“That was a fucking bust, wasn’t it?” Tommy claps his hand to his head. “The fucking cops wouldn’t give us anything. They didn’t tell us anything about the Rice brothers at all. Even with all my charm.”

“Well, we already know that they are under Bryan’s power,” I reply grimly. “Or at least, he must have something over them, so it makes sense. That was probably a bad idea anyway. We should have known…”

“Well, what do we do now?” Tommy bangs his hands on the dash board. “We still don’t know where the boy is. We have all of this information, but nothing that seals it together. Do we go back to Savannah now?”

“No.” I shake my head determinedly. “Savannah is right. She’s okay for a little while longer. She’s locked away in that motel room where no one knows where she is. I have someone that I want to see.”

“You must be confident that you have a plan. You can’t honestly want to leave Savannah alone for long?”

“No, I don’t. Not really, but this is something that she might not agree with, but we have to do.”

“Oh God.” Tommy shakes his head, disappointed. “That sounds either incredibly dangerous or really stupid. Which one is it because I’d like to be prepared this time before walking in to anything.”

“It might be both,” I admit. “We’re going to see Savannah’s father.”

“What?” he exclaims, completely shocked. “Are you serious? Why the hell would we do that? She’s already been to see him and got hardly anything from him. What else can we do? He doesn’t even know us.”

“I know that, but I’m very certain that he knows something about where the boy is and I need to start down that road. Figuring out this blackmail plot is something, but it only solves one part of it. I’m much more interested in where the boy is anyway, and I think Savannah is too. That’s how we find it out. That’s what we do.” I tap my fingers, trying to think of more reasons why this is the right thing to do. I know it is, I just don’t know how to explain it fully. “I know he doesn’t know us, but maybe we can use that to our advantage. Maybe the fact that he doesn’t know us is good because he’ll listen to us more. He’ll accept what we’re saying.”

“Or we can threaten him? I presume that might come out here, right? Just so I know where I am.”

“I suppose so.” I offer a one-shouldered shrug. “I’d rather avoid it, but if needs be…” Urgh, I hate myself for even thinking it. Savannah will not be happy. “If we need to then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Right, I see.” Tommy nods slowly. I can almost hear the cogs ticking in his brain. “Okay, well on that front I’m sure you’re right. But there’s something else we need to discuss, isn’t there?”

I squirm already knowing where this is going but I decide to play dumb for a while. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you and Savannah. Really? Are you serious about that?” He throws his hands above his head in frustration. “She’s a married woman, also she’s going through a really crazy time. Is it a good idea?”

“No,” I admit. “Probably not, but what can we do? We have this chemistry that you can’t ignore, and it’s also been a very long time coming. I’ve always been in love with Savannah…”

“Yeah, I know that. That’s why I don’t think this is a good idea. You’ve been hung up on this woman for a decade and she’s never been with you. You shared one kiss, one night, ten years ago. I’m worried that you’re allowing yourself to get dragged in to heart-ache again. You know how hard it’s been…”

“Yes, that’s right, but I also know that she loves me and that she wanted me even then, she was forced into marrying Bryan and she didn’t want to. She’s always wanted me.”

He doesn’t answer me, but I can see his thoughts darting behind his brain. He’s struggling to deal with all of this and he’s putting his own history into his opinion too. He’s been hurt in the past so he thinks it’s all that can happen. I just hope that he comes around soon enough when he sees how we can make this work.

“Look, Tommy, I appreciate your concern. I really do, and I understand it, but I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well I hope you’re right, I really do. I don’t want more heartbreaks for you.”

I don’t say anything else about me and Savannah, I don’t think I need to. Tommy gets it now, he knows that I’m going to do this whatever. He probably thinks I’m naïve and dumb but he’ll soon change his mind. Once he sees that we really will have a future then all will be okay. I have to trust in it.

“Right.” I don’t say anything at all until I need to. “We’re here. This is the place. We need to go in.”

“You ready for this?” Tommy is the one who doesn’t look ready. “This is going to get ugly.”

“I’m ready.” I slide out the car and stand determinedly on the side walk. “Let’s just do this already. The sooner we get this over, the quicker I can get Savannah and we can find her son. Let’s end this today.”

“Oh, thank fuck for that. I can’t wait for this to be over. I’m looking forward to getting back to real life.”

I don’t know if I agree with him about that. I don’t know how much I’m looking forward to my normal life, or if I’ll even be able to live as I once did, but now isn’t the time to worry about that. Now is the time to move in. “Okay, well let’s do it then. Let’s go and face this tosser then we can go.”

My heart races as we step closer. Somehow, I’m more intimidated by this than when we faced the drug dealer’s home, but I won’t stop now. I can’t. Even being here is going to make Savannah mad, it has to be for something.

Bang, bang, bang.

I hammer on the door, back to my heavy-handed ways. I suppose I can’t push down my annoyance today, especially not at this man. He’s done some terrible things to his daughter, but to me too. Even if he doesn’t realize it. He’s made me lose the last ten years of my life where I could have been happy with Savannah.

As the door flies open, I’m stunned by the face looking back at me. He isn’t what I was expecting at all. He does have a similar look to Savannah, but he’s smaller and less intimidating looking than I was expecting.

“Mr. Donald?” I ask him curiously. “Are you Savannah’s father?” He nods, but looks unsure. “Can I and my friend come in please? We have some things that we wish to discuss with you.”

“Look, I’ve already told your boss that I can’t do what he wants yet. I need more time…”

“We don’t work for Bryan, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

His shoulders roll forwards, the tension rolls off his body in waves. Clearly, the idea of Bryan terrifies him just like it does everyone else. But that’s something I already know. What I need is more.

“So, do you think you can let us in? Because we want to put an end to the danger.”

“Trust me.” He steps to one side. “That’s what I want as well.”

Pictures of Savannah and a very beautiful woman who I assume must have been her mother litter the walls, but I try not to look at them too much. I don’t want the reminder that I probably shouldn’t be here. We walk all the way through into a kitchen where we take seats on bar stools. Mr. Donald darts his eyes between me and Tommy, giving us curious looks. I can see that the uncertainty is something that he’s lived with for a long time.

“So, I’m going to start by telling you that we are friends with Savannah…”

“Are you taking care of her? I’ve been so worried. I know she hates me but I’m trying to help her…”

“Yes, but are you trying to save her son? Because right now, he is the one in danger, isn’t he?”

“He… he died.”

“No, Mr. Donald, there’s no point in you lying to me because I already know that he’s alive.”

“Savannah think that… but she’s wrong.”

“I didn’t get my information from Savannah. I got it from the Rice brothers and Hank Fry.” I can see from his expression that this has gotten to him. He knows what I mean. “The boy was kidnapped, wasn’t he?”

He pauses for a moment but eventually breaks down. “Y… yes.” His head falls into his hands. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It wasn’t ever supposed to go this far. It’s got out of control.”

My heart leaps up into my throat. I knew coming here was a good idea! Now we’re going to finally get something definitive. “Tel me where the boy is, Mr. Donald. Tell me and we can end it.”

“I… I don’t know.” He breaks down. A tear flies down his cheek. “I don’t know and I won’t know. Not until I pay Bryan the money he wants but I don’t have it. He’s cleaned me out, I don’t have it. I shouldn’t have said something, this is why all of this happened, if only I had kept my mouth shut…”

“What did you say?” I lean in. “What started all of this? We need to know so we can end it.”

Just as he’s about to answer me, his cell phone blasts out and his itchy fingers instantly reach for it. I can tell by the way that his face pales this isn’t a good call to have. I have a funny feeling it’s Bryan.

“Answer it,” I command. He gives me a petrified stare. “Go on, pick it up now. I want to hear it.”

With a shaking, trembling hand, he pulls the phone up to his ear and hits the answer button. “H… hello?”

He’s silent for a while. I can hear a rumbling on the other end of the line but nothing specific. I glance at Tommy but his eyebrows are knotted together and he’s focused on Mr. Donald.

“No. Why have you done this?” The terror in his voice is too much. “No, no, no, you promised. You swore this wouldn’t happen. Why are you doing this to me? Let her go, I just need more time.”

I stand before I even realize what I’m doing. My legs have bolted and I’m about to snap into action. I wait for the moment that he hangs up the phone then I practically jump down his throat.

“Who was that? What was that? What’s happened now?”

“It… it’s Bryan,” he stammers back much too slowly for my liking.

“What? What about Bryan?” I wave my hands in frustration.

“He has Savannah. He says he’s going to kill her if I don’t pay him today. But I don’t have the money. What the fuck am I going to do? How can I get her back? I need to end this now.”

“Come on, Tommy, let’s go. Let’s get her.”

“I want to come too.” Mr. Donald stands. “She’s my daughter. I need to help her.”

“You got her into this mess…”

“Stop,” Tommy practically shouts. “He’s coming with us. He knows more about this than us so he might know where to find her. We don’t have any choice, Jayden, I think you know that as well as I do.”

I don’t like it, but I fear he might be right. After all, we do need to end this right now.