Gypsy King (Tin Gypsy, #1)(98)

My mind raced over everything Isaiah didn’t say. Why would he stay quiet? What had happened on that mountain? Was it really as simple as he’d taken Genevieve to Bozeman and then come back? But why had it taken so long? Why did he seem more broken than ever?

“Isaiah looked—”

“Sleep, babe.”

“But—”

“Bryce. You need to sleep. Tomorrow, ’kay?”

I huffed. “Okay.”

Closing my eyes tight, I breathed in and out in a steady rhythm. It was odd, remembering that only last night I’d been at home, wondering if I would be raising this baby alone. If Dash and I were over.

“You rescued me,” I whispered, bringing a hand up to push a lock of his hair off his forehead.

His lashes lifted, and even in the dark, his eyes were shining bright. “We’ve got a lot to talk about. You and me. The baby. And we will.”

“Are we going to be okay?”

He pulled me tighter into his arms, holding me safe. “Swear it on my life.”





Tomorrow came and went without the answers we’d hoped for.

Because when we went to find Isaiah at the garage the next morning, he was gone.





Chapter Twenty-Seven





Bryce





“I need to go to work.” I pulled a tank top over my head.

“Can you wait a few hours? Please? I need to get to the garage first thing and make sure we have everything covered for the day in case Isaiah doesn’t show again. Then I can drive you to the paper.”

“I could go alone. Other people will be there.”

“Not an option.” Dash pulled on a pair of jeans. “Until we find out what the hell is happening and who took you, you’re not going anywhere without me.”

This was not an argument I was going to win. “Fine.”

It had been two days since he’d rescued me from that mountain and he’d only left my side once. And that was to go to my house yesterday and pick up some things so I could stay at his place for a bit. Even then, he’d called Emmett to stay with me while he was gone.

“How you feeling?” Dash, dressed in jeans and a gray T-shirt, came over and ran his hands up and down my arms.

“Meh.” I’d been sick this morning. Yesterday morning too. I hoped it had passed because if we were going to the garage, I was nervous about getting up close and personal with the shop’s toilet. “Will you grab me some crackers?”

“Sure.” He kissed my forehead, walking out as I finished getting dressed. When I found him in the kitchen, he had a box of saltines on the counter and a travel mug of decaf ready for me. It wouldn’t be until noon that I’d be able to stomach anything else.

Picking up my laptop from his dining room table, I loaded it into my purse, then followed Dash to the garage. He looked longingly at his bike, parked next to his truck, but knew I wasn’t ready to get on it yet.

Soon. But not yet.

When we got to the garage, three bikes were already lined up against the fence in the parking lot.

“Since when does everyone beat you here in the morning?” I asked Dash. The clock on the dash said seven thirty.

“Since never.” He pursed his lips. If Draven, Emmett and Leo were here already, it meant trouble.

All three men were waiting inside Draven’s office when we got inside, Emmett and Leo across from his desk, Draven behind it. The moment he spotted me, Draven leapt up and offered me his seat.

“Thanks.”

He nodded, standing against the wall next to Dash. He didn’t get a good morning or hello from his son.

“What’s up?” Dash asked.

“Got some news from the DA,” Draven announced.

“And?” My article had been printed on Sunday, showing a man breaking into the clubhouse and exposing Genevieve and the reason Draven and Amina had been at the Evergreen Motel in the first place. Had it worked? Had we planted a seed of doubt that might make the prosecutor delay?

“It’s not enough.” Draven gave me a sad smile. “The photo of the guy. The speculation that the knife was stolen. It’s not enough. They’re going to proceed with the trial. Starts within sixty days.”

“No.” My heart sank. If only I could have told them about being kidnapped. I trusted Dash and his reasons. The last thing I wanted was for Marcus to find something that might land Dash in prison alongside Draven. But I couldn’t help feeling that had we reported the kidnapping, Draven might have an easier time being acquitted.

“We’ve got time,” Emmett said. “Two months to prove you’re innocent.”

“More than that,” Dash said. “Trial will take a while.”

Except we were at yet another dead end. Unless we could find my kidnapper, we had nothing to go on.

“I have some news too,” Leo said. “Cops are releasing it today. My source says they found a burned body in the cabin.”

“No,” I gasped. “Who?”

“Could it be our guy?” Dash asked.

Leo shrugged. “No idea. Body was burned to a crisp. They’re going to have to do dental records to identify him, but I’m guessing it was our guy. Maybe he ran up there, circled back and holed up inside. Started the fire, who the fuck knows. But if he was our guy, the chances of proving he murdered Amina without a confession are dust.”