Page 15 of Brick (Chosen Few #5)

She shook her head, and a tear leaked out of the corner of her eye.

“It doesn’t feel that way. I hate that he stole so many options from me.

I never went to the police before because of the audio Keetan has of me.

But now... it doesn’t matter. I don’t care anymore if I go to jail.

” She closed her eyes for a beat, not really believing her own words.

She did care if she went to jail, but not because of how it would impact her.

She cared if it meant Bray would be taken away.

But right now Bray was in danger, and she wasn’t willing to risk her son’s life to avoid prison anymore.

The idea of finding him only to have him taken away and raised by someone else ripped her heart out. The only thing worse was leaving him vulnerable and in danger. “I think we need to go to the police,” she said, hating each word.

He nodded. “That’s fair. But if we find him, you won’t be reunited.

Walking into the police station will surely get you put behind bars.

You’ll get a lawyer, but that will take time.

Time they aren’t going to use wisely to find Bray.

Sure, they’ll put out an alert, but with Keetan being there, well, it’s hard to say what will happen. ”

She pulled her arms close to her belly.

“All I know is I could take you to the police station right now and we wouldn’t be any further ahead with finding Bray. There’ll be statements, questioning, all that shit. My team will be here in a few hours. I don’t think the cops will look for Bray any sooner than that.”

“So you’re saying I should wait?”

“I’m saying I support whatever decision you make. But if you want my opinion, I don’t want to see you in jail.”

“This isn’t about me.”

“It is, because Bray is about you. When we get inside, I’m going to call my buddy, Ghost. He’s the one who tracked you down.”

She widened her eyes. He’d mentioned that earlier but she hadn’t been in the right state to understand the logistics. “How’d he do that?”

“Facial recognition.”

If her eyebrows climbed any higher, they wouldn’t come down. “And he’s going to use that to find Bray?” She couldn’t keep the skepticism from her tone.

Brick’s mouth twitched. “Let’s go inside and I’ll wow you with my expertise. I’m going to need your last address.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “All right. This I’ve gotta hear.”

***

“Oh my god, that’s wild. I can’t believe she was taken by human traffickers. That’s one of my worst fears.” Natalie’s eyes were round as she bit into her wrap.

He might have talked her ear off explaining how Rami had found his now-fiancée, Ivy, but he’d succeeded in distracting her enough to eat half her meal.

Once they were settled at the kitchen table, he’d pulled up his facial recognition software and showed her how they found people using street cameras and other surveillance devices.

He then explained how Ghost had located her at the bus terminal the night she and Bray escaped two weeks ago.

Her path had left breadcrumbs—enough for them to eventually find her at the motel this morning.

“That’s not even the wildest part.” He pushed away his plate. He’d finished his large chicken-and-bacon wrap with fries. “Rami tried to refuse the job when Gigi, Ivy’s twin sister, asked for his help.”

She shook her head in wonderment. “Such an intense story. What made him decide to take the job?”

He smirked. “Well, August, one of the other guys on the team, had a history with Gigi. And Rami and August are best friends.”

She made a giant O with her lips.

“He pretty much twisted Rami’s arm. But it didn’t take long for Rami to go in balls to the wall.”

She scrunched her nose at his choice of words, creating a cute wrinkle.

The movement also revealed one of her dimples.

God, it’d been over three years since he’d seen those little clefts.

She hadn’t smiled much, if at all, since he found her in the motel parking lot. He hoped he’d make her smile again.

“That’s quite the story.” She plucked a cucumber from her plate and put it in her mouth. Her gaze drifted to the clock on the wall.

“Not much longer.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

Before they’d eaten, he’d texted Ghost with an updated photo of Bray as well as a shot of Keetan.

He’d also given him the address of Natalie’s apartment, where the kidnapping had happened.

He’d explained the situation to his friend and emphasized that finding the little boy was top priority.

Natalie nodded, her eyes downcast.

“Why don’t we look around?” He stood, picking up his plate.

She rose to her feet. “Sure. I’m done.”

He gathered her dish before she could take it to the kitchen.

After placing both plates in the sink, he moved around the island to meet her.

The wooden floors stretched to a large sliding door that led outside.

On the big lawn was a playset and a swing.

Red outdoor furniture brightened the back porch.

Rather than stay outside, they made their way back to the hallway to get settled.

He scooped up their bags, which sat by the stairs, and ascended the steps.

He’d run out of small talk, so he silently led the way to the main bedroom at the end of the hall.

The bright-white linens with pink and gold accents gave off a feminine vibe.

He set her bag down near the bed. “Why don’t you take this room?

It has an en suite bathroom. And the kids’ room is right next door. ”

She sat on the bed and gazed around the tidy space.

Her long wavy hair hung almost to her ribs.

The food must have done her some good because her shoulders didn’t sink forward as much and some color had returned to her face.

Despite the turmoil she was going through, she was still beautiful enough to make his heart ache.

She frowned. “Where are you going to sleep?”

The third bedroom was an office slash workout room, which meant he wasn’t going to get a comfy bed. Not that it mattered. “I’ll take the couch.”

“Oh, gosh. That’ll be so uncomfortable.”

He folded his arms across his chest so he wouldn’t do anything stupid like sit next to her and hold her. “I’ve slept in far worse conditions. I’ll be fine. Why don’t you rest your eyes for a few minutes?”

She stared up at him, forlorn. “How much longer until your friends get here?” Her pouty lips turned down a bit at the corners, and he was reminded all over again of how hard he’d fallen for her in Fargo.

“Within the hour.”

She blew a breath through tight lips. “Okay. I don’t think I can sleep, but maybe I’ll shower then put my feet up.”

“Good call. I’m going to place a grocery order and wait for the guys.” He went to the door and pulled it partway closed then paused. “Holler if you need anything.”

She nodded and swept her feet onto the bed before curling up on her side.

He closed the door and made his way downstairs.

He’d never been one to make promises, nor had he ever broken one. So he sure as hell hoped he could stay true to his word and bring their son home. She’d never be the same if he didn’t, and hell, neither would he.