someone had broken in,
locking each one he found unlatched. Any number of them offered a way into the
house.
He"d have to replace a couple of the windows or they"d never lock securely.
He"d also install dead bolts on the front and back doors. First chance he got. He"d
need to give Nancy a reason for messing with the locks. The truth would work best.
He didn"t want any uninvited guests. She"d assume he"d mean her asshole husband,
Mel. He would. But he"d also mean whoever had taken the inhalers and left the
damn note.
Once he had the place locked as tight as it was going to get for now, he went to
Adam"s room. He knocked and pushed in the door as soon as Adam hollered, “Yeah!”
The kid sat at a desk with open books before him, texting on his cell,
earphones in his ears, bobbing his head to the thump-thump of whatever his
60
Sloan Parker
generation called music. Explained the kid"s scream for a hello. Didn"t he
understand how headphones worked? Lincoln could hear fine. It was he who needed
to scream at the kid.
Adam made no move to remove the music from his ears. Lincoln pulled the
earphones out with one tug on the cord that hung at Adam"s chest.
“Hey, I was listening to that.”
“You can listen later. I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.” Adam kept hitting buttons on his phone.
Lincoln gave his limited store of patience a reminder the kid was a teenager.
Finally Adam hit the Send button and gave Lincoln his attention.
“I need you to do as I say and not ask questions about it.”
The phone beeped an alert for a new message. Adam read the text. If he
pressed so much as one button, Lincoln was going to lose it. A total stranger had
pissed him off. He didn"t need the kid pushing his luck.
Maybe Adam got the message. He dropped the phone to the desk. “Okay.”
“Stay inside the house with your brother and sister until I get back. Don"t open
the door for anyone. And don"t let them out of your sight.”
“Something wrong?”
Lincoln took a step closer and lowered his voice. “I"m taking care of it, but I
don"t want them scared. I need your help.”
“All right.” Adam stood. “I"m coming.”
As he walked by, Lincoln bent his head until Adam met his gaze. “I"m counting
on you.”
Adam"s wide eyes scanned Lincoln"s for a minute. Then he said, “I"m on it.”
Lincoln gave Adam"s shoulder a pat. “I knew you would be. But first I need you
get online and look up an address for me.”
* * *
The banging on the front door jarred Jay out of the heavy sleep he"d drunk
himself into. He rolled off the couch and onto his hands and knees on the living
room floor. The pounding caused a reciprocal throb in his head.
Todd could be such an ass sometimes. He had called the morning before and
left a message. He always worried whenever Jay didn"t call him back right away.
“Hang on! I"m coming.”
That didn"t stop the banging.
Jay unlocked the door and turned the knob. The door busted in on him,
shoving him backward. He stumbled, but caught himself before he ended up on the
floor.
Lincoln McCaw barreled in, kicked the door shut with the heel of his boot, and
hauled Jay up against the wall. The man growled, and the sound muted into words.
Breathe
61
On every other one, he thrust Jay"s shoulders against the wall. The house wasn"t
built for such abuse. “I know what I"ve done to her. To you. To your family. But I
swear to fuck if anyone hurts my sister and her kids—”
Jay shoved at Lincoln"s chest. “What are you talking about?”
Lincoln gripped his biceps tighter and slammed him against the wall.
“Someone left another note. Inside the house. They stole her inhalers. She couldn"t
fucking breathe. This has nothing to do with her.”
“Who?”
“My niece. She"s five years old.”
“Oh God.” Who would take things that far? It couldn"t be someone Jay loved.
“Is she okay?”
“For now. I don"t care what I"ve done or how much you all hate me. No one
locking each one he found unlatched. Any number of them offered a way into the
house.
He"d have to replace a couple of the windows or they"d never lock securely.
He"d also install dead bolts on the front and back doors. First chance he got. He"d
need to give Nancy a reason for messing with the locks. The truth would work best.
He didn"t want any uninvited guests. She"d assume he"d mean her asshole husband,
Mel. He would. But he"d also mean whoever had taken the inhalers and left the
damn note.
Once he had the place locked as tight as it was going to get for now, he went to
Adam"s room. He knocked and pushed in the door as soon as Adam hollered, “Yeah!”
The kid sat at a desk with open books before him, texting on his cell,
earphones in his ears, bobbing his head to the thump-thump of whatever his
60
Sloan Parker
generation called music. Explained the kid"s scream for a hello. Didn"t he
understand how headphones worked? Lincoln could hear fine. It was he who needed
to scream at the kid.
Adam made no move to remove the music from his ears. Lincoln pulled the
earphones out with one tug on the cord that hung at Adam"s chest.
“Hey, I was listening to that.”
“You can listen later. I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.” Adam kept hitting buttons on his phone.
Lincoln gave his limited store of patience a reminder the kid was a teenager.
Finally Adam hit the Send button and gave Lincoln his attention.
“I need you to do as I say and not ask questions about it.”
The phone beeped an alert for a new message. Adam read the text. If he
pressed so much as one button, Lincoln was going to lose it. A total stranger had
pissed him off. He didn"t need the kid pushing his luck.
Maybe Adam got the message. He dropped the phone to the desk. “Okay.”
“Stay inside the house with your brother and sister until I get back. Don"t open
the door for anyone. And don"t let them out of your sight.”
“Something wrong?”
Lincoln took a step closer and lowered his voice. “I"m taking care of it, but I
don"t want them scared. I need your help.”
“All right.” Adam stood. “I"m coming.”
As he walked by, Lincoln bent his head until Adam met his gaze. “I"m counting
on you.”
Adam"s wide eyes scanned Lincoln"s for a minute. Then he said, “I"m on it.”
Lincoln gave Adam"s shoulder a pat. “I knew you would be. But first I need you
get online and look up an address for me.”
* * *
The banging on the front door jarred Jay out of the heavy sleep he"d drunk
himself into. He rolled off the couch and onto his hands and knees on the living
room floor. The pounding caused a reciprocal throb in his head.
Todd could be such an ass sometimes. He had called the morning before and
left a message. He always worried whenever Jay didn"t call him back right away.
“Hang on! I"m coming.”
That didn"t stop the banging.
Jay unlocked the door and turned the knob. The door busted in on him,
shoving him backward. He stumbled, but caught himself before he ended up on the
floor.
Lincoln McCaw barreled in, kicked the door shut with the heel of his boot, and
hauled Jay up against the wall. The man growled, and the sound muted into words.
Breathe
61
On every other one, he thrust Jay"s shoulders against the wall. The house wasn"t
built for such abuse. “I know what I"ve done to her. To you. To your family. But I
swear to fuck if anyone hurts my sister and her kids—”
Jay shoved at Lincoln"s chest. “What are you talking about?”
Lincoln gripped his biceps tighter and slammed him against the wall.
“Someone left another note. Inside the house. They stole her inhalers. She couldn"t
fucking breathe. This has nothing to do with her.”
“Who?”
“My niece. She"s five years old.”
“Oh God.” Who would take things that far? It couldn"t be someone Jay loved.
“Is she okay?”
“For now. I don"t care what I"ve done or how much you all hate me. No one
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