in her bathroom trash,” Jace states.
“So, the crazy bitch just got crazier,” Brynn adds.
“I knew she was lying,” Jace says. “But I’m glad I went. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten Raelyn’s message. I know it’s her.”
“She has to be keeping her at a different location. She’s smarter than to hide her in plain sight,” Kane says. “Plus, it would be too risky here with neighbors nearby.”
Headlights shine through the darkness, grabbing our attention, as a car turns down the road. Sure enough, it’s a white Jeep Grand Cherokee.
We watch Jessica pull into the driveway and then exit the jeep.
Holt grabs the handle.
“No,” Kane says, grabbing Holt’s arm to stop him. “If you get out and she sees you, our cover will be blown. She’ll know and then we may never find Raelyn. We have to be patient. I know this is hard, but patience is our key right now. We don’t have any hard evidence on this woman, so she’d walk if the police were to get involved. They would have nothing to hold her on. She thinks she’s still under the radar right now, and we have to keep it that way. I have a plan, but you have to trust me,” he finishes, looking at Holt.
Holt nods.
Kane pulls something small and black out of his pocket.
“A tracker?” Holt questions.
Kane nods. “Precisely.”
My eyes travel back to the house as lights start to shine inside.
“I’ll be right back,” he says, as he exits the vehicle again.
“Why the hell does he have a tracker?” Jace asks.
Holt shrugs. “He’s my bodyguard, and he was in the military.”
Not much time passes before Kane reappears, getting back into the car.
He pulls out a tablet showing a map of the tracker location. “All right, the plan is in motion. Everything’s set. We’ll head back and monitor her until she’s on the move again. She moves, we move.”
I lean over and give Holt’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “We’re going to find her. I can feel it. We are close.”
Holt
Sitting outside, I stare at my glass of whiskey, deep in thought.
The stars are so bright and full of life tonight. I wonder if Raelyn can see them too.
Looking up at the stars, I pray. “Dear God, I know I don’t talk to you like I should, but please spare her. Please keep her safe. I need her. Her family and friends need her. I never knew love until Raelyn. She’s so pure and wholesome. Please bring her back to me.”
A tear slips from my eye and runs down my face. I wipe it away as I stare into the darkness.
Someone sits down beside me. Looking over, I see Kane.
“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I should’ve done better. I failed her and you.”
I shake my head. “It’s not your fault, Kane. I was angry, scared, and not in my right mind. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you the way I did.”
He looks down at his hands. “It was my job. I should’ve known there was another entrance.”
“That woman was clever. She had it planned out, and had thought it through. No one expected her that night; she blended in well. A mentally unstable woman in disguise.”
Kane nods. “I know you’re not a fan of Jace, but I think we may need him when she moves. He might be the key to talking her off a ledge if things turn south.”
I nod my head in agreement. “I think you’re right. Jessica has a fixation with him. I’d still like to beat his ass for putting my girl in this situation, but I also know he wasn’t aware of this woman’s issues, and what she’s capable of.”
“You would be right.” Jace pulls up a chair, joining us. “I love her, too, even though it doesn’t seem like it. I know I fucked up, but I promise to do everything I can to get Raelyn back safely. I can see how much you love her. She deserves that love and devotion. I’ve seen the pictures of y’all on media outlets; she never looked at me the way she looks at you. You can treat her better than I ever did. If we don’t get her back, you’re welcome to beat my ass, or better yet put a bullet in me because I can’t live knowing I had a hand in her fate. It would kill me,” he states as his voice breaks.
I pass him the bottle of whiskey, and he takes a pull.
“I appreciate you coming to us with this information. We may need you tomorrow. You know how to handle Jessica. Will you help us?”
“Absolutely. I wasn’t planning on leaving,” he replies, without any hesitation.
I extend my hand and he shakes it. A silent truce runs through us for the woman we both love.
“Tomorrow, we get Raelyn back,” I say.