Ready or Not (Ready #4)(75)

I needed it all to stop.

Nothing in my years of training and professional experience had ever prepared me for this. I didn’t know how to mentally process this sort of loss.

In my mind, we’d already lost.

How could we get Noah back when I couldn’t give Natalie the one thing she wanted?

I looked over at the phone, willing it to stop, begging it to end its constant reminder of my failure.

I didn’t deserve anyone’s empathy or love. Jackson’s tight hold around me only furthered my belief that I should have stayed away. I should have kept them safe.

“You’re spiraling.” Jackson’s quiet voice cut through the silence. “I can feel the guilt seeping through your pores.” He pulled back, and our tired, wet eyes met. “I can see it wrapped up in your soul, Liv. You can’t blame this on yourself,” he said, grasping my hand in his.

“She would have stayed away if it weren’t for me,” I cried out.

“No.” He shook his head. “She would have come back eventually. She was just waiting for an opportunity. If this were just about money, I’m sure she could have found a hundred ways to rip off some other lonely bastard far easier than hurting us. This was about revenge.”

“I just don’t understand why someone would do this,” I whispered.

“And you never will. Don’t try. Focus on getting him back. That’s what we need to do.”

A lone tear trickled down my cheek as I took a moment to study his features. He looked worn and haggard, nothing like the man I’d woken up beside a few days earlier, yet there was a fierce determination I recognized. I’d seen it the night of the dinner party when I told him we would never work and again the day I’d heard my father basically say that I was nothing more than a way to the White House.

Jackson’s family had been threatened, and he was struggling to find a way to piece it back together again. He always said that I was a part of that sacred circle, but until now, I hadn’t really believed it.

“How do we get our boy back?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but we’re not going to let her win.”

“I was hoping I might be able to help with that,” a deep voice said behind us.

We both turned around to find my father standing by the back door, dressed in jeans and a dark jacket with a baseball cap.

“Senator, how—”

“The back door was unlocked. A few police officers and media personnel are still outside, but I figured I’d try to slip in unnoticed.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“What I should have done a long time ago,” he said. “The right thing. Let’s get to work.”

~Jackson~

Natalie texted me the address an hour after we’d hung up.

It was an older hotel just outside the city.

I was to deliver the money in exchange for my son—alone.

I still couldn’t believe this was happening.

I said good-bye to Liv. I kissed her softly, letting my thumb slowly rub across her cheek one last time. Then, I walked to the car and tried not to think about how f*cked-up my life had become in the last twenty-four hours.

Two days ago, my biggest fear had been whether or not I had enough Froot Loops to last me through the week, or if anyone would ever take me seriously at another job interview.

Now, without Noah, everything else seemed completely trivial.

I drove in a daze. Streets, cars, and trees all passed by me in a blur until I reached my destination. The hotel had seen better days, but it wasn’t the worst place I’d been to. It had a roof and a working sign.

Natalie had at least given Noah shelter during his captivity.

By now, he had to know something was going on. Hours had passed, and the morning sun was just peeking its head over the horizon. Noah must have realized his innocent afternoon reunion with his mother had been anything but.

Was he scared? God, had she fed him?

A million questions rolled through my mind as I parked the car. I entered the building while my brain tried to comprehend what I was about to do.

I easily found the room. Taking one final breath, I raised my hand to knock, ready to meet the demons of my past.

The door creaked open, and Natalie appeared. She was just as I remembered her. Tall and exotic with curves to spare, she smiled, but I saw the malevolence hiding behind her dark brown eyes. There, creeping beneath the charm, was the true Natalie—the one who would lie, cheat, and steal from those who trusted her, the woman who would kidnap her own child.

“Where is he?” I demanded, not bothering with a proper greeting.

“Safe.” She smiled, pushing the door open wider.

I looked around from one double bed to the other, searching for him, but I found nothing.

He wasn’t here.

“Where the hell is he?” I asked, pushing past her. I searched every corner, every inch of the room and adjoining bathroom, but Noah was nowhere to be found.

“So anxious.” She sighed. “I told you, he’s fine. He’s in the lobby with a friend. I thought we might need a few minutes to catch up.”

I turned around, furious, and met her gaze. “We have nothing to discuss. I’ve done everything you asked, Natalie. I made myself look like an absolute ass on TV last night, saying my son’s disappearance was a huge mistake. Liv drained her trust fund. What more do you want?”