Chapter 6
I couldn’t take my eyes off Brooklyn.
There in the flesh. Right in front of me. After years of dreaming about her, she was finally within my reach.
Yet, she wasn’t.
So close, so far away.
“Take a seat,” Wilson directed then asked, “How much time do we have before the store opens?”
“Half hour,” Letty muttered and shuffled to the loveseat, taking Brooklyn with her.
And still, I couldn’t stop staring. She was a mirage or a miracle or a dream come to life and I was afraid to blink—afraid she’d disappear, afraid she’d slip past me again.
“Tell me why you think something’s off,” Wilson launched in.
Letty glanced at Brooklyn. Brooklyn nodded at her friend and picked up her hand, grasping it in both of hers, and didn’t let go.
It hadn’t escaped my notice how nervous Brooklyn was.
I hadn’t missed the sidelong glances, the stiff posture, the worry in her eyes, and I knew it had to do with more than Kiki Welsh’s disappearance.
But she’d pulled herself together, and she’d supported the family and her friend.
I respected that kind of loyalty, and if Remington wasn’t a factor, I would’ve backed off until we found Kiki. But Remington was not only a factor, he was a priority; I wouldn’t set aside getting to know my son.
Letty drew in a deep breath and her attention went back to Wilson.
“My sister’s on the rebellious side. She goes her own way and doesn’t much care what my parents have to say.
She’s always been like this. When we were younger, her rebellion was more about breaking curfew and wearing clothes Dad didn’t approve of.
When we got older, it was about not going to college, carving her own path, and ignoring my parents’ pleas to get her act together.
As you know, she’s thirty. She’s my sister and I love her but she has yet to grow up. ”
“What do you mean she hasn’t grown up?” Wilson inquired.
“She lived in my parents’ basement apartment until two years ago.
She lived there partly because she couldn’t hold a job long enough to save money to get her own place and partly because the money she did have she blew on going out and partying.
Drove my parents around the bend. There was a big blow-up and Kiki packed her bags and moved out.
No plan, no money. Just rebellion and stubbornness.
She crashed on her friends’ couches until she’d shack up with a boyfriend.
Then she’d dump the guy and she’d be back on a friend’s couch.
“That brings me to Trevor Lawrence. She knows he’s bad news.
Everyone knows the Horsemen are bad news.
Every. One. I’m not sure if getting together with him was supposed to be a big fuck you to me and my parents or if it was something else.
She didn’t bring him around or tell anyone she was with him.
And we hadn’t seen them in CDA, we caught them in Spokane.
But as big as CDA is, it’s still a small town.
Someone would’ve seen them together and told one of us. ”
Letty was correct about Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It was a small town, but not that small. And that thought reminded me how close Remington and Brooklyn had been. Sandpoint was not far from CDA. When I was in Idaho I’d spent time downtown.
How many times was I close to her and my son and didn’t know it?
That question had plagued my mind and churned my stomach for days. Even before I knew Remy existed I’d wondered if she’d been in the same bar or restaurant I’d been in.
“I get what you’re saying, Letty, but none of that explains what feels off.”
Wilson’s tone was gentle, his voice soft and soothing. The one he only used when talking to victims’ families. It was a far cry from his normally gruff, no-nonsense clipped manner.
“Desi had just been rescued,” Letty said quietly.
“So I could be way off base and this is going to make me sound bitchy, but from the beginning, when the police questioned her she seemed like she was… I don’t know—worried.
But when we got back to my parents’ house it got worse.
She didn’t look relieved. She didn’t look scared.
She was worried. I can’t explain it. She guarded every word she said.
She only answered questions with a few words and offered no more.
I thought maybe it was because my parents offered her a place to stay even though she’d lied about her identity.
That’s their way. They’re selfless, they’d give anyone anything.
I went to visit and Desi was in the basement.
I went down to see if she needed anything and she was lounging on the couch with her phone.
She was so totally engrossed she didn’t notice me.
I watched her for a good two minutes. She was texting someone and from the way her thumbs were flying over the phone I’d say she was mad. ”
“She had a phone?” I interjected.
“Yeah. And later I asked my mom if she or my dad had given her one. She told me they hadn’t. Desi had used my dad’s to contact her parents but other than that they hadn’t seen her with one.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Brooklyn asked, positively affronted.
Letty jerked her head in my direction but offered no words.
“Seriously?” Brooklyn spat. “That’s not an excuse, Lets. What did Desi say when you caught her with the phone?”
“She didn’t catch me. I went back up the stairs without her seeing me.
I knocked and when I went back down, I pretended I hadn’t seen what I’d seen and she was curled into a ball on her side, no phone in sight.
Now, again, this is going to make me sound like a total ass.
But when Desi didn’t know I was there, she was lounging around texting.
The second time I went down, it was like she was putting on a show. ”
Brooklyn’s gaze sliced to me and she asked, “Is that normal?”
I took in the woman’s hopeful expression and it pained me to have to explain to her in all that I’d seen, all the victims I’d assisted there was no such thing as normal. Everyone reacted differently.
“Can’t say, don’t know Desi Cunns. But the phone is concerning and we definitely need to know who she called.” I turned to Wilson. “I didn’t see anything in the report about her having a phone, and if she did, why didn’t she use it to call the police?”
Actually, the phone was more than concerning; it was a red flag and I didn’t like red flags. I also didn’t like loose ends. Wilson liked them less so. Therefore it was no surprise Wilson’s face was carefully blank, but I knew my friend—his mind was working putting pieces together.
“What else?” Wilson pushed.
Gritting my teeth, I fought back the urge to tell my team leader we had enough to start with.
I’d impatiently waited for what seemed like an eternity to talk to Brooklyn; now I wanted nothing more than to get her alone.
There were things I needed to say, questions I needed to ask, plans to put into action.
But I couldn’t do any of that until I got to Brooklyn’s house.
Which I was interested in seeing. I owned a cabin in the mountains, not easily accessible during the winter. I would need to get a house in town, a family home.
Slow your roll, the logical side of my brain warned.
The issue was I didn’t want slow. I wanted warp speed.
I didn’t want to delay winning over the mother of my son.
That was the one thing I’d decided last night.
I’d lost years with Remington and Brooklyn.
There was a reason I couldn’t get her out of my head.
A reason why I’d dreamed of her. A reason that bore contemplation.
And the more I thought about it, I knew why.
And being the sort of man who learned from his mistakes, I wasn’t going to make another one with Brooklyn.
She was going to be mine.
She and Remington.
I wanted both and I’d pull out all the stops to get them.
“Listen, Letty,” Wilson started. “I’m sure this is hard for you so don’t make it harder.
We’re not going to judge you. We’re not going to think you’re bitchy.
All we’re going to think is that you’re a concerned sister and something’s not sitting right.
Go with your gut and just tell us what’s making you uneasy. ”
“It was the way she was staring at my parents,” Letty blurted out.
“God, I don’t know the right words. She was watching them—carefully.
Again, not like she was scared of them, but like she was hiding something and was worried they’d figure it out.
I swear every time I saw her I felt like she was acting like she thought she should act.
I mean, not even a shiver when she told the police about the night she and Kiki were taken.
Her tone wasn’t dead or freaked out. It was like she was telling a well-rehearsed story. ”
Brooklyn’s shoulders stiffened and she tilted her head before she nodded.
“Letty’s right. I didn’t think much of it.
I figured Desi was in shock. I know I was, thinking Kiki had been found, then…
” Brooklyn let that hang and shook her head.
“It was a bad night. Tally and Michael were beside themselves but trying to be understanding. Desi answered all of the questions. But damn if she didn’t say all the right things.
She didn’t stumble, she didn’t hesitate.
And she lied when the officer asked her if Kiki had a boyfriend.
Desi and Kiki are roommates, or Kiki was staying on her couch, but they’re close.
Desi also would’ve known Kiki was seeing Trevor.
“At the time, I was grateful she hadn’t said anything in front of Michael. But now, thinking on it, if someone kidnapped Letty, I’d be spilling my guts, every secret, anything that could help find her. But Desi flat-out lied.”
I’d read the report Officer Sara Stan had submitted after she interviewed Desi Cunns.
Victims were not asked to relive their time in captivity so soon after a rescue.
The officer had gone gently, asking only about the night she and Kiki were taken, and that was only because Kiki wasn’t among the rescued.
“Desi is under a doctor’s supervision,” Wilson noted.
“She is,” Letty confirmed. “Her parents picked her up. Which was strange considering she hasn’t spoken to them in years.
I don’t know Desi, but from what Kiki told me Desi hates her parents; like hates them so much she left Seattle when she was twenty because she wanted away from them.
I thought maybe being taken and held for a week against her will, having God knows what happen—and I’m not making light of that but I cannot let my mind wander there while my sister is missing—but I figured after that trauma it shook her and she wanted to repair her relationship with her family.
But now looking on it, it feels like she was using that as an excuse to leave. ”
Letty stopped and hung her head, then whispered to her lap.
“God, what if I’m wrong about everything? What if Desi’s telling the truth and she’s just traumatized and acting strangely because of that? What kind of person does it make me to even say this about her?”
Brooklyn gathered her friend into her arms, the gesture natural, like she’d done it a hundred times, a testament to their friendship.
And there was something about witnessing their closeness that eased some of the guilt I’d felt when I thought about Brooklyn raising Remy on her own.
No parents, no siblings. But she’d had family around and I liked that for her and my boy.
None of them were substitutes for all I could’ve given Remy but Brooklyn hadn’t been all alone.
“It makes you exactly what Wilson said, a concerned sister. And I highly doubt Wilson or Rhode is gonna tell her what you said.” Brooklyn paused and skewered Wilson with a scathing look that made me want to smile. “Right?”
“You’re exactly right. This conversation won’t be shared outside of the team. And, Letty? Always go with your gut. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.” Wilson waited until Letty nodded her uneasy acknowledgment then turned to me. “Walk me out.”
Thank fuck.
I followed behind Wilson, and I did this not wanting Brooklyn out of my sight but I was happy to send my friend on his way if it meant I could get her back to her place so we could talk. Or more to the point, get her alone so I could set my plan in motion.
“I’m gonna call Shepard, see what he can dig up on Trevor and the Horsemen,” Wilson said as soon as we stepped out the door.
“I know you got a lot to go over with her, but while you have her away from Letty, it might be good if you ask her about Kiki. There might be more, something she doesn’t want to say in front of her friend. ”
A surge of possessiveness brimmed inside me, a need to shield Brooklyn from any more hurt, protect her from the truth of a bad situation that was more than likely worse than we’d thought.
After hearing what Letty had to say, I had to agree there was more to Desi. And I hoped I was wrong, but my gut told me there was more to Kiki’s disappearance, too.
I ignored Wilson’s request and concentrated on Shepard.
“Shep will be all over this. He’ll have what we need by nightfall.”
“You’re not gonna ask her, are you?”
It wasn’t a question, but it still required an answer.
“Not gonna commit to talking to Brooklyn about Kiki. Besides, the way those two are, I doubt there’s anything she’d tell me that she wouldn’t say in front of Letty. But if she brings it up, I’ll let you know.”
Wilson held my gaze and nodded. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do.”
“You’re willing to give up Takeback? The team?”
“For my son? Fuck yeah.”
There was no question in my mind I’d leave everything behind for my boy. My only uncertainty was Brooklyn, and that was not on my part. I knew what I wanted—knew I’d give it all up for a shot with her.
The only question I needed answered was if Brooklyn was ready for me. And if she wasn’t, how long would it take to convince her she was.