“The answer is yes,” she whispered.
“But?”
Ryn slid her thumb along his bottom lip before pressing a soft kiss to it. She smiled. It held more pain than pleasure, but nonetheless it was a smile. “No buts.”
He should have felt better—relieved—but he didn’t. What was that? Unconditional love? Jackson told him to take it and run without ever looking back. Jude? He wanted Ryn to love him too, but he wanted her to know everything first. Jude had always been too biblical for his own good. The need to confess his sins to Ryn and cleanse his conscience would cut Jackson off at the knees, preventing him from ever running from his past again.
Chapter Twelve
Jones
Gabe turned on his burner phone when the plane touched down in Omaha. He left his personal phone with Luke so he could text Kelly at least once a day on his behalf. On his way to the rental car counter he texted Luke’s burner phone to remind him to do just that.
He lied to Kelly about his fake meeting. She trusted him and he never gave her any reason not to until that point. Somewhere between Luke’s unbelievable story about his abduction, Jessica not dying, and his plan to get her back, he’d convinced himself if ever it was okay to lie to his wife that was the time.
It didn’t take him long to get his rental car from the airport and drive to Peaceful Woods. A fresh layer of snow blanketed the ground, but the streets were plowed and dusted with a salt and sand mixture. After parking along the side of the street at the entrance, double and triple checking that he had the correct address, he continued into the development. Not even schools had as many speed bumps as the short private drive that he traveled to get to the home of one Aric James Monaghan.
Gabe spent the entire flight thinking of what he would say if he saw Jessica, but he landed in Omaha without a single word figured out. What if she wasn’t there? What if Aric Monaghan answered the door?
The sun signed off for the day on his way there. Most all of the houses had their front lights illuminating their driveways, except Aric’s. Gabe squinted to see the house number embedded into the brick front. The black windows indicated the likeliness of anyone being home to be about zero.
He called Luke.
“You found her?”
“Not yet. I’m parked in Aric Monaghan’s driveway. It doesn’t look like anyone is home.”
“Check.”
Gabe grinned. “Brilliant idea.”
“Well then, why are you calling me if you haven’t checked yet?”
“To make sure you texted Kelly. Why are you so on edge?”
“Because I’m fucking anxious. I’m dying here!”
Luke out of control was rarer than a UFO sighting.
“What if you’re putting her in danger by tracking her down … by having me track her down? If she’s in some kind of witness protection thing, I’m not sure her past is her friend. You’re her past, Luke.”
Gabe waited then looked at his screen. “You still there?”
“I’m not going to put her in danger. I just need to know that she’s okay.”
Even with Luke’s attempt to sound resolute and sincere, Gabe knew his friend too well. Luke would never be able to go on with his life if she were alive and not with him.
“I’m worried about you, buddy. She’s with another guy. It can’t end well.”
“The guy who took me said the man Jess was with has cancer. If she …” Luke’s voice cracked.
Gabe flinched.
“If she cares about him and he dies … I fear she could too. It’s too much for her. I know things about her that would make you shudder. Just trust me … we’re saving her.”
“What if she runs? If she knows she’s been found, she could run.”
“Call me … when you find her …. I want you to call me and hand her the phone. Okay?”
“K. I’m going to the door. Wish me luck.”
“Gabe?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. You’re my best friend and you’re getting ready to be a dad. I feel like such a prick for asking you to risk yourself for me. I should tell you to just turn around and get your ass back home to Kelly, but …”
“But she’s your whole damn world. I get it. I get it better than anyone. I’ve always thought of you as family, Jessica too. Let’s get her back.”
The line went dead after a few seconds. Gabe frowned at his phone. He thought of Kelly and then he imagined her missing, then he climbed out of the car with steadfast purpose.
After a dozen or so knocks and incessant ringing of the doorbell, he concluded nobody was home, but for good measure he added a few more rings and raps against the cold glass storm door.
“Can I help you?”
Gabe turned to the sound of a woman’s voice. An elderly lady stood on her front stoop wrapped in a fluffy robe and boots. Holding up a friendly hand as if to say “I come in peace” he crossed the street.