Page 179 of Burning Ember

Shit. I’ve slept longer than I wanted to. Also, not long enough. Maybe an hour and a half. I pause rubbing my hands over my face and look up. “Nine. Looked everywhere. Couldn’t find her. Did she show up at Beth’s after we spoke?”

He shakes his head. “No. I woulda called.”

Getting to my feet, I grab my cut from the arm of the couch and pull it on. Snatch my keys from the table.

“But I called Whiz this mornin’ because Bethany thought it would be a good idea if we called all the bus stations, maybe have them talk to the drivers, see if anyone’s seen her.” His frown has my blood turning cold.

“What?”

“Couple things . . . Taz had Whiz put a tracker on that phone you gave her.” At my optimistic expression, he holds up his hand. “Don’t get too excited, the signal says the phone’s here.”

“Then she didn’t take it with her. I figured. She ran out fast and wasn’t even wearing shoes. But why mention it?”

“Just thought you ought to know.” He shrugs.

“Whiz also did some diggin’ on that Warner McTearney guy you had him lookin’ into. Guess who’s been tryin’ to find him?”

“Who?”

“The Greenbacks. At least Bones has been hacking into everything—the guy’s employment records, phone records, credit cards, bank accounts, and his father’s information too. Whiz worked his magic through some back channels and found the GBs actually have a price tag of thirty large on Warner’s head. Fifty on Ember’s. Dead or alive. Any idea on why they’d want her dead?”

“She’s Pappy’s daughter.”

At Dozer’s shocked expression, I explain everything. The meeting we had where Whiz and Taz told me about Ember’s parentage and what happened last night in my room. Afterward, I say, “I know how it looks. But it is what it is. Smoke didn’t know who she was until last night.”

“You believe him?”

“Yeah, but I believe her more. It just took me a minute to wrap my head around how it was possible. I mean, what the fuck are the odds? By the time I understood that it was all one big fucked up twist of fate, it was too late. Taz had fuckin’ lost it. Aimed a gun at her, and when the shot went off, she took off.”

“She was hit. I saw the blood.”

“Yeah.” I rub my hand over my head. “I don’t know how bad either. It’s been drivin’ me crazy all night. What if she’s out there in some alley bleedin’ out? I checked at all the hospitals, but it wouldn’t hurt to go check them again.”

My phone begins to vibrate and ring. Holding my breath, I pull it from my pocket. When I see Whiz’s number, I sigh and answer, “Yeah.”

“You talk to Dozer?”

“Just now.”

“Good. So this Warner guy received two calls from a 505 number two weeks ago and I thought that maybe it would be worth looking into. The number’s a disposable. So nothin’ useful there. But it got me thinkin’. If someone here knows about the cash bein’ offered for your girl, they’d be lookin’ to get a hold of her. I tracked every IP address that emailed Bones inquiring about collectin’ on the reward money. Guess who one of the IP address belongs to?”

Hope stirs in my veins. My pulse picks up. Before I can guess, he says, “Deputy Dipshit.”

“Davis?”

“Yep, Officer Davis.”

“That motherfucker is dead.”If he’s laid a hand on her . . .”Find him, wherever he is right now, and get me that info,” I bark out.

“Already got it. Check your phone, I sent you the location while we were talkin’.

“Track his cell too.”

“It’s in the same location.”

“Fuck, Whiz. You’re a genius.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” he says before he hangs up.