Missing (The Brannock Siblings Book 3) (30 page)

Aiden understood, but felt like she was missing something.
She remembered the few details Gus had given her about these cases over the
last few weeks. He had been worried that the guy not only knew more about the
families than they originally thought, but that he knew more about Gus himself.
He had mentioned a letter, but she couldn't remember what it said. She had been
too worried about cheering him up.

"When I looked up the store to get the phones, it said
they weren't opening until nine thirty since it's Saturday. It's only nine now.
I'm going to shower really quick and get changed."

"Sounds good. There isn't much we can do until then
anyway."

Emily walked into Gus' apartment with the spare key Aiden
gave her and told her she would be ready in ten minutes.

Aiden moved quickly into her own apartment and started
looking around. She had no idea where her phone could possibly be. She could
swear she had it in her purse on that stupid date, but when she checked that
next morning, it wasn't there. She moved to her bedroom to look under the bed
or in the pocket of the jeans she wore recently. When she stepped into her
room, she froze.

There it was, on the edge of her nightstand.

She blinked, unable to move her legs, unable to even take a
breath.

Staring at the phone that hadn't been there this morning was
like a blast of icy cold air. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as
she waited for the thing to disappear like a hallucination. She knew - she
knew
- it hadn't been there this whole time, so that meant…

The phone blared with her ringtone, loud and frightening in
the heavy silence of the room. She jumped, clutching her chest and praying her
racing heart would stay inside. It took her only a moment before she stalked
across the room and picked it up. If it was Gus, she needed to tell him.

Unknown number.

She was going to pass out.

Her thumb deftly slid over the delicate screen and the call
was answered. Her hands shook violently as she lifted it to her ear.

"Hello, Aunty Aiden."

That voice.

She knew that voice, but couldn't place it - yet.

"Who the fuck is this?" she whispered, the
harshness of her words voided by the weakness in her voice.

"Someone looking for justice."

She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to put a face
to that creepy tone, but anger won out. "I'll kill you."

"Yes, I know you want to. Like you said, you would do
anything
for little Aidy."

Gus

It wasn't even nine thirty in the morning and I felt like I
had been at it for hours. Technically I had, but I was starting to lose it and
Con and Luke were
very
aware of that fact.

"I'm telling you, Luke, this guy is closer than we
think."

"Take a step back, give me your reasoning."

"Well, the letter, for starters. It was personal, it
felt
personal. Then the fact that he knew when and where to get Aidy and even had
the picture from Aiden's computer on his phone to show that teacher. Someone's
been watching us and…"

I couldn't say it because saying it out loud would seal the
deal. It wouldn't be a question that I was the one who brought this into their
lives.

"What, Gus?"

"If he's been watching us, then he knows exactly who I
am anyway, so it
is
personal. It's not just coincidence that he chose
Aidy."

Con had been sitting back listening without a word. His
usual silence could be amusing at times, but now, it was just pissing me right
the hell off.

"Any input?" I asked scathingly.

"He's right," Con stated and looked at Luke.
"Gus is right. It's just too coincidental." He turned back to me,
"I don't want to make you feel like shit, but this whole thing revolves
around you now and you've gotta think about who you've pissed off that would do
something like this?"

"Excuse me? I don't piss people off, I'm a fucking
delight to be around."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Con said with
an exaggerated eye roll.

Aiden's was definitely sexier and I missed her like crazy. I
wanted to see that she was okay, see her smile, but I had to give her a reason
to smile.

"You're a cop, Gus. A detective for missing persons. Is
there anyone that may be bitter about you not finding-"

"I've only been a detective for several months, Con,
and I haven't lost a kid yet."

"And before?"

"I was never even considered for lead. I was always
back up."

"But you found them."

"Yeah."

We all sat in silence, trying to come up with
anything
that could be a potential clue as to who had it out for me. Even if we didn't
have all the facts, it was the most probable scenario. I felt it in my gut from
the very beginning. This guy was fucking with us.

Linc had been sitting at his desk, commenting here and
there, but he was just as lost as I was. He wasn't so sure it was personal, but
I could tell the pieces were coming together for him. The look in his eyes told
me that he was thinking about what he had mentioned before, about our families
suffering the consequences of what we do. He'd already called Kristie three
times today to check up on her.

Luke let out a heavy sigh before asking, "Linc? Would
you mind pulling those phone records from the previous families?"

"Sure, but we already checked on that. There's no way
to locate this guy since he used a burner every time he called."

Luke glanced at Con who raised a curious brow.

"Tell me Ripley has connections."

I looked to my older brother. The man who had put himself at
the mercy of a dangerous man and came out with a new friend. He never gave any
details, but I knew Lucien Ripley admired him and for what it was worth, Con
thought the guy had redeemed himself completely.

"Get me the records, Linc," Con ordered.

Linc immediately started typing and clicking, searching for
the files that had been a dead end before. I jumped when he cursed loudly and
slammed his fist on the desk.

"God damn computers!"

He ripped the phone from its cradle and started dialing.

Luke and Con looked at me in confusion and I shrugged. Linc
hated technology.

"Yeah, it's Lincoln. I've got another freeze up."

Luke dropped a steady hand on my shoulder, drawing my gaze
back to him. He was frowning. "You called Aiden yet?"

I winced, shaking my head no.

"Do it."

"I don't know if she found her phone and the store
Emily was taking her to just opened."

"Try anyway."

"Luke-"

"Now, Gus. If Ash taught me anything, it's that the
women who love us need to trust that no matter what, we're always here. Just
call her."

I hadn't wanted to call until I had something to give and it
tore me up to hear the bleakness in her voice. I wanted to give her something
to hope for.

I pulled out my phone, but froze when I heard Linc's one
sided conversation.

"What do you mean a virus? No, Donny fixed that a while
ago and told me not to worry about a virus."

My heart thudded to a stop, every cell in my body freezing
instantly.

"Yeah, okay, bye." Evan slammed the phone down and
moved under his desk to shut off the tower, cursing as he did it.

"Gus! What the hell just happened to you?" Luke
shouted. "Call Aiden and-"

"FUCK!" I screamed, all three men jumping back
when I shot out of my chair. "It's Donny."

"Who?" they all asked at the same time.

I took a few deep breaths and raked a hand through my hair,
tugging hard to get my blood moving again. It made perfect sense. All the
pieces came together.

"Aiden went on a date with some douche bag named Donny.
Said he creeped her out and asked all these personal questions. I thought he
looked familiar, but couldn't place him. He's with tech."

Evan's eyes went wide as saucers. "Then he'd have no
problem getting any information on the families since he's a computer fucking
genius. There is no question he would know exactly where the security cameras
are located. It fits."

"That old guy, Roger. He mentioned a kid named Donny
being taken years ago. They never found him. You think it might be
connected?"

Linc shrugged.

"Call tech and ask them how long he's been working for
them. I gotta get a hold of Aiden and-"

Con's phone blared and my chest tightened. It could only be
Emily, who was with Aiden right now.

"Em, glad you called, we need to talk to-" His
brow dropped in confusion. "She what? When?"

"Give me the phone," I growled and ripped it out
of his hand. I didn't care if he kicked my ass later. My stomach rolled knowing
something had happened to Aiden and I couldn't stand back and wait.
"Emily?"

"Gus, she's gone. I was getting ready to take her to get
the phone and when I came out of the apartment, she was sprinting down the
stairs. She looked freaked out and didn't even hear me calling behind her. I'm
following her right now. She got in a cab, but I'm in the rental. Gus, I'm
scared she's about to do something really stupid."

I had no doubt she was. Aiden would do anything,
anything
,
to get her niece back. Even if that meant she had to make an impossible choice.
I would give myself up for my own family, she would do the same. Grabbing my
keys, I signaled for the guys to follow me. Evan stayed behind and was already
speaking to someone from tech about Donny.

"Where are you right now?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry… wait! There's a sign.
Graitiot Avenue? I'm passing a McDonald's."

"That's only a few blocks away. Keep on her. We're
coming now. Here's Con."

I handed the phone to my brother as we bolted out to the
parking lot, Luke hot on our heels. If we were going to find this guy, shit was
going to go down. I couldn't let anything happen to Luke with a baby on the
way.

"Luke, you stay here and help Linc."

"Shut the hell up, Gus," he growled and flipped me
off as he climbed into the passenger seat of my car. Con slid into the back
with the phone still to his ear, listening to everything Emily was telling him.

Where would I be without my brothers?

I started the car and peeled out of the lot. There was no
time to argue with Luke and I needed him with me. I just hoped Ash didn't kick
my ass for putting her fiancé and father of her unborn child in danger.

"She said there's some kind of aviation field,"
Con called from the back, then gave Emily some instructions on how to follow
her without being noticed.

The steering wheel creaked under my grip. The noise in the
car from the back seat and from Luke's constant assurance that we would get to
Aiden in time, was drowned out by the
whooshing
sound of blood filling
my ears. When I turned on the correct street toward the aviation field, my
adrenaline spiked even higher.

"The cab stopped at a hangar and Aiden went
inside," Con said hurriedly. "Hang back, Em. I don't want you getting
hurt… I know, but please, baby, just promise me you'll stay in the car."

I weaved in and out of cars, thanking every single God out
there that traffic was light. It was only minutes before we were turning into
the entrance at the aviation field. The cab I assumed had brought my Red to
this son of a bitch passed by us and Luke took down the number just in case.

"She sees Aidy!" Con shouted.

"What?"

"Yeah, baby. Grab her and get back in the car. We're
almost there. I can see the hangars."

"There!" Luke pointed out the windshield where
Emily was currently lifting Aidy into her arms and running back to the car.
"Stop the car, Gus. We don't want him to know we're here and risk
Aiden."

The relief of seeing my Little Red safe was short lived.
Where the hell was Aiden?

Con was out of the car before it stopped and running to
Emily who was cradling a sobbing Aidy in her arms. I sprinted toward them while
Luke called Linc to let him know what was happening. Aidy reached for me,
falling into my arms when I was close enough. It was like an explosion in my
chest, finally having her there, knowing she was alive.

"Hey, Little Red. It's okay. I've got you."

She buried her little face in my shoulder and her tears seemed
to fall harder, soaking into my shirt.

"Aidy, where is your Aunty Aiden."

"S-she's in there?" she stuttered through her
tears and pointed to the hangar that was farthest down the line. It was one out
of only three that were shut up tight. "She told me to run, so I ran. I
always listen to my Aunty Aiden because she told me she will always do what's
best for me. I ran like she said. I knew you would come, Gus Gus."

Tears threatened my eyes. This little freckled angel… the
world would be a darker place without her in it. I knew that from the moment I
first laid eyes on her with that wand in her hand.

After inspecting Aidy and making sure she wasn't injured, I
looked up at my brothers. Con had a frantic Emily in his arms, asking about
Aiden and what we were going to do. Luke was staring at Aidy with awe. He must
have been realizing what was coming for him in a few months and the emotion
that spread over his face proved me right.

I knelt down and pulled Aidy's arms from around my neck. She
looked up at me with those eyes that had stolen a piece of my heart only a
couple of months ago. "I'll be back with Aiden. You stay with my brother
and this pretty lady who found you, okay? She's going to be my sister one day
and she loves you and your Aunty Aiden so you can trust her."

She nodded and I gently moved her into Emily's waiting arms
again.

I looked toward the hangar and felt Luke's hand on my
shoulder. "Con will call Lily and Evan is on his way with back up."