Late that afternoon, on the outskirts of Waco, Texas, clouds gathered like a thousand black kites knotted together and trapped. The air inside cabin 13 suggested the smell of burning rubber and paint fumes. The Lone Star hotel had a long reputation for drug sessions and sleazy hookups. The room’s two occupants lay naked on the bed. The woman had taken her last breath half an hour ago. The needle hanging out of her arm had seen to that; there was nothing he could do. His thoughts were now of sorrow. He wanted to try, but it hurt too much. Raising his eyes to the ceiling, he whispers a prayer. A tear escapes as he slowly let go. His life slipped away. At last, he is rid of that stuck-up bitch of a boss Olivia Reed. * * *“I’m assuming there is still a patrol car parked at Wayne’s,’ Dean said when they were a block away. “I’ll park out of sight and sneak through backyards. I don’t want to get shot by some nervous deputy.” He pulled up to the curb six houses away from Waynes. Ben grab

***It was dark when the men came through the front door. Ben and Logan headed into the kitchen, where they found the deputies. The look on Dean’s face told her everything she needed to know. He was beaten, his eyes filled with sorrow and pain she recognized well. He jammed his hands in his pockets. “I missed him, Liv; Eli was being held in that basement.” He looked at her with the shine of tears in his eyes. “I wasn’t enough for my father to love, I couldn’t get it right with you, and now I can’t find my boy.”She reached out and ran a hand over his face. Eli had his bright blue eyes, bold brow, and cheekbones. It was a face she loved. It was a face she had always loved; she’d seen the likeness of it every time she gazed at her son. At this moment, she’d never felt so close to Dean. She hadn’t realized until this moment that there was still a part of him, a little boy who longed for his father’s love. Who knew the pain and suffering of being overlooked and neglected by the father w

Chapter 26Dean’s pick-up truck cut through the night, its tires humming against the pavement as four occupants rode in tense silence. The air inside the vehicle crackled with a potent mix of fear, anticipation, and determination. Each passing mile brought them closer to the old, abandoned farmhouse where they hoped to find Eli. The rhythmic patter of rain against the roof added a somber soundtrack to their journey.Dean’s grip on the steering wheel tightened with the weight of responsibility pressing heavily upon his shoulders. He stole glances at Olivia, her face a reflection of his own emotions. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.In the back seat, Ben and Logan exchanged concerned looks, their own worry evident on their faces. The bond of friendship had transformed them into a makeshift family, concentrated on rescuing Eli safely.Deputies Dan and Glen followed behind in the patrol car, their minds consumed by suspicions surrounding Sheriff