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Joyner smiled and shook her head. “That’s not the point.”
Somebody you loved.
Why had it taken until now to figure that out?
I loved Tina.
Of course. I loved her.
I’d probably started falling for her that first night when she gave me the brush-off.
“James?”
Gianni touched my arm, and I saw the understanding. “Just now figuring it out, huh?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Shaking my head, I returned my gaze to the map, but I didn’t see it, not really. I saw Tina, smiling at me, laughing with me. I felt her in my arms, her lips on mine. I loved her.
“Fuck,” I muttered. “We have to find her.”
* * *
“You realizeit’s possible we’re making plans for the wrong place,” Gus Haynes leaned against Gianni’s desk, his eyes on the map now projected onto an oversized screen, big enough for the entire team to view.
“Yep.” Gianni had her hands on her hips, lips twisted and pulled to the side as she studied the map, then looked at the tablet she held, contemplating the screen.
“There’re two buildings that could serve as a place to hide, but they’re on the outer edge of the search perimeter.” Gayle sipped her coffee and gave a thoughtful nod. “This is the most likely target. The motel was abandoned over five years ago after the last attempt to sell it fell through. The owner died with no surviving relatives.” She grimaced and added, “So it just sits there—occasionally attracting drug dealers and the homeless. A logical place to hold a kidnapping victim.”
The factual recital didn’t make me feel any more secure about the building or the location.
Gianni said, “Once we get proof that Tina’s there, the other units will move to join us. Our primary objective is to retrieve the victim.”
I wanted to snarl each time Gianni referred to Tina asthe victim. Tina would probably snarl some herself, but right now, none of that mattered.
Gianni looked at me and said, “You understand your part in this, James?”
“Yes.” Angling my chin to the Kevlar vests, I asked, “You’ll be wearing one, too, right?”
“Of course.” She tapped her fist lightly on the case Joyner had provided. “We will pick up the money in the morning. We have a modified dye pack similar to what banks use in robberies.”
As long as I could save Tina, I didn’t care.
“Regardless, they will not get far,” Joyner said, eyes on the map. “Even if they get away clean, every cop in Texas will be looking for them. They can’t use a commercial airplane, or cross into Mexico, without being seen by law enforcement. Once Tina’s safe, their faces will be blasted all over the media, along with the reward you’re putting, Mr. Ryson. They’ll be caught within days, if not hours.”
“Yeah.” I nodded, but Cecil and Simone were at the bottom of mygive a fucklist. Until Tina was safe and with me, nothing else mattered. I’d deal with the rest.
Once I had her back with me, I could tell her I loved her.
A hollow ache settled in my chest. I turned and walked to the window.
Night had fallen, a velvety blanket across Houston, the lights from the streets and buildings, a million little jewels scattered across the darkness.
Was she safe?
Had they given her anything to drink? Anything to eat?
Was she hurt?
Hadtheyhurt her?