Page 54 of But For You

“And no word from him?”

“No word.”

“Shit,” he groaned, and his concern sent a surge of gratitude through me.

Chaz and Pat knew Sam Kage just like I did. They knew that him being gone without telling anyone where he was going, if he was not specifically undercover, was cause for concern. There was no second-guessing; Chaz was simply right there with me, taking the situation seriously. I would have gushed at him, but I knew, to him, it was unnecessary. It simply was.

“Okay, J, I’ll call you right back,” he stated before he was gone.

I took the time to text Dane that I needed him to come to Phoenix to pick up the kids. As soon as he woke up and read the message, I was sure I would be getting a call.

“Jory,” Milt began, sliding his arm around my shoulders, trying to offer me comfort. It wasn’t what I needed.

When my phone rang again, I answered on the first ring.

“J?”

“Pat,” I greeted him, not surprised that I was talking to him.

Chaz had, of course, called his partner, as Pat was better at talking to people. Chaz hit first, then asked questions. Pat was the opposite. Shrugging off Milt’s arm, I walked a few feet away from him.

“Okay, so the ping off his phone tells us that his last location was at some place called The Ram, west of Scottsdale, where you are, close to Peoria. I punched up the club, and it looks like it has drugs and a whole lot of other shit running through it. Do not go there alone.”

“Okay.”

“I repeat, do not go there alone. Wait for me and Chaz. We’ll be there by⁠—”

“We both know I’m going there, like, right now.”

There was a long-drawn-out sigh. “Yeah, I figured,” he grumbled. “So, there’s a friend of mine and Pat’s and Sam’s who’s actually on vacation out there. Chaz called him, and he’s gonna pick you up at your hotel and drive you there.”

This was very good news. “Is he a police officer, like you and Chaz?”

“He is. He’s a really good guy, solid; you’ll like him.”

“What’s his name?”

“Duncan Stiel. You remember ever meeting him?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Listen, just”—he took a breath—“don’t go anywhere without him, all right?”

“What is he doing here?” I asked as I started for the front of the hotel. I needed to be where Duncan Stiel could easily find me.

“He’s been on vacation. First, he was in California for a while, and now he’s driving back to Chicago, taking the scenic route home. Sam had called Duncan already about backing him up if he needed help while he was there.”

“He did?”

“Course. You know Sam. When have you ever seen him not prepared?”

And it was true, but, God, did the man need to learn how to communicate!

“Okay.”

“So, he’ll be there soon, but I need you to wait for him—you understand?”

“And you’re still coming? You and Chaz?”