Page 115 of Back To Our Beginning

“What’s to stop him from trying to go after Eli after you go back to California?” Maddie asked.

“Onyx Security will keep tabs on him. We have the tracker in his car, and the Pattersons’ location is confidential.” I kept my tone as reasonable as possible.

“Why wouldn’t he just go after a different social worker?” Maddie asked.

I rubbed the back of my neck. She was killing me. “Fine. We’ll come up with a plan to trick him into trying for Eli, then call in the cops.”

“You’re making the right decision,” Roan assured me.

* * *

Roan and I had gone into Maddie’s office through the front door, on the opposite side of the building from the employee parking lot. She invited us into a small office, and Roan pulled out his goodies. He had a comm system that she could wear that wouldn’t show underneath her hair. We showed her how it worked, which took less than a minute. I’d also brought a large cardigan from her house so that she could wear it over a bullet-proof vest.

“Isn’t this overkill?” she asked.

“No,” Roan and I said simultaneously.

We continued to go over our plans.

Maddie had already talked to the Pattersons, and Mr. Patterson had stopped by with a key to their house. He was then going to join his wife and Eli over at his in-laws.

I provided the last thing. It was a good-sized teddy bear. The thought was that Bruce would assume it was a present for Eli, therefore, he wouldn’t have a reason to stop Maddie and question her about Eli’s whereabouts.

Maddie had her taser gun with her, along with her pepper spray. Roan and Simon would take turns following Bruce, so he wouldn’t realize he was being tailed. I would go to the Pattersons’ house two hours before Maddie left so I could set up cameras, and then answer the door when Maddie arrived.

“I still don’t like this,” I grumbled.

“I wouldn’t like it if Bruce were following Lisa,” Roan admitted.

“Thank God I have Drake as a big brother, and I know the workings of overprotective male minds, otherwise I’d kick both of you in the nuts.” Maddie glared at both of us.

Roan gave me an amused look, and I started to laugh.

I pulled Maddie up from her seat, hauled her into my arms, and gave her a short, hard kiss. “You stay safe. You got me?”

She cupped my cheek. “I got you. I promise not to do anything but what we agreed on. I’m taking no unnecessary risks.”

I glared down at her. “No. You need to promise not to take any risks at all.”

“Fine, Mr. Marine. No risks at all. You happy now?”

“Closer. I’ll be happy once Bruce is locked up for good.”

She reached up and kissed me. “Me, too.”

I picked up the bullet-proof vest. “Let’s get you armored up.” I hated that she needed this.

Hated it.

“Okay, honey.” After I had it on her, she looked into my eyes and bit her lip. “It’s going to be fine.”

There she was, once again, trying to comfort me.

God, I loved her.

* * *

“She’s almost there,” Simon said into the comm link. “Three more blocks. Bruce is tailing a block behind her. He’s really shitty at being covert.”