Page 112 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
She shakes her head before burying it in my neck and cries hysterically. I hold her close, trying to calm her, when Cooper touches my shoulder. “We need her to talk, man. We don’t know anything. I’ve been going off assumption and what I heard in the background on the phone.”
I nod then force her to look at me again, “Ruthie, baby, I need you to tell me what happened.”
She hiccups and tries to swallow down her tears, “Me and Faif was wayin’ in bed when we hweard someone twyin’ to get in de house. She hid me in de cwoset and told me to tawl Mr. Shewiff. She made me pwomise dat no matter what, I wouldn’t tum out, so I didn’t, but…I tould hewe her scweaming.” She starts sobbing again. “It was my daddy and Spite. I heawd dem and dey was huwting her.”
My breathing turns heavy and I grind my teeth against the violence threatening to consume me, the familiar darkness rising inside of me.
Another sob draws my attention to the left and I see both Katelyn and Faith’s mom crying, their heads buried in her dad’s chest as he holds them, and strangely, when I look at him, I don’t feel anything—no anger toward him. But maybe that’s because all of it is geared toward the motherfuckers who took her.
The old man glares at me, his eyes glassy with tears but rage hardening his expression. I know what he’s thinking. That it’s my fault and he’s right, it would have never happened if I had been here. He storms past me and heads into the room across the hall, Faith’s room. I briefly register that it’s fucking destroyed.
“Did they say where they were taking her? Ruthie?” Cooper asks her calmly.
She shakes her head, “No, I touldn’t tell what dey was sayin’, I tould just heaw deir voices.”
Cooper looks at me, “I heard a little in the background while I was on the phone with her. I could tell it was Dennison, but not much else. I already had cops search his place and Spike’s, there is no one there.”
“Have you looked into other properties he owns?” My head snaps to Sawyer at his question and, for the first time, I pay attention to who is all here. Grace stands next to him, and Julia next to Jaxson, both the girls crying as hard as Katelyn.
Cooper shakes his head. “Not yet, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t. The guy is dirt poor, he can’t even afford what he has, and Spike isn’t much better off. But I’ll check into it anyway and make sure.”
I fade out of the conversation; my gaze focusing on the old man in the room across the hall when I see him answer his cell phone. Something in his expression has me moving forward. Cooper notices and follows behind me.
The old man holds up his hand, motioning for us to be quiet, as we enter the room. “I can do that. I can get you that amount no problem, just let me talk to my granddaughter so I know she’s okay.” My heart stalls in my chest as I wait to see if Faith comes on the phone. I get the overwhelming urge to rip the fucking thing from him. “If you don’t let me talk to her, how do I know she’s alive?”
Suddenly, an agonized scream comes from the receiver, loud enough for us all to hear, and the painful sound of it has fire erupting inside of me. I cover Ruthie’s ear and bury her head in my chest, but know I wasn’t quick enough.
“No, stop, that’s enough. I get the point and I’ll get you the money, just don’t hurt them.” There’s a brief pause before he says, “Yes, I understand.” He hangs up and looks at Cooper. “He’s giving me twenty-four hours to get him three million dollars. He has Christopher too.” I close my eyes and try to breathe through the guilt constricting my chest, thinking about my last encounter with the kid.
“Jesus christ, do you have that much?” Sawyer asks.
“Yes, it’s not a problem for me to get, but we all know I’m not giving him a goddamn penny.”
Cooper nods, “Did he say where he wants the drop?”
He shakes his head. “He said he would call me back an hour before to tell me where. He obviously said no cops too, the bastard is an amateur, it’s as if he was quoting shit from a movie. He obviously checked into my background, for him to know how much money I have, but he’s clearly stupid since he doesn’t know who he’s fucking with. And I’m telling you right now, Sheriff, you better find him soon or I will, and when I get a hold of him, I’m going to blow the motherfucker away.”
He can get in line, because if anyone is killing these pieces of shit, it’s me.
“Dad, just take it easy. We have to let the sheriff do his job and have faith that it will work out.” My gaze snaps to Joshua’s wavering voice, and I see his green eyes brimmed with unshed tears before he turns to Cooper. “What is your plan? We wait for the phone call?”
“We aren’t waiting twenty-four hours to find them,” I reply, speaking up now. I look at Sawyer and Jaxson and they both nod, letting me know they get me.
I glance at Katelyn briefly before lifting Ruthie higher to look at me, “I need to go, baby.” Her arms tighten around my neck and her lip quivers as tears spill down her small cheeks. “Everything will be okay. I’m going to go get them back but I need you to be strong and stay here with Katelyn and the others, okay?”
She nods but a small sob falls from her and it rips my fucking heart to shreds. “Be tarefwul, big guy.”
I kiss her forehead. “Always.”
I pass her off to Katelyn’s waiting arms then head out of the room, feeling Jaxson and Sawyer follow close behind. I’m quickly ripped back and thrown into the wall by an enraged Cooper, “You’re not fucking going anywhere without me. You got it? If you do, I swear to God I will lock up all of your asses.”
