“Marie is a midwife. And, according to Perry, a murder witness.”
Emily pulled the phone from her pocket. “Do you think Marie is the woman who called?”
“There are no other names on this sheet of paper. And Perry’s death made the news.”
“She knew Perry.”
“And she’s probably helping deliver young girls’ babies,” Mitch said, his voice grim. “Perhaps she knows where Kayla is.”
“But what about Joshua?”
“I still don’t understand that connection. Joshua was taken well after he was born.”
Mitch’s pulse pounded, the adrenaline rush not much different than when he waited to bust through a door with a battering ram. Strange how a few pieces fitting into a puzzle could get him going. He nabbed his phone. “I’m calling Dad. He can probably use this information to speed up his search. Besides, I need more. I need to find a woman named Marie who’s a midwife in Colorado
and
how many baby boys were adopted in Florida in the last year.”
Emily tucked her legs underneath her as he made the call. He gripped her hand in his as he provided his father the latest information. Mitch already had a plan in mind. “I need a way to travel fast if something breaks,” he said into the phone.
Once he’d hung up, he framed Emily’s cheeks with his hands. “He’ll find her.”
Emily leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Do you think we’ll find Joshua?” she asked.
Mitch hugged her close. “We have a chance.”
T
HE MORNING SUN
FILTERED
through the shutters. Emily watched the light dancing on the walls as she rested her head against Mitch’s chest. She hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d asked her to work his leg, but he’d just been trying to distract her. He’d done more than that. She let her hand wander over his bare chest, memorizing the feel of him, the light dusting of hair on his chest. He was so strong, so confident about everything. He’d even become more accepting of his leg’s limitations.
Though a few well-placed caresses had helped that along.
She padded across the room and slipped into the clothes she’d borrowed. The phone was heavy in her hip pocket. No one had called either one of them since Mitch had spoken to his father.
Why didn’t Marie call back?
After a quick stretch to work out the kinks, she made a cup of tea in the hardly used gourmet kitchen and settled into the corner of an overstuffed sofa in the living room. The dancing lights over the unusual view of Mitch’s brother’s interior jungle pool soothed her like a fine massage. She felt safe here. There were cameras, motion detectors, a sophisticated alarm system tied directly to the cops.
Emily just had to be careful not to activate it.
A slight clicking of the side door’s lock made her tense. It opened slowly. Emily didn’t hesitate. She opened her bag and pulled out the gun he’d given her from Noah’s collection.
A bearded man in straggly clothes stumbled through the door.
Emily raised the weapon. “Don’t move or you’re dead.”
The bum approached her, a duffel on his back. His head tilted to one side as if he were trying to figure her out.
Great, just great.
“Mitch!”
“You don’t belong here,” the deep voice muttered from behind the beard. He walked forward two paces.
Her finger tightened on the trigger. “Stop. Or I shoot.”
He stilled.
Emily felt warm breath on her cheek.
“Mitch,” she whispered.
“Nice girlfriend, little brother. Knows you just by feel. Since you’re naked as a jaybird, I guess you two are together.”
“Give me the gun, honey. I know you want to shoot him, but the flea-ridden carcass is Noah. Denver’s most eligible bachelor, geek first-class, filthy rich and the world’s most annoying older brother.”
Mitch slipped his palm over the weapon, and she released the gun to him. He disappeared from behind her, hopefully to put some pants over that fabulous body of his, though she couldn’t resist sneaking a peak at his very appealing backside as he walked away.
The man winked, and she felt the heat creep up her cheeks. Despite all his magazine covers as a tech whiz, she wouldn’t have recognized him, though his eyes were definitely familiar. Noah Bradford had Mitch’s eyes.
He crossed the room and held out his hand. “You
really
would’ve shot me?”
“No question.”
“I like that in a woman.”
Though his lips tilted up at the corner, the smile didn’t reach his eyes. The dark pupils held shadows and a dangerous glint that Emily had only seen a few times in Mitch. Noah, however, had that expression even when he tried to grin. Mitch’s family just grew more and more fascinating.
“But you hesitated too long,” he said. “If I’d wanted to, I could’ve eliminated the threat.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I like petite spitfires with gorgeous long, silky hair,” he purred, sidling up to her.
“Watch yourself, bro,” Mitch growled. “You have hundreds of women flocking to your bed. Bizarre, considering you make your living behind a computer monitor. Leave mine alone.”
Noah threw up his hands and backed away. “Just seeing where you stand, little brother.”
Emily shivered at the possessive statement. Normally she would’ve been irritated by such macho posturing, but she appreciated the brothers’ dynamic. They were family. She missed that. So much.
“Thanks for coming so fast.”
Mitch hugged his brother in one of those bear hugs that made Emily smile. There was caring there, and love and trust. Family.
“Seems like old times,” Noah said. “Bailing you out of another mess, except you usually don’t get my car shot up.”
“Dad ratted me out, didn’t he?”
“Actually, the cops called since it’s
my
SUV.”
“I’ll pay to have it fixed,” Mitch said. “Speaking of Dad, we’re going to have a few words after this is all over about the high-tech investigation he’s into these days.”
“I was going to tell you—”
“You’ll tell Chase and Sierra, too. Dad might be moving too fast. You ever think of that?”
The Bradford brothers clearly didn’t mind a little conflict. So different from her family, and so very different from the Wentworths. William and Eric both avoided confrontation to the point where they turned inward. Strange how she noticed the flaw so much more now that Mitch had entered her life.
“Did the rest of you consider how you’ve discounted his abilities since he lost the use of his legs?” Noah challenged.
“He needs to take care of himself first.”
“So, I guess that means your investigation should just be desk duty, bro. Let me fund someone who can take over. I know about your leg. It’s seventy-five percent, and that’s being generous.”
Mitch didn’t attack his brother. He simply stilled. “Touché, Noah.”
Emily stepped between the brothers. She stood toe-to-toe with Noah and stared up at him. She couldn’t care less that his six-foot-four-inch frame dwarfed her. “Are you a doctor? Because unless I see an M.D. after your name, you have no business judging his capability. I, on the other hand, as a physical therapist, know exactly the extent of his recovery. In any case, I’ve gotten closer to finding my son in a couple of days than the entire last year. And it’s because of Mitch, so lay off.”
Noah took a step back and raised his hands. “I surrender.” He shot Mitch an amused glance, which made Emily’s hackles rise even further. “Passionate little thing, isn’t she?”
Mitch smiled. “You have no idea.”
“I’m standing right here,” Emily said. “Why don’t you make yourself useful? Help us instead of attacking the man who’s gotten me closer to locating my son than the entire Denver PD and FBI?”
A blush colored Noah’s cheeks above his beard. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Noah’s taxi service at the ready. When do you want to leave, ma’am?”
Mitch snagged a notebook from the table. “Last night Dad narrowed the list to a few Florida families who took custody of baby boys the month following Joshua’s disappearance. We’ll start there.”
“We’re going to Florida? Now?” Emily said, her jaw dropping.
“As soon as you’re ready. Noah’s flying.”
Noah picked up his duffel. “You calling the cops?”
“No!” Emily and Mitch yelled at the same time.
“Okay.” His gaze narrowed. “Is that why you’ve got Dad running these crazy searches and keeping such a low profile?”
“There’s an informant—maybe more than one—at the police department. I’m not taking chances. If they learn where we’re going—”
“I could lose my only chance to find my son,” Emily finished. “We can’t trust them.”
Noah’s gaze had gone solemn. “Got it. We leave low-key.” He rubbed his beard. “I was—out of pocket—but I think I’ll keep this for now. Less chance of me being recognized. Give me fifteen minutes to shower and change. Can you be ready?”
“I’ve been prepared for this moment for a year,” Emily said.
Noah disappeared down a hallway toward the master bedroom. Emily turned to Mitch. “When did you call him? You didn’t tell me about it. Another secret, Mitch?”
“You were showering after last night’s first round of…exercise. Luckily, he was in the country.” Mitch cupped her face in his and lowered his lips to hover over hers. “This is a long shot. You know that.”
She twisted under his arms and faced him. “Don’t try to kiss your way out of this. I thought we had an agreement. You’re keeping me out of the loop on the best chance we have.”
“To stop you from doing anything crazy,” he muttered under his breath.
She bristled, and he cleared his throat. “Look, we know Marie went to Perry. But we still aren’t sure if she’s credible. She hasn’t called back. If that was even Marie on the phone in the first place. I’m trying to protect you. I just don’t want you disappointed.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “It’s the best chance I’ve ever had, Mitch. Don’t leave me in the dark. I’ve been there for too long.”
He hugged her close, resting his chin on the top of her head, and she settled against him, drawing strength. “I need you to believe in the possibility right now. Please. No pessimistic, cop attitude. Just be the man in my life who believes in me, who is honest with me, who is my partner.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m in your corner, Emily. Always.”
M
ITCH SLID HIS
LONG
shirtsleeves up. A drop of sweat trickled down his back as he hunkered in the rental car. “Eighty degrees in December is just plain wrong. Give me Colorado’s snow and cold over Orlando, Florida, any day. I like winter.”
Emily had tucked her knees up under her chin as she stared at the house across the street. Her face was tense, wary, her optimism fading after so many hours.
He slid his hand on top of hers. He wanted everything to work out, but there were so many missing pieces, too many unanswered questions. Even if they found Joshua, Emily would still be in danger. For now, he had to keep her spirits from sinking after the high hopes she’d had. “We still have a chance.”
“I thought we’d come down here and just find him. It would finally be easy.”
They’d peeked into the window of the first address. Recent photos had decorated the walls. The baby had been of African-American descent.
Noah hadn’t had any better luck in Jacksonville. His quarry had had red hair and freckles. Even looking scruffy, the man had charmed the kid’s mother in the park, getting her to show him the boy’s baby photo. No resemblance to Joshua.
“We still have two more possibilities. Noah hasn’t called yet about his second family.”
“Maybe we’re in the wrong place,” she said. “Maybe Marie lied.”
“Where’s that faith you wanted me to give you?”
“I’m running on empty, Mitch. What if he’s not in Florida at all? What if Marie is just some sick person who wanted to hurt me? Maybe one of Victoria’s friends playing a cruel joke…”
“Then we’ve had a ride in Noah’s Citation, and we regroup. We take advantage of the appointment you made at the adoption agency.” Mitch kissed her. “We don’t give up. You taught me that.”
Mitch’s phone rang, and he pressed the speakerphone. “Noah. What you got, man?”
“Sorry. It’s not him. This little boy has dark hair, so I was doubtful, but these people are his aunt and uncle. His parents were killed in a car accident, and they adopted him.”
“Thanks. You heading back this way?”
“I’ll be ready to take everybody home when you’re finished there.”
Emily’s fallen expression nearly broke Mitch’s heart. She bowed her head and pressed her eyes against her tucked-up knees. His hand reached over and kneaded the back of her neck. “We still have this house. It’s not over yet.”
She sighed and tilted her head toward him. “This is the last chance.”
“You’re wrong. Perry gave us more than this lead. We have the phone number to the adoption agency. With Dad’s help and Noah’s taxi service, we have options.”