Page 117 of Blood Moon

Watching him preparing like a soldier for battle, Beth wrung her hands. “Molly must be terrified. How did he get to her?”

“Maybe when she came home alone from the restaurant. Somewhere between the Uber car and the house. Or maybe she was snatched when she left the restaurant, before the Uber car arrived.”

He stopped in the middle of the room and dug his thumb and middle finger into his eye sockets. “God, when I think about that cretin touching her.” Then he lowered his hand and gave his head a hard shake. “I can’t think about that now. I’ll go crazy.”

“Should you notify Roslyn?”

“Should, but I’m not going to until I have Molly back and can report to Roslyn that she’s okay.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he and Beth looked at each other. Beth figured that he was thinking the same thing she was: Molly may not be okay. She didn’t dare say it. However, her apprehension must have been visible.

His eyes became as sharp and steely as the knife inside his boot. “We’re all coming back. Molly and me and Mitch.”

She squared her shoulders. “And me. I’m going with you.”

“Out of the question.”

“Think about it, John. Whatever’s happened while she’s been with them will have been traumatizing. Having another woman there—”

“I get your point, but it’s not going to happen.”

“John—”

“That’s the end of it,” he said, slicing his hands. His features had turned as hard and uncompromising as they’d been in the bar when he’d first learned that she representedCrisis Point.

Then his head dropped forward. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m worried on your account, too. I hate leaving you here alone, but I’m leaving you armed, and with a secret. Come in here.”

He led her into his bedroom and opened the closet door. He knelt and moved aside several pairs of footwear, then pried up a section of the hardwood floor. Beneath it was a cavity about four feet square and six feet deep, disturbingly resembling a grave.

“It’s dark and musty, but I think Mutt will warn you if he hears someone approaching. Get in here. Keep this with you.” He reached underneath the nightstand and produced a pistol that had been secured to the underside.

“When did you do all this?” she asked.

“I began preparing for this day soon after the Mellin case. I knew it was coming.”

“You just didn’t know that I would bring it.”

“Beth, no. You didn’t cause this. It’s been waiting to happen.”

He wanted to say something profound and meaningful that would cover the broad range of sentiments rattling aroundinside him like dice in a cup. But he wasn’t a poet, so he kept it simple. “I wish I hadn’t limited myself to only once with you.”

“If I have any say in the matter, you haven’t.”

Each second counted. Nevertheless, he held her gaze for a precious few, then checked the pistol he’d retrieved and set it on the nightstand. “It’s loaded and the safety is off, so be careful handling it. But keep it within your reach.”

“Point and pull the trigger.”

“Several times.”

While waiting for Mitch, John worked out a plan. He kept it to himself, not sharing it with Beth because she had become increasingly fearful for both him and Molly, and it showed.

He was only slightly better at concealing the fear gnawing at him. He knew the cruelty the ogre was capable of and the delight he derived from it. It made him ill to think of the ogre anywhere near Molly. He pulsed with a craving to dispatch Frank Gray without fuss or muss.

He wanted to deal with Tom Barker on a more personal level. He’d masterminded this sadistic plot, using Molly as a pawn, hitting John where he knew he was most vulnerable. Barker he wanted to kill with his bare hands.

He knew, though, to keep those murderous impulses under control for now. Police training had taught him that mistakes were made when one allowed raw emotion to dictate decisions and actions. To keep them from overtaking him, he focused on readying himself mentally.

When Mitch arrived, he gave Beth a quick hello hug, but he had also been trained in special ops. John recognizedthe coiled tension just beneath the surface. Because he didn’t want Beth to overhear the plan he’d outlined, he drew Mitch aside on the pretext of checking weapons.