Page 41

I was back to being in a bad mood, but it wasn’t due to my birth family this time.

It was because of Deon Morton. That motherfucker kept messing up my life.

After Blythe identified him as the driver, the brothers and I met to review our plan to acquire him without drawing attention.

Once we’d done that, we were ready to go.

Only there was a problem. When doing recon before nabbing him, it was discovered that he was gone.

There was nothing written in his emails, social media, or texts.

He wasn’t making or receiving calls, either.

Wire speculated he might’ve ditched both.

Whatever the deal, he was in the wind, and I was worried and pissed at the same time.

It was no one’s fault, but I was short-tempered. I tried not to take it out on Blythe, but slipped once. She’d quickly corrected my attitude, which I wanted her to do. I apologized and told her I’d do better.

It was Tuesday, and I’d gotten her from work.

I was still leery of allowing her to go, but Leon was on alert, and we’d added two others to help.

So far, it had been two prospects. We didn’t know where or when Deon would rear his head again, but we planned to be there when he did.

Wire had gone to his neighborhood after dark and planted cameras.

Wire was upset and took it personally that Deon had gotten away.

And he was furiously digging into his background.

Wire looked like hell. I asked if he needed help, and he said no.

We’d finished dinner, which Blythe insisted on making.

The dishes were done, and we were in the living room attempting to relax by watching a movie.

I was distracted. I wasn’t sure if she was enjoying it or not.

Finally, it ended. I was about to suggest we find something else to do when there was a hard knock at the door.

Her eyebrows lifted at the fact that whoever it was had knocked first.

As I got up to see who it was, I grinned at her and said, “See, they’re trainable.”

She laughed and followed me. I opened the door and found Agony, Dare, Hulk, and Wire on our porch.

My heart pounded. I knew it couldn’t be good if all four of them came.

I scanned their faces, but other than appearing grim, they gave nothing away.

I stepped back and brought Blythe with me. I waved my arm.

“Come in. Tell us what brought you here looking like that?”

I shut the door, and then we trailed behind them. They went to the family room.

“Have a seat. Can I get you guys anything?” Blythe asked. I barely heard the tremor in her voice.

“Thanks, Blythe, but we’re good. Why don’t we all have a seat, and we’ll explain why we’re here,” Agony suggested.

I sat in my favorite chair and brought her down on my lap. I knew I’d have to comfort her and possibly need to be comforted myself when we were through. I wrapped her loosely in my arms.

“Agony, we’re seated. Just tell us. Did Wire find Deon?” I asked.

“I haven’t, though I’m still trying,” Wire volunteered. He glanced over at the three officers.

The tension running through Blythe was broadcasting itself to me. “Please, don’t make us suffer. Tell us. Spit it out, please,” she begged.

“Wire finally had success in finding out more about Deon Morton. And when he did, he unraveled a thread. Wire, why don’t you tell them what you did and found?” Agony asked.

“I can’t tell you what leads me to find things, but it’s like a feeling I get, and I start digging, and then I’ll lock in on something, usually innocuous.

It’s like I pull a string and things begin to unravel until they reveal stuff we never knew or most would discover.

I had that same feeling about Morton since the beginning.

I wish I could’ve stayed and done this a week ago.

We might’ve already dealt with the bastard,” he muttered.

“You had to leave. We’ll get him. Go on,” Agony ordered.

“Anyway, I got further into his past and found disturbing information, which led me to delve deeper and deeper. What I found is beyond troubling and not what I expected. However, I can say that if there was ever any doubt that he deserves to meet his maker, there isn’t now.

That motherfucker needs to die, and it better be painful,” Wire snarled.

My gut clenched. Wire was typically relatively calm in comparison to some of us.

“Wire,” I said. He heard the demand there.

“I figured out why Morton wanted to get you pregnant and is demanding that he have access to his kid. It had nothing to do with fatherly love. It’s business.

He wants that baby because he has a buyer for it.

He impregnated you to get a baby he can sell.

He’s part of an illegal adoption ring. Only, in his case, he doesn’t kidnap other people’s kids.

He makes and sells his. You aren’t the first woman he’s done this to. ”

The breath rushed out of Blythe. She went limp in my arms. I twisted her around so I could see her face. She was deathly pale, her eyes huge, and her mouth was trembling. She was in no state to ask questions, but I was.

“How many? Who does he sell them to? Christ, I can’t believe this. Isn’t it enough that we have to deal with human traffickers over and over, but now we have baby nappers stealing babies or making them to adopt them out? Where do the kids end up? Do you know?”

“Not specifics, but they seem to be sold in the States and abroad. People with sufficient funds don’t have to go through the lengthy process and risk being denied or wait years.

They can submit their request and have one in under a year.

From what I found, Morton has done it three times before Blythe,” Wire stated, then paused.

“What else? I can tell there’s more,” I told him.

All four cast worried looks at Blythe. She was mute and still pale. I went to stand and take her to the bedroom, then I’d return to find out the rest. She grabbed and squeezed my forearm.

“Don’t. I need to hear it all. Tell me, Wire,” she said hoarsely.

“After the mothers give birth and the baby is taken from them, the moms disappear. I don’t know if they’re trafficked or…”

“Or they’re killed. That’s what you want to say.

They sell or kill those poor women after stealing their children.

What kind of monsters do that? And you’re telling me the man I was living with did this?

And he planned to do it to me.” Her voice increased in intensity as she spoke until she was almost yelling.

Suddenly, she let out a blood-curdling scream and shot to her feet. I came to mine, and so did the guys.

“I want him to suffer, and every person helping or working with him needs to pay. I don’t care if it’s prison or death, but they go, and Deon dies. Wire, what can we do to find him?” she hissed. She was breathing hard.

“Firefly, I need you to take a few deep breaths and try to relax. Your blood pressure has to be sky-high. It’s not good for the babies or you,” I cautioned her.

She looked over at me. “Why are there such awful people in the world? What made them like that? He’s trying to take our babies, and if he were anxious to sell one, finding out there are two will send him into a frenzy.

All he’ll see is dollar signs. Spartan was right.

We need to find a way to share the news that I’m expecting twins, so that he can hear it.

And then make it appear that he has a chance at me.

And when you get him, you torture every name you can get out of him.

The man in the video we saw. He has to be part of it. He has to go, too.”

“Baby, I promise we’ll do everything we can to make those involved pay in whatever capacity we can. But I can’t have you angry like this. It’ll only harm you and our girls,” I told her. She took several deep breaths, then nodded. She let me sit her again in the chair. I stayed on my feet.

“We didn’t mean to upset you so much, Blythe. It was the last thing we wanted. We debated about telling Bones alone, but it didn’t feel right,” Dare explained.

“And I swear, your man and I will make them wish they were never born,” Hulk assured her.

Hulk could get very creative when it came to torture and getting the truth from someone.

My oath as a doctor to do no harm wasn’t a conflict for me.

I was able to split myself into two people, in a way.

It allowed me to protect and help some people live, and kill those who needed it on the other end.

Maybe I had split personalities and had no idea.

“Bones, brother, tell us what you’re thinking. What do you want to do?” Agony asked.

“This puts a different spin on things. How do we know he hasn’t already targeted someone else to go after and impregnate after he’s done with Blythe? We have the public to protect.”

“We agree. So, how do we want to do this? He’s not back at his home. Wire checked. Something either spooked him, or after he failed to run you over, he went to ground so he could leave and move on once he had the baby,” Dare speculated.

I hated it, but I only saw one way. “Put the word out that Blythe and I are super excited. We’re having twins. We plan to have a baby shower soon and reveal to everyone what we’re having.”

“Wait, we don’t want to wait weeks for him to come.

Add that we’re planning to have it, and then immediately afterward, we’ll be going on an extended trip and don’t plan to return until right before the babies are born.

Bones is concerned about my stress with everything that has happened with my ex,” Blythe added.

“Christ, that’ll send him into a tailspin. He’ll have to get her before that trip,” Wire muttered.

“And that means you’ll have to tell Alfred that you can’t return to work,” I said.

“If you lock me down here, then Deon won’t make his move. You have to let me do it. Before you throw a fit, I agree that it requires more people. Is there a way more guys can be stationed in or around the shop so we’re safe when he tries, and he will,” she stated.

I wanted to yell no and say it was the end of the discussion, but she had a point. Locking her up here wouldn’t entice him to make a move. We were pretty tightly secured.

“We can, but there’s no way we can guarantee one hundred percent that he can’t get to you, Blythe. It still poses a risk,” Hulk warned her.

“Life is a risk, Hulk. We could cross the street and be killed by a car. I could fall down the stairs and break my neck. A tornado could carry us off. We can’t live our lives in a bubble. And I know you want me utterly safe, Bones, but it’s impossible,” she said so softly it hurt.

I dropped into the chair next to her. My head was in my hands. I knew she spoke the truth, but the man, the protector in me, wasn’t willing to concede. The silence was maddening. I don’t know how long I sat there before I lifted my head.

“She’ll have extra, hidden security at Treasures.

We start telling everyone the news. People around here love to know everything, and we’re small enough, so it’s easy to get it from here to Nantahala and beyond.

I need Alfred and Leon to come here to the compound.

We need to discuss the plan and ensure they’re fully prepared.

I’d feel better if we do it here and not at the shop,” I conceded.

My stomach was churning at the thought of what we were about to do, but I knew we had no other choice. Blythe and I stared deep into each other’s eyes. Neither of us wanted to lose the other, so we’d do whatever it took to ensure it didn’t happen.