“Have you found him yet?” I ask Devil. The look on his face gives me the answer. I give a scream that’s pure frustration and stomp off. He follows me, but I wish he wouldn’t. I feel like we’ve been doing nothing but twiddling our damn thumbs. Each day that passes, I begin to lose a little more hope. I know that every day that goes by is another day that Michael could be dying—or dead. Devil and Skull both assure me over and over that they are doing everything they can to find Michael, but from where I’m sitting it’s just not working.

“Hayden! Where are you going?” Devil asks when I make it to the kitchen door. I hold my head down at the doorway and do my best to get control of my emotions.

“I’m going into work,” I tell him, pulling in a deep breath.

“I don’t think that’s wise right now. There’s too much unknown. I think it would—”

“I’ll take one of Victor’s goons with me, Devil. I just have to get out of here. I think if I spend one more hour inside these four walls, not knowing where Michael is or what is happening to him, I’m going to go insane. I just need…air.”

“Hayden.”

“Please, Devil,” I ask, looking over my shoulder and not bothering to disguise the anguish I feel inside. He studies me for a minute before finally agreeing.

“Luke you follow her and stay one step behind her. Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“Got it,” I hear the man say behind me. I’m not sure which one is Luke. I don’t really care. I make it to my car and put my head down on the steering wheel. That’s when I let the tears fall. Not many—if I give into all of them, I’ll never get out of here. I reach into the console getting a tissue and just my luck it’s empty. I don’t see anything around the cup holder either. I look above the visor and a folded white sheet of paper falls out and floats to my lap. I don’t remember putting it there, but life has been crazy. I unfold it carefully, my heart nearly stopping at what I read.

I’ve got Beast. All I want is you and Connor. If you want to keep him alive, ditch your guards and meet me out at the old clothing factory on the state line. Any sign you have company and he’s dead.

That’s it. Nothing else. It has to be Blade, though I will admit the writing—while similar looks different. I want to take it straight to Devil, I start to, but then I panic. What if they all show up and the bastard kills Michael? I can’t let that happen. I’m not stupid, I know if I walk in—especially without Connor—chances are Blade will kill both of us. I don’t doubt that’s been his plan all along. I have a big decision, but in the end, there’s nothing else I can do. I wad the paper up in my hand, get out of the car and walk back to the house.

I look over my shoulder at the man that Devil has following me—Luke. “I’ve decided I would rather spend time with Connor,” I tell him. He shrugs and then walks around the house where a couple of the other men are standing.

“I thought you were going in to work?” D.D. asks, surprised when I come in the nursery. My heart is beating in double time. I don’t answer at first. The enormity of what is going on, is almost too much. I go to the cradle and pick up Connor. He places his little chubby hands against my chest as I cradle him close. I kiss the top of his head and breathe in his scent as I war with the decision I’m about to make.

“D.D. I need a favor,” I whisper, almost afraid of what I’m going to say.

“What’s going through that head of yours?”

“I know where Michael is.” I answer shakily.

“Oh my God! That’s great! You need to tell Devil and the men so they can—”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why in the hell can’t you?” she asks, her voice full of disbelief. I reach my hand out to her and pass off the wadded sheet of paper. I sit down in the glider, kissing on Connor while she reads it. D.D. sits down on the oversized chair that Michael purchased for the room because he said he liked to sit and watch me feed the baby. Her face goes white. “I know what you’re thinking, Hayden, and you can’t.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“You do! You tell Devil and Skull and you let them—”

“Get Michael killed. If there’s the smallest chance to save him, D.D.—I have to take it.”

“Will you listen to yourself? You’re not some freaking Bruce Willis action figure. You’re Hayden Graham. You have a small child depending on you. You don’t have martial arts training and you suck at shooting a gun! You have a history of panic attacks!”

“I haven’t had one in forever.”

“You’re going to therapy because of them!”

“But I’m better! I have to do this D.D. I can do it with you or without you, but I am doing it.”

“Hayden this is crazy,” she tries arguing with me one more time.

“Michael is my world, D.D. I have to do this. I have to give him every chance of survival.”

“Are you listening to yourself? Don’t you think Skull and Devil would have a better chance of getting Michael back?”

“Maybe if they managed to get inside the warehouse, but they won’t get that chance unless I go first to distract them.”

D.D. sighs looking at me. Maybe she finally understands that she’s not going to change my mind. “What’s your plan?”

“I need you to help me get out of here and then give me at least a thirty-minute head start before you tell Devil where I’m at.”

“Gee is that all?”

“Well that and you know those things your brother gave you for self-defense when you moved out here? I need to borrow them.”

“Because a Taser gun and brass knuckles will protect you from lunatics,” she huffs.

“Well, I figure I can get that and my letter opener by whoever is watching.”

“A letter opener?”

“Will you just please let me borrow them?”

“This is the stupidest, most asinine thing I have ever been involved in. You’re basically asking me to help get my best friend killed. Do you even realize that? Jesus!” She’s complaining the entire time, but she gathers the things I asked for out of her purse. “What the hell is going to happen to Connor if you die Hayden? Have you thought of that?”

“You’ll take care of him and make sure he has a world that’s filled with love,” I tell her, trying to keep the pain and terror out of my voice.

“Hayden—” she says, her voice cracking as traces of tears begin to gather in her eyes.

“Please, D.D., I’m barely hanging on here. If you help me distract Diesel, let me take your car and you do your part, hopefully I’ll be here for Connor and Michael.”

“I give you thirty minutes and then send the cavalry. I got it. But do you honestly think these men are going to let you drive out of here on your own?”

“They will if they think I’m you…”

“Jesus. Okay tell me what you want me to do,” she says. I’m still petrified, but I’m ignoring it and concentrating on the fact that finally I will be doing something to help Michael. He just has to hold on…