Page 77 of Keeping Amanda
“Breathe, Mandy. I don’t know, that’s why I want to call Tex. We’ll figure this out. I promise. My job is to keep you safe. His job is to find Blair. Your job is to stay aware at all times. Can you do that?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I’m going to go change, then call Tex. I’ll be right back.”
He stood, then leaned over and kissed her. He stayed close and whispered, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I just found you, I’m not going to lose you now.”
Then he turned and was heading down the hall toward the bedroom.
Amanda closed her eyes and did her best to regain her equilibrium. It had taken quite a beating recently. She felt as if shedidn’t know which way was up anymore. Who was a friend or who was out to get her.
Rain whined and nudged her with his snout. He’d gotten off his bed after Nash had left and was looking up at her with what she could only describe as a worried doggy expression.
“I’m okay,” she said, hoping if she said the words out loud enough, they’d actually be true.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Buck was having a hard time keeping his anger under control. Every word out of Mandy’s mouth had made him want ten minutes alone with Blair Gaffney. He wasn’t a man who was prone to violence, but just thethoughtthat she was responsible for the kidnapping and mental and physical torture of twenty-three innocent children—and could right now be on her way to Virginia to carry out some sort of hateful revenge on Mandy—was enough to make him lose his normally tightly held restraint.
Mandy was taking everything extremely well. And thatalsoworried him. He knew how much she adored little Bibi, and the idea that the child was at the mercy of whatever mental illness Blair was suffering was too much to even think about.
He’d left Mandy so quickly because he’d needed a moment to himself. To regain control. So he could think rationally and calmly when he called Tex. Because right now, he felt anythingbutrational and calm.
Buck took a few deep breaths and found they didn’t help at all. He was a man of action, and without knowing where Blair was, and what she was planning, he couldn’t do a damn thing.
But Tex could hopefully find her, and then they could makesome definitive plans. Call the police, get child services involved. Contact the media to broadcast an Amber alert. Something.
He wasn’t sure if he’d been talking out his ass when he reassured Mandy that Tex could find Blair. The man was good, but he didn’t know if he wasthatgood. Every point Mandy brought up was valid. Finding how, when, and where she’d entered the US—if she’d even done so at all—would be tough. Could take days. Weeks.
Time Buck didn’t think they had. His gut was screaming at him that Mandy was in danger. That Blair was coming for her. It made no sense, especially since Blair had essentially “won” whatever competition she thought there was for little Bibi. Mandy was gone and Blair had the child. But according to Desmond, for some reason, there was a deep-seated hatred festering inside the older woman toward Mandy. And that kind of hate didn’t go away spontaneously. Since Blair had apparently had a mental break, that hate could be all that was driving her.
Taking another deep breath, Buck changed out of his work clothes and put on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. He needed to shower, but he didn’t want to delay talking to Tex any longer than he had already. And he wanted to get back to Mandy. Make sure she was really all right. He figured she wasn’t, but he’d do whatever it took to make sure she got there.
He strode back into the living area a few minutes after he’d left and found Mandy sitting on the couch with Rain practically in her lap. The dog was scary smart, obviously felt the woman he idolized needed some emotional support.
An idea occurred to him then—what if they secured the paperwork to make Rain an actual support animal? He was completely in tune with Mandy and her emotions, and it would be a comfort to them both if they could stay together everywhere she went, especially when she was back in the classroom again. He wasn’t sure how it all worked, but he made a mental note to look into it once things settled down.
Nash went straight to her. Sat on the couch beside her, on the opposite side from Rain, and put his arm around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry I don’t have anything ready for dinner.”
“Dinner can wait. I’m more worried about you.”
“I’m okay. I just…this is so hard to believe.”
“I know. You want to listen in on my call with Tex? Or have you had enough today? You need a break from all of this?” Buck asked.
“Listen,” she said without hesitation. “I’d feel better if I was in the loop. If I knew what was happening.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Buck took out his cell and scrolled to his contacts before clicking on Tex’s name.
The phone rang twice before he picked up.
“Hey, Buck. I haven’t located concrete evidence of Blair’s connection to the rebels, but I will. I know it’s there, it’s just taking me a little longer than usual to find something.”
“We have news,” Buck told the other man. “Mandy is here. She talked to Desmond Williams today.”
“Give it to me,” Tex ordered in a no-nonsense tone.
