Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)(63)

“Ryder—” she began, but he interrupted her.

“That being said, I’m trying to stay confident that Rex will find Nate. If not him, then my team. If not them, Alexis will uncover something in her searches. She’s got that computer-guru guy helping her. Joseph is smart, but not that smart. He made a mistake. I feel it in my gut.”

“So you don’t think he killed Nate?” Felicity asked. It was her greatest fear.

Ryder immediately shook his head. “No. It’s just like you said. He wants to taunt us with the fact that he knows where the boy is and we don’t.”

“What’s taking him so long to contact me?”

“I don’t know. But he will. And soon.”

“I hope so.”

“Believe it. We’re going to end this.”

And with that, Felicity tipped forward and laid her forehead on Ryder’s chest. His arms came around her, and they stood like that for a few long minutes. Absorbing each other’s love.

They were interrupted when Nathan opened the front door. He, Bailey, and Joel had been camped out at Logan’s house as well. Logan had wanted Blake and Alexis there too, saying they’d be safer if the families were all together, but they’d refused. Alexis was frantically using her computer skills to see what she could find about Joseph and said she’d be more effective at her own house or at Ace Security’s offices.

“Logan just got a call. Number showed was yours, Ryder. It’s him. He wants to talk to Felicity.”

She stiffened and felt Ryder do the same.

“My number?” Ryder asked as he immediately turned to his brother.

Even though he was completely focused on what Nathan was saying, Felicity’s stomach clenched when Ryder reached out and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, showing her that he was still thinking about her even as drama swirled around them.

She held on tight as they entered the house.

“Yeah. We figure he’s still using whatever contraption he’s got to manipulate where the call is originating from.”

Ryder nodded and headed for Logan, who was standing at his dining room table. They’d made it their headquarters for the moment. The table was piled high with papers, empty coffee cups, and three laptops.

Grace was standing next to the table with Ace in her arms. As if the baby knew something was wrong, his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings. Felicity didn’t know much about babies, nonetheless twins, but she imagined the little guy was searching for his brother. They’d been together in the womb and every day of their lives. It had to be a bit weird for Nate not to be by his side now.

Felicity’s best friend looked exhausted. She had dark circles under her eyes, and it didn’t look like she had showered that morning either. Her brown hair hung lank and dull around her face, and her eyes had lost the sparkle they’d had since her parents had been put in jail.

Logan didn’t look much better. He had stress lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there a couple of days ago. His body was tense, and he startled at the smallest sound. He also couldn’t seem to be more than a body length away from his wife and child, as if keeping them in his line of sight would somehow keep them disappearing in a puff of smoke, like his son had.

Nathan went straight to Bailey’s side. Felicity wasn’t sure where Joel was, probably upstairs playing a video game.

Logan handed his phone over to Ryder without a word.

Ryder turned to Felicity and put the phone against his chest so Joseph wouldn’t hear his words.

“You remember what we talked about, right?” he asked in a soft voice.

Felicity nodded and dutifully recited the plan. “Don’t antagonize him. Listen and agree to whatever he wants. Try to get him to prove that he’s got Nate.”

“Good,” Ryder nodded. Then he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. He turned her so her back was to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, keeping the phone in his hands so it was in front of both of them.

The position was intimate, and she felt surrounded by Ryder. It gave her the courage she didn’t exactly have at the moment. She felt Ryder take a deep breath against her back, and she did the same. She couldn’t screw this up. Nate’s life was at stake.

Ryder clicked on the speaker button, and Felicity immediately said, “Hello?”

“Megan. It’s so good to hear your voice after all this time,” Joseph drawled.

Felicity closed her eyes. She couldn’t stop the trembles that moved through her. It had been a decade since she’d heard Joseph’s voice, but she knew she’d never forget it. “Where’s Nathan?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Joseph scolded. “Not even a few social niceties?”

“Where is he? I want to hear him.”

“You’re not in charge here,” Joseph bit out, all amusement in his tone gone. “I am. And if you ever want to see that brat again, you’ll temper your tone, be a bit more polite, and do exactly what I say. It’s the least you can do since I’ve got something you want. You, and only you, will meet me at Clear Creek Canyon Park.” He chuckled then, an evil sound that made Felicity’s skin crawl. “I think the Andersons know exactly the spot I’m talking about, as it’s where little Alexis spent a bit of time buried up to her neck. But I mean it, Megan, only you. You meet me there and I’ll take you to the brat.”