Page 31 of Brick (Chosen Few #5)

B rick fought the urge to chuck his phone out the window.

The police car had driven off minutes ago, but he remained in his vehicle at the side of the road.

The sound of Natalie’s wobbling voice had pierced his gut like a burning poker.

He’d hung up long before he said everything he’d wanted to.

He couldn’t risk Keetan finding her phone.

The words he’d wanted to say sat on his tongue. Heavy. Tingling...

You’re a great mother. Hang on for our boy. He needs you. I need you. We can’t do this life without you. Dammit, I love you, Natalie.

He covered his face with his hands, forcing his heart rate to slow.

Think, for fuck’s sake. His brain wanted him to shift into drive and find the maroon sedan Natalie had mentioned, but that’d be a waste of time without more direction.

His shoulder throbbed and was sticky with warm blood.

Adrenaline numbed the sting of the bullet sitting in his flesh.

Taking one more deep breath, he lowered his hands and called Taschen again.

“Any news?” his friend asked eagerly.

“Is it Brick?” he heard Ellie say, her voice worried.

“I spoke with Natalie. She’s got her phone. The last I heard, Keetan swapped the vehicle for a maroon sedan.”

“Plate number?”

“Nothing,” he said, as he pulled a U-turn to get onto the interstate.

“We’ll trace her phone. I’ll get Ghost on that as soon as we hang up.”

“Thanks. I’m heading back to the rental, but I’m worried Bray will be upset if I come back without Natalie.”

“Yeah, shit. What if Zain takes them to an indoor park? It’d be better to keep him somewhere public.”

He heard Ellie ask for the phone.

“Brick?” she said.

“Yeah,” he barked. He couldn’t keep his patience in check right now. He needed to do something constructive to find Natalie, and mundane conversation wasn’t it.

“I know somewhere I can take Bray. How about I pack a bag for him and plan to keep him for the night? I don’t want you guys to worry about him while you’re focusing on Natalie.”

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

He’d never been in the position of having to make decisions for a child.

But he needed to do so right now to ensure Bray was safe—he needed to officially step into a parental role.

“Uh, yeah. I think that’s a good plan. But I want Zain to stay with you every minute.

Consider him your and Bray’s personal bodyguard until further notice. ”

“Okay.” Silence stretched for a heartbeat. “Do you know anything else? I really need some hope right now.” Ellie sniffed, and the sound tugged at his heartstrings.

“We’ve got nothing if we don’t have hope,” he said flatly. “Just take care of Bray for me. Know that I won’t come back without Natalie.”

“Don’t say that,” she hissed. “Your son needs you. Natalie would want Bray to have you. Okay? Promise me you’ll do everything to find her, but also promise me you’ll come back, too.”

His throat tightened. “I will.”

“Be careful.” There was a rustling, and then Taschen came back on the line.

“All right. Zain’s taking off with Ellie and Bray. I’ll see you when you get here.”

“Thanks.” Brick hung up and drove on autopilot, his mind reliving the sight of Natalie being torn away.

Somehow, he made it to the rental house. He walked up the driveway, and the empty space beside him made his heart ache. When he entered the front door, silence kicked him in the chest. There was no shriek of laughter or pattering of little feet. No stirring of Natalie moving about the house.

Taschen stood from the couch, his face somber. “They just left.”

Brick shut the door and walked further inside. Nausea struck him. Shit, he hadn’t felt sick to his stomach in years.

Taschen’s eyes widened. “You’re shot.”

Brick dropped to the coffee table and lowered his head in his hands. “I know. Tell me you’ve heard something from Ghost.”

“Nothing. But we’ve gotta get you patched up. I’ll be right back.”

Brick was barely aware of Taschen leaving the room and returning a couple of minutes later with a first aid kit and a bottle of water. He set the drink on the table next to Brick, then settled himself across from him, on the couch.

“Found this kit under the bathroom sink. Let’s see.” Taschen touched Brick’s sleeve, but he jerked out of the way, annoyance flaring through him. “I don’t have time for that shit right now. He’s going to fucking kill her.”

Taschen’s gaze latched on his. “Yeah, that’s what he wants to do. But we have no way to find them right now, and getting some water in you and patching up the bullet hole will help you operate more efficiently.”

Brick grunted and took the gauze wet with peroxide from his friend’s fingers. “Fine, but we’re not playing doctor.”

“You gonna dig out the bullet? Last I checked you’re right-handed.”

“I’m not digging out shit. I don’t have time for that.” Brick pulled his shirt over his head and smothered a hiss. His shoulder stung with the force of a dozen fire-ant bites. He slapped the wet cloth on the open wound. The pain became searing.

Taschen held out a squirt bottle of the same stinging shit. “Here.”

Brick allowed him to spray the wound. Bubbles erupted on his skin. He clenched his fist until the hole was good and clean, then he took some gauze from Taschen and mopped up the blood around his chest and shoulder. Taschen helped him place a bandage over the wound before getting him a clean shirt.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, as he pulled the material on over his head. He reached for the water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and tossed back the whole thing.

“Did the cops mention if they’ve got a lead on where Keetan is?” Taschen asked.

“No. I didn’t call them again. They said they’d continue their hunt, but I’m not hopeful. I don’t like the fact that they all worked with Keetan. Someone could be pulling strings or helping him out.”

Taschen nodded. “It’s possible.”

Now that his shoulder was patched and he was semihydrated, urgency rushed through him. They were already on borrowed time. He couldn’t stop hearing Natalie’s scared voice in his head. If they were too late—

Jesus he couldn’t go there. “Why the hell hasn’t Ghost called yet?”

Ring , ring !

Brick tensed as Taschen pulled his phone from his pocket. He hit the speaker button and held out the phone between them. “Yo. Brick’s here and he’s losing patience. Talk fast.”

“Hey,” Ghost said. “Took a while, but I traced her phone. It’s not as easy when I don’t have access to her account, but I managed to go about it another way.”

Meaning a way that bent the law, but that didn’t matter one iota.

“I’ve picked up a location near Lakeport State Park.” The gentle tap of fingers on a keyboard came through the speaker. “Looks like there hasn’t been movement in twenty-three minutes.”

“That’s when I last spoke to her.” Brick got to his feet. “We’re heading there now. Thanks for the intel. Call us if anything changes.” He hung up.

“Wait a sec,” Taschen said. “Zain mentioned you grabbed Keetan’s phone along with his laptop last night. Where is it?”

Brick retrieved it from the kitchen counter and handed it to Taschen. “It still has the recordings we were looking for,” Brick said. “What do you want with it?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure there’s anything it’ll help with at this point, but it wouldn’t hurt to take it just in case we want to turn it over to authorities. I’m sure they’ll find evidence of his involvement with Club East.”

“Good call.” He passed Taschen the phone because he really couldn’t deal with anything else right now.

He went upstairs to grab his AR-15 from the office.

He secured his vest and pulled his T-shirt overtop.

The bullet wound sizzled but he ignored it.

No time for that shit. With cold determination, he stalked down the hall.

His gaze slid to the master bedroom, where all three of them had slept just hours before.

Whatever happened, he had to make sure Natalie got home. Bray needed her more than anything in this world. The idea she might not return broke his fucking heart for their boy.

***

Keetan stood over Natalie, glaring. She pushed herself into a sitting position, and her already bruised ribs screamed. Her throat ached from his grip. A cold sheen coated her skin.

“Get up,” he demanded.

“What’s the matter? I thought you wanted to kill me.” Taunting him wasn’t in her best interest, but there was a reason he’d refrained from killing her already or beating her further. Insects screeched from the bushes, reminding her that in an hour or so they’d lose daylight.

He caught a handful of her hair. Natalie screamed as he hauled her up. Fire scorched her scalp, and she rose onto her tiptoes to alleviate the pressure.

He brought her face close to his. “Oh, baby, you have no idea,” he said, each word seeping from his lips like leakage from a sewage plant. His eyes were ruthless stones, and wrath twisted his features, which had aged so much over the last decade.

“You were always pretty,” he mumbled. “Just not that fucking smart.” He steered her in front of him and pushed her along the trail.

“Can’t just leave your body in the woods.

I know how those searches go. They’ll check the water, too.

” His tone turned pensive, as though he was still working out the details of his plan.

“So, what?” she said derisively. “You’re gonna bury me? That’s not super smart either.”

“Shut up,” he hissed. Seconds slipped into a minute. They moved deeper into the woods. “You know how you always take Bray swimming? Kid loves the water.”

Her heart ached and tears rushed to her eyes as the vivid image of Bray launching himself off the pool ledge came to her mind.

“I’m surprised you cared to remember that about him,” she said softly.

Honestly. Maybe underneath all that hate was a man capable of love. Perhaps on some level he gave a damn.

If Keetan had any compassion remaining, now was the time to find it. “Things didn’t have to turn out this way. I know we have our differences, but you’re not a murderer.”

Keetan snorted. “Don’t try to pull that shit on me. I saw the way you looked at me after Shelby. Things changed between us after that.”

“Of course they did,” she countered, despairingly. “But they would have changed regardless of how we handled that situation. I was afraid you blamed me.”

He said nothing.

Branches swatted her arms and neck, but he didn’t slow or allow her the chance to move them away. Dread crept over her. The only thing scarier than Keetan’s temper was his silence.

“Keetan. They’re looking for me. You kidnapped me from the police station. They’ll figure out it was you and then you’ll go to jail. Right now, you have time to change this.”

They reached a clearing. A sandy beach met her feet and the gentle lapping of water on a wide shore caught her eye just before he wheeled her around to face him. Her heart thumped against her chest. She’d also seen a small motorboat bobbing next to a dock.

A quiet sense of doom rolled off the water, and fear pulled her belly to her toes. She wished the sand would suck her into its grains.

“You had it good with me. Before you slept with that douchebag.” With that, he towed her across the beach, his movements hurried. “After you had that kid, I knew this was inevitable.”

“Keetan—”

He stopped again and yanked her around to face him. “We could’ve had a nice life. I would’ve given you my child.” His lip curled. “After we go out on that boat,” he said, nodding to the dock, “that bastard son of his will grow up hating the water.”

Anguish hit the back of her throat and tears stung her eyes. She shoved at his chest. “You’re a monster!” A sob ripped from her lungs. Dying was one thing. Dying in a way that would hurt her son even more only intensified her determination to fight.

He grabbed her shoulders. She hiked up her knee and slammed it into his groin.

Tearing out of his grasp she ran, a scream billowing from her lungs.

Keetan’s body slammed against hers, taking them both to the ground.

Sand filled her face and tiny particles invaded her lungs.

She grabbed a handful as Keetan wrestled them to their feet, then hurled it at his face.

The grains peppered his cheeks and hit him in the eyes. He cried out, clutching his face.

She turned and once again ran for her life. The sand sucked at her feet, every step trying to drag her back to him.