34. Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter thirty-four
F ox and Dean had met Mason at the police station nearly an hour ago.
4:08 a.m. One hour, fifty minutes without her.
With Mason working with Officer Bowers from the Blackrock Falls PD, they had officers checking the three traffic cams downtown by Fox’s apartment building and leading out of town. They knew which way the kidnappers went. Just not where they’d ended up with Melody.
His heart clenched just thinking about her and what she must be going through right now.
Fox checked his phone again. No calls. No texts. No ransom demand. Nothing.
What are they waiting for?
Dean eyed the phone in Fox’s hand. “They’re settling in with her somewhere. They’ll call soon.”
Mason broke away from the group of officers he’d been conferring with and held up his phone. We have a very bad image of the driver.”
Fox squinted at the photo, trying to make out the guy’s features. “I don’t recognize him.”
Dean shook his head, too. “Could be any of a dozen light-haired white guys.”
Mason’s phone dinged with a text. He typed something back. “Sorry. That’s Lyric wanting an update. She’s agreed not to tell the rest of the family until morning. Hopefully, we’ll have Melody back by then.”
“Why haven’t they fucking called?” Fox raked his fingers through his hair, pulling on the strands, desperate for word. Desperate for her .
Something in Mason’s eyes made him freeze.
“What?”
“Are you sure this is a ransom and not Amy seeking revenge or something from Melody? You said she tried to seduce you away from Melody. Could she be trying to get rid of a rival?”
Which meant Melody could be dead right now.
Panic choked him.
No. He refused to think the worst. She was alive. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Mason frowned. “Except, she’d do it alone. She wouldn’t want anyone to know about it. But we know she was working with the two men. They’ll be expecting something for their trouble. Which brings us back to a ransom.”
Fox caught on to Mason’s line of thinking. “Maybe Amy’s plan is to ransom her, then something goes wrong and Melody gets killed in the crossfire, and Amy thinks she’ll get me all to herself, and her accomplices get paid.”
Dean put his hands on his hips. “That doesn’t feel right. That’s complicated and leaves too many chances for failure. Amy’s attempts to win you were direct and focused on you, never the money.”
Fox played out different scenarios in his head, trying to find the logic in all of this. “It doesn’t make sense. Amy hardly knows anyone here. Definitely not someone who’d be willing to commit a felony for her, let alone two someones. So…”
“You think someone else is using Amy’s hatred of Melody to get her away from you, so Amy can then have you all to herself. Or at least that’s what they made her think, when really it is about the money.” Mason waited for him to explain.
Fox swore under his breath, not wanting to think it, or even believe it, but this was happening here. In Blackrock Falls. And the only person in town who knew his secret, knew people capable of pulling this off, would use anyone to get what she wanted, and wanted his money more than she cared about him was… “My mom. Tanya has to be involved.” He didn’t know how, but he knew she didn’t like Melody, which meant she wouldn’t bat an eye at using her to get what she wanted. The life she’d always dreamed of having.
Mason’s eyes filled with sympathy. “If it’s her, I’m sorry, man. What she and your father did to you… I hope there’s a special place in hell for child abusers.”
“If she had anything to do with this, there’s a cell on earth waiting for her.” Fox headed for the police station door.
Mason and Dean followed.
Fox spun back around. “I’m going alone. I’ll take care of this.”
Mason shook his head. “You need law enforcement to take her down.”
Fuck. “I go in alone. I’ll get a confession out of her.”
“And if you can’t?” Dean asked.
“Then we’ll wait for the ransom demand and I’ll pay it.”
4:17 a.m. One hour, fifty-nine minutes without her.
He’d do anything to get her back, including facing Tanya, her denial, her warped sense of what she thought she deserved, and the reality that his selfish mother was never on his side. She’d never wanted his happiness. She only wanted what he could give her.
The only people who cared about him were the family he’d made.
And the person who loved him the most—Melody.
He wouldn’t stop until he got her back and everyone involved paid.