Page 25 of Steel

The minutes went by quickly and by the point I had everything arranged in the kitchen the way I wanted, I finally checked my watch to see that over an hour had gone by.

Whoa.

An hour?

I took a deep breath, moving to Damon’s room. Maybe he’d come in and I hadn’t paid any attention.

No. I headed to the back door, throwing it open. I stood in the same spot on the deck as when I’d gotten the splinter, searching the woods.

There was no sign of him. “Damon? Damon, where are you?”

The only sound in return was the cawing of a bird flying high overhead. Squinting, I shielded my eyes from the afternoon sun, realizing only a few minutes later I was looking at a hawk.

No, wait. Maybe a vulture.

What?

A vulture as in something had died in the woods?

An icy chill tore through me. I wasn’t going to panic. It wasn’t like being in California. This was a safe state and safe town. I’d read everything I could find on Missoula.

Even as I ran through all the scenarios, I was instantly terrified while reminding myself that once upon a time Damon had liked to play hide and seek. Granted, that had been at least three years since he’d played the childish game the last time, but maybe being here was bringing out a little bit of his childhood.

God. Now I was thinking of him as a little adult.

He wasn’t. He was a seven-year-old boy. Almost eight. He’d remind me almost eight.

I was beside myself, racing off the deck and into the backyard. “Damon. Come on, honey. Time to go into town.” While holding my breath, I turned in a full circle, eyeing every dark shadow and clump of trees as if monsters were lurking, waiting and watching.

Becoming hysterical also wasn’t helping anything. Plus, I could scare him.

There was no sound other than noises that I would expect. I took a few steps, constantly searching the woods.

With no sign of him, I expanded the grid of search, going step by step. I was at least twenty yards from the house when I noticed a flag or something on a branch. With cautious steps, I moved through the trees, forced to step over several fallen limbs before I reached it.

Shadows were everywhere, the thick canopy blocking out some of the light.

But I knew what I was seeing.

A part of his shirt. The shirt he’d been wearing.

No. Oh, God, no.

My little boy. My baby.

I ripped the strip off the branch, gasping for air.

“Damon!” My scream was shrill. “Damon!”

No one was going to hurt my baby. No one. I took off running.

CHAPTER 6

Steel

Coffee.

I poured another mug full, hoping it would eventually wake my ass up. It was already after one in the afternoon. How the hell had I slept so late? That’s right. I’d been up half the night. Plus, for the first time in months, I’d gone off the deep end. Whiskey and beer. A terrible combination.