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Maddox

The line “good things come to those who wait” is worse than the word “chilling.”

We wait in agony. Granger joins in on the fun times.

Finally, Roland calls me with the bad news. Tobias’s sister is missing. Her mother filed a missing person’s report the day of the party. Shandy Phelan is the same age as Blaise when she was kidnapped.

Roland has the good sense to send men looking for Shandy without my begging him to. He knows I hate begging.

“I’m putting you on speaker, Roland. Blaise and Granger are with me. Give us what you have, buddy.”

“My men and Blaise’s as well as Cillian’s are fanning out across the city, searching every nook and cranny.”

Knowing Roland, he’s instructed the teams to be as discreet as possible. One word to the media, and Hale will catch wind of the search and rescue—or search and recovery of Shandy’s body. Blaise talked me into roping her father into this growing mess. His cousin Six and Six’s wife are currently scrubbing his hard drives.

I shake my head. My mobster father-in-law and his beautiful daughter will be the death of me.

“Is there a place that’s sacred to Hale, Blaise? Somewhere you two went a lot when you were kids?”

Blaise gave us Hale’s reason for why she couldn’t remember him. If she didn’t remember the guy she spent the majority of her teenage years with, how can she recall the special places they went? Red fills my vision. I ball my hands. I cannot wait to punch the bastard in the face until his face is a bloody mess. I’ll come down so hard on him, he’ll be begging me for mercy.

“He said I gave him the gift of time. I didn’t understand what he meant until he told me I saved him from a fire. The fire was at his father’s restaurant.”

“Do you remember his father’s name?”

“I don’t. Hale says his real name is Brady Fitzpatrick. Can you check records for a business in Oakland owned by a Fitzpatrick?”

“We can do that. Thanks, Blaise.”

We end the call. I steer my swaying wife to our couch. We’re back home. I bring her a glass of water.

“Thank you, Maddox.”

“What time does Hale get off?”

“One.”

Three more hours.

We’re running out of time.

Her phone on the coffee table rings. Speak of the devil. Hale’s name lights up the screen. Blaise grabs the phone before I can give the bastard a piece of my mind.

“Hi, Hale.” She tucks pieces of her hair behind her ear. Leans forward with her elbow resting on her knee. I sit on the arm of the couch and rub her back. My beautiful, brave wife with the big heart. She would rather protect her mobster father than stay married to me.

“I’m doing good. Turning in for the night. Cillian asked you to stay over for drinks with him? You should. He’ll like that. I’ll leave the door unlocked. Of course I mean it. You make me happy when you indulge my father. Thank you, Hale. I’ll see you soon.”

She hangs up the phone. Tosses it on the table. Blows out a breath.

“Let’s get you to bed, baby.”

“I’m not tired.”

“A catnap. That’s all.”

“I need to know. Please, Maddox.”

“Okay, babe.” I sit on the couch and pull her into my arms. “Anything you want, I’ll give. You know that, right?”

“I have your heart. It’s all I’ll ever want.” Her bare hand settles on the spot over my heart, and just like that, a calm settles over me.

It doesn’t mean I won’t beat the shit out of Hale.

I just won’t be cutting off his junk.