Page 74 of Dust and Desire
“He’s not at my motel,” Ali added. “I would’ve noticed a red truck.”
“There’s no other place he could be stayin’,” Marcus nodded, grabbing his gun belt from the desk. “Let’s go ask Dolly.”
The drive back to Dolly’s Diner felt like it took forever, even though it was only a few minutes. My heart hammered against my ribs as Caroline parked the truck, and I was out the door before she’d even fully stopped. Through the diner’s windows, I could see Dolly wiping down tables, preparing to close for the night.
The bell jingled as we pushed through the door, and Dolly looked up with a tired smile that quickly faded when she saw our faces.
“Well, this looks serious,” she said, setting down her rag. “What can I do for y’all?”
Marcus stepped forward, his badge catching the light. “Dolly, Ineed to ask you about your rental rooms. You got anyone staying there right now?”
“Just one,” she nodded, her expression growing curious. “Real polite gentleman from Louisiana. Paid cash for the week, no trouble at all. Why? He do somethin’ wrong?”
My stomach lurched. “What does he look like?”
Dolly’s eyes moved between us, clearly sensing the tension. “Tall, handsome fella. Dark hair, green eyes. Dresses real nice, talks with that smooth Southern accent.” She paused. “Said his name was Kevin Smith.”
“He drive a red truck?” Marcus asked grimly.
“Yeah…” Dolly was looking worried now.
“He lied to you about his name,” Marcus said, his hand going to his gun. “And we have reason to believe he’s kidnapped Alex Reyes.”
Dolly looked at me, her perpetually kind face twisting into something akin to rage. “That bastard…” She turned around, glancing out the back window. “His truck’s still here.”
“Can I have the keys to the room?” Marcus asked, holding out his other hand. “I’m gonna put an end to this.”
Dolly didn’t hesitate, grabbing a set of keys from behind the register and pressing them into Marcus’s palm. “Room two, around back. If that son of a bitch hurt Alex...” She trailed off, but her meaning was clear as her acrylics dug into the counter.
“Y’all stay here,” Marcus ordered, but I was already shaking my head.
“Like hell,” I said, following him toward the back door. “If Alex is in there, I’m not waiting outside.”
“Dustin—” Marcus started.
“He’s my partner,” I interrupted, surprised by the steel in my own voice. “I’m going with you.”
Caroline stepped up beside me. “We all are. Alex is family.”
Ali nodded firmly. “And I didn’t come all the way to Texas to sit on the sidelines while my ex-husband’s boyfriend gets kidnapped by some psychopath.”
Marcus looked like he wanted to argue, but one glance at our determined faces seemed to convince him otherwise. “Fine. But you stay behind me, and if I tell you to run, you run. Understood?”
We nodded, following him out the back door into the small courtyard behind the diner. The rental rooms were in a separate building, a modest two-story structure that had seen better days. Room two was on the ground floor, and sure enough, the red truck was parked directly in front of it.
My heart pounded so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. Somewhere behind that door was Alex, and I had no idea what condition he might be in. The thought of Keith hurting him made my vision blur with rage.
Marcus motioned for us to stay back as he approached the door, his gun drawn but held low. He pressed his ear to the wood, listening for any sounds from inside. After a moment, he looked back at us and shook his head.
“I can’t hear anything,” he whispered. “Could be empty, could be they’re just being quiet.”
He inserted the key as silently as possible, then looked back at us one more time. “Ready?”
I nodded, my mouth too dry to speak.
Marcus turned the key and pushed the door open in one swift motion, his gun raised. “Sheriff’s department! Nobody move!”
The room was empty.
