Brice poured the last of the gasoline across the beautiful bed in Ashley’s room. He hated to lose the precious art, but had to cover his tracks and didn’t have much time. The cops would be here soon to execute their search warrant. All they’d find was the charred remains of the home he shared with Ashley.

He missed her. But he’d get her back. And he knew exactly how he’d find her and Adam. He had an inkling of where he’d find Ashley, but first he needed Adam. The boy could talk about what he’d seen between Brice and Ashley the few times he’d defied Brice’s order to remain in his room.

Did he remember more?

Brice couldn’t take the chance.

“Everything is set downstairs.” Darren held the overstuffed briefcase in both hands against his chest. Everything from Brice’s office, the cash from the safe, and Brice’s passports. One in his name. One in a name no one knew.

He had an escape, too. Someplace no one knew about. But first, he needed to collect Adam and Ashley and get them on the plane he had on standby. They’d go to his hideaway and everything would be back to normal.

“I’m done here.”

“We need to hurry. We can’t get caught here.” Darren checked out the barred windows yet again for any sign of someone coming up the drive. Brice had closed and locked the gates. It would take them a while to bust through and give him time to get away if they arrived too soon.

“Let’s go.” Brice tossed the empty gas can on the bed and pulled out the gold lighter Snoop Dogg left in his dressing room after sparking up before the show. Brice lit the lighter and tossed it on the four-poster bed that held so many sweet memories of him with Ashley. The flame sparked the fumes seconds before it landed in the puddle of gas and burst into a ball of flames that spread quickly.

Too quickly. He and Darren ran down the stairs. Thick, noxious smoke following them.

The place would burn to the ground before the fire department arrived.

Brice burst through the French doors and ran across the back patio. They fled across the open pasture filled with the horses he’d ordered Darren to release from their stalls in case the stables went up in flames with the house. He wasn’t inhuman like that asshole sergeant thought.

Darren stashed the rental car on the dirt road that ran along the edge of his property. They got in and sped away, smoke and flames pouring out of several exploded windows on the second level of the house. No way the fire department made it out here before the fire gutted the place and left only a charred stone facade.

Darren drove the speed limit. Only two other cars passed them on the road. Brice didn’t even hide. He planned what came next.

They pulled into the lot behind a deserted office building on the outskirts of town and parked beside the second car Darren rented for Brice. The cops would have a hard time tracking him if they didn’t know what car he was in. He’d left all his vehicles at the ranch.

“Go back to your hotel and wait to hear from me,” Brice ordered. “I’m going to pay that asshole sergeant a visit and repay him for all the vile things he said to me. He’ll tell me where Adam is or wish he did.”

“It’s too risky. You know where Ashley is. Get her and let’s get out of here.”

“No. I need Adam, too.” Getting past the asshole with the gun and all that security would be dangerous. But if he had Adam, she’d come to him.

“Let me go. I’ll find out what the guy knows, get Adam, and bring him to you. You know I can do it.”

Darren had seduced a very well-known playboy who didn’t want anyone to know all those gorgeous women on his arm were nothing but window dressing to hide what and who he did behind closed doors. Danny Radford refused to appear on Brice’s show when ratings were declining and Brice needed the boost. After Darren got the goods, and the pictures to prove the kinky shit he liked, Danny Radford happily appeared on Brice’s show. More than once. Every time Brice demanded it.

Brice liked making people bend to his will. He wanted the pleasure of watching that asshole cop squirm, go against his protective instinct, and give up the information Brice wanted but he’d be hell-bent on keeping secret. Brice couldn’t wait to break him.

“I need you to be ready to go once I have Ashley and Adam back.”

“Let me help you.” Darren wanted to prove his love and loyalty to his idol.

Brice would normally use that, but he wanted to be the one to put his family back together. “Do as I say. I’ll be back soon.” He needed to prove to Ashley that he had what it took to keep her and Adam and be everything she needed and wanted.