Page 25 of Brick

“Last chance, cocksucker,” Brick warned.

Ellie returned, breathless, her expression full of worry.“I looked everywhere.”

Natalie trembled.Tears filled her eyes.She couldn’t leave.Not without knowing what Keetan had done with Bray.If he hurt him—

Oh, god.

Ellie caught her arm.“We have to go.”

Her knees buckled, and she knelt.“Bray, oh my god.I can’t.Ellie,” she moaned.Fear swallowed her whole.Her vision wavered.

She lifted her gaze.Brick’s boot was still pressed into her ex’s throat.His massive weight would surely break Keetan’s neck.

“D-Don’t kill him,” she pleaded.If Keetan was dead, they’d never find Bray.If he was even—No, she couldn’t go there.

The sirens got louder.

“Brick!”Ellie cried.“We have to get her out of here.”

Brick’s face turned dangerous.Fury flashed in his eyes.He bore down on Keetan’s throat.“I’m coming back for you.And you’d better have my son.”

With that, he pulled away his foot.Keetan coughed and rolled to his side as he violently struggled to breathe.

Brick caught her beneath her arms and pulled her to her feet.“Time to go.”

“No!No, I can’t!”she wailed.“He did something to my baby.”

“Finding Bray’s going to be a lot harder if you’re in jail.You need to trust me.”

Her whole body trembled, but she nodded.She didn’t have any other choice.And so she let Brick lead her from the house, his hand on her back.

She was lost.

CHAPTER 7

“She’s riding withme,” Brick called to Ellie.He kept his hand on Natalie’s back as he led her to his rental SUV.

“Okay, I’ll meet you at the motel.”Ellie moved quickly toward her vehicle.

Sirens screeched.Brick opened the passenger door and hung on to Natalie as she slid into the seat.Her cheeks were pale, her eyes hollow.He hurried to the driver’s side, then peeled down the road.He watched Ellie accelerate into traffic in his rear-view mirror, but he didn’t slow.

Keetan had called the cops, and since he knew Natalie was with Ellie, he’d probably given the police the make and model of Ellie’s car.Which was exactly why he’d made sure Natalie rode with him.

“He wasn’t there.”Natalie’s words came out weak, strained.She covered her face with her hands.“What did he do with my baby?”

Brick clenched the steering wheel.Fury clouded the edges of his vision.He hadn’t even met his boy, but walking into that empty room and hearing Natalie scream for their son was like living out a horror movie.

Sharp fear pierced his chest.He wanted to stay in that house and make Keetan talk, but he also couldn’t get Natalie or himself arrested.

What kind of sick sonofabitch would hide a child from his mother?Or worse—

No.He couldn’t acknowledge the brain-numbing possibility that Bray was no longer on this earth.That his son was gone before he’d had the chance to meet him.

Natalie’s soft cries twisted everything inside him.“We have to think logically here,” he said.“You know Keetan’s doing this to upset you.Where would he take Bray?Does Keetan have a relative he’s close with?Friends who know Bray?Is there a place where Bray would be content?”

She sniffled.“Keetan’s mother sometimes watches him.She’s less crazy than Keetan, and she loves Bray.I can say that at least.”

“Punch her address into the GPS, please.”