Hawk (A Stepbrother Romance #3)(76)

"Alexis' car," he says. "Your father put a GPS tracker on it."

"That's illegal."

He sighs. "Yes."

Damn it, why didn't I think of that? I was right, we should have just driven until we ran out of gas. At least it would have bought us some time.

Except, it wouldn't. He’d be able to tell the cops exactly where we were or near enough and they'd just have waited for us, cut us off before we could even get that far. Damn it.

"House first," I snap. "May’s probably there."

"Let's take something a little less conspicuous."

Jennifer parked the big, lumbering machine behind the building, which I'm pretty sure was a fast food place at one point. Parked alongside is a mid-eighties Dodge, the most nondescript car I've ever seen. I slip into the passenger side and shake my head.

Now is not the time to be tired. I feel like I've been tossed around in a rock tumbler all day and night, and I need sleep myself, but May needs me first. Once we get her out, we can get the f*ck away from here.

"Is there any chance we can really be safe?" I ask. "Seems like everything’s going ass over teakettle."

"We're forwarding info about Tom's activities to the right people," Jacob says. "Right now we need to get the girl. You with me on this?"

"Bullshit, big man. You're the one with me, got it?"

"Right."

"Drive."

He drives. I fight sleep, even as unease and anticipation burn in my chest. I haven't felt this feeling in a while, not since I was in the back of a Humvee out on patrol. I sit up from the seat and drum my fingers on the sides of the seat. I still have Jennifer's gun in my pocket.

"We don't have much time, need to move fast," Jacob says. "They might decide to move her."

"Right."

"We need a plan."

"I told you the plan."

"It's not much of a plan."

I glare at him but he doesn't react, he just drives. He flexes his fingers on the wheel.

"Some day you're going to tell us your real story."

"Yeah, after this is taken care of."

I nod. Right.

He drives.

Every time we take another turn I look around, expecting a dozen cop cars to come flying from every direction and surround us. My whole system is on edge, nervous energy trembling in my limbs. We couldn't take Tom with us, but now I have no idea where he is, or where Helen is, or my brother. I have so little information.

I have to find her. I can't stand the thought of walking back in there and telling Alexis something happened to her sister, that May is gone. I will not suffer that. I will not make her suffer that. May was like my little sister too, back in the day.

Everything can just go so wrong.

There's the bridge. It looms overhead, the red lights blinking in the dark, bright spotlights casting a glow along the bright yellow cables. It all rushes overhead so fast, and we're in town. Kane drives, swings the car around and heads up my street. An eerie feeling settles over me. It looks perfectly normal.

No cop cars, no commotion, nothing. There are a few lights on in my house. I could drive by and think this was just a normal goddamn day. Kane rolls past the house, looking, then swings around and drives back the other way.

"Looks empty."

"Let's check it out. You stay out here. I'll go in."

"You sure?"

I nod. "Need to do this fast. If they left we'll have to figure out where. I can get in without being seen. Drop me here."

He pulls to a stop and I step out, a wave of fatigue trying to drive me back down. I push that down and lock it up tight, force myself alert. I'm limping now and I can't remember why. Just a hint of a drag in my right foot. I'll worry about it later.

I walk along the fence, head into the backyard, grab the post along the side of the porch, and shimmy up. Alexis' window is locked, so I climb my way up to mine and push it open. I never leave my own locked, just in case I need to get back in this way. I slip inside and let my eyes adjust to the dark before slipping out into the hall.

The third floor is the smallest, only three rooms, two of them guest bedrooms. I check them anyway before slowly working my way down stairs, skipping the third step from the bottom, lest it creak and give me away. I step down and pull the gun from my pocket, check it very carefully and quietly once more, and slip along the wall to May's bedroom.

I open the door slow, stopping just before it will creak. It's dark inside, but I slip in and check anyway, the closet, the bed. Her bug-out bag she made up is still there, a battered Hello Kitty bag overstuffed with clothes.

The door creaks a little as I slip out, and I freeze.

Nothing.

Over to Alexis' room, and I find the same, checking everywhere. Empty.

Now I take the main staircase, heading towards the living room and kitchen. The main floor is the largest, and the layout the worst. I'll be completely exposed at the foot of the stairs. I crouch at the top and look around as best I can, see nothing, and head down. All the lights are off in the kitchen, dining room, living room, foyer, everywhere.

A soft glow rolls down the one hallway, leading to my father's office. I slink low down the stairs, pressed down, looking through the slats under the railing, watching for movement. I'm vulnerable here, hemmed in. There's a soft sound, like a sigh. At the bottom I wait and look slowly around, up the hall. The office door is open, light spills through the crack.