Page 60 of Justice for Daesha

“Let me tell you something, little girl.” He slid back down in the covers and pulled her close. “Any man who turned you away was an idiot. A true blue, bona fide idiot. There are very few women like you, and anybody who couldn’t see your worth is blind or stupid.”

He loved the sensation of her fingers swirling through the dark hair on his chest. “Then there are mostly stupid guys out there, I guess.”

“I’d definitely agree to that. Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow I’ve got to get new tires, apparently.” He could feel her relax against him, but he lay awake, listening to every sound. Nothing would hurt her on his watch.

Nothing.

* * *

After caring for the animals,they spent the rest of the day inside except for their trip to town. By noon, he had two new tires. He was afraid he’d have to buy four to get them to match, but the tire place had plenty just like them.

At seven fifteen, they were back at the bar, and it was hopping. It was lucky that they’d gotten there early. Jack and Aleta came in a little after the band started and said the lot was full. The bartender apologized several times for not keeping their drinks refilled because it was so hectic, but everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves, and LimestoneLegends was kicking ass, belting out MirandaLambert and JasonAldean tunes, along with a lot of others, all evening. Jack and Aleta left around ten because she had to go to work early the next morning. Jack had begged her to quit that job, but she was determined to work until she had money to put in a swimming pool. She’d always wanted one and she wanted to pay for it too. Jack thought it was cute, and Amos smiled. He could tell how much his brother loved that woman, and she loved him right back.

They were in the middle of their third set with a break due after two more songs when there was a commotion nearby and Amos saw the kitchen door fly open. “FIRE! THERE’S A FIRE IN THE KITCHEN!” People started to scramble, push, and run. Amos tried to calm them, but they were all already on the move. The stage was on the other side of the building from where he was, and he could see the band members heading out the back door, so he turned and tried to get out the front, but it was packed with people. Smoke was starting to filter into the main space, and everyone was still panicking until one of the employees rolled up the garage door-style front windows and the building was transformed into a virtual pavilion. Joining the crush of bodies, Amos finally managed to squeeze his way out and ran around the corner of the building to the back door.

After losing his old drum set to a fire, Marcus was frantically trying to pull everything out. The other guys were grabbing amps, guitars, and the keyboard equipment when Amos reached them, out of breath from running. “Where’s Daesha?”

“She’s right…” Gary turned and pointed, but the only person standing there was Marcus. “Where’s Daesha?”

“She’s right over…” Greg looked at Barry. “She was here just a second ago.”

“Where’d she go?” Barry spun around. “She was right here!”

The guys had always watched out for her, and Amos couldn’t understand how she’d been there one minute and was gone the next. His eyes scanned the parking lot, and that was when he saw it.

A dark sedan?looked like a Mercedes?at the corner, and as his eyes caught it, it darted away. In that second, his worst fear came true.

They’d gotten her. She was gone.

Chapter 10

“I should’ve stayedwith her. I should never have let her out of my sight.” Amos’s hands were shaking and he could feel his heart pounding. What would the senator do to her? He couldn’t think about that. It was time to keep his wits about him, but he was finding that difficult.

The war room at the Kentucky State Police post in Elizabethtown was filling up. Every KDCI agent was already there, and KSP troopers were starting to pile in too. Amos felt someone touch his arm and turned to find his younger brother standing there in full uniform. “Hey, they’ll be here in just a minute. ETA on the last one is eight minutes.”

God, he was thankful for Jack right at that moment! “Great. I’m going to get some answers if I have to?”

“We’re going to find her. Believe that.” With a pat on his shoulder, Jack moved to the back of the room. Mack was passing out flyers with Daesha’s picture and a picture of the congressman.

Then the door opened, and a trooper escorted ChanceKelso in. Right behind them was another trooper, this one escorting Benson. There were three chairs purposefully left empty in the front, and they were escorted to them. One glance at them told Amos they were worried, and that was an appropriate response, given that the KDCI agent really wanted to beat the shit out of all three of them. The door opened in the back again, and Ainsley strutted in, but Amos almost laughed when he saw the fashion plate glance around the room and seem to shrink. The time for game playing was over. Shit was getting real.

Mack made his way to the front and stood beside Amos. “Ready?”

Amos nodded. “Ready.”

“We’re here because Daesha Wilkerson has been abducted. We’re not sure by whom, but we believe it to be SenatorMarshall Kelso. Reference the picture on the flyer.” There was a rustle of paper in the room as each man took in the photos. “This is a result of our investigation of the murder of her sister, DorindaWilkerson Blackmon, fourteen years ago. Someone had been threatening her and sending a message that AgentFletcher should stop working the case. We have with us Ainsley, Benson, and ChanceKelso, the senator’s sons and personal friends of the Wilkerson family. I’m turning this briefing over to AgentFletcher.” Mack turned and shook Amos’s hand, then leaned in and whispered, “We’ll find her, Amos.”

He nodded again, but there was a burning knot of fear in his chest. She’d been gone for six hours. The sun had come up without her in his arm and he was terrified. “Thank you, all of you, for coming. We don’t even know where to begin looking, but we’re about to find out.” Amos stared down at the three brothers where they sat. “You’re going to tell us where she is.”

They glanced back and forth between themselves before facing Amos. “I have no idea,” Benson announced. “Not a clue. Have you been to our parents’ house?”

A voice from the back of the room spoke up?Jack. “Yes. KSP did a sweep of the entire property and there’s no one there. Are there any areas we could’ve missed? Like a storm shelter, or an empty underground structure?”

Chance shook his head. “No. Nothing.”

“Any voids in the walls or floors?” Amos asked.

Benson shrugged. “No. At least not that we know of.”

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