I wasn't ready to tell any of this to Talon. “I’m glad you don’t feel you have to do that anymore. You could’ve gotten yourself into big trouble.”
“I know. Believe me, I was careful. I never did any lasting damage, and I was long gone before a cop could have gotten there. But none of that makes it right. I was wrong to do those things. Like I said, it didn’t end up making me feel better anyway. The only way it would have made me feel better is if I’d met one of my abductors in a fucking alleyway. But I never found a guy with a missing toe, or a guy with a phoenix tattoo, or a guy with a birthmark the shape of Texas.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. “What are you talking about? A birthmark shaped like Texas?” Jesus, Bryce had said his father had a birthmark with that shape. Of course, he hadn’t said where the birthmark was. “I thought you only remembered something about two of the guys.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. My mind has been focused on that damned rose that was left on Jade’s pillow. I’ve spent the last several weeks trying to figure that out. But yeah, Dr. Carmichael did a guided hypnosis with me several weeks ago. She took me back to that time and that place.” He visibly shuddered.
“You don’t have to go on. I can tell this is bothering you.”
“I’m okay.” He twisted his lips, his features grim. “Anyway, she took me back…there. Back when they were…doing it to me. It was freaky, Joe. I was there. I really was there. Anyway, I was able to look around. The guys, sometimes they wore black wife-beaters. And I noticed, on the one I remember having a low voice, that he had a birthmark on his right arm. On the underside, right under his armpit hair. It was a weird shape, and I didn’t realize at the time what it was shaped like, only that I knew I’d seen the shape before. As an adult, I figured it out. It reminded me of the shape of the state of Texas.”
My blood ran cold.
It was after midnight, and instead of going home, I drove into town, to the mayor’s house, where Bryce was staying with his parents. I had tried calling his cell phone, but he didn’t answer. He was probably in bed, and most likely so were his parents. I didn’t righteously care. I had to know.
I drove up to the mayor’s house and skidded my car into park. I ran up to the door and rang the doorbell, my pulse racing. I waited. No response. I rang the doorbell again.
Again, no response. So I started pounding on the door, pounding as if my life depended on it. Damn it, Bryce. I have to talk to you.
No one answered. There were no lights on in the house, but the dog was barking behind the front door. Certainly they could hear me. I continued pounding on the door, until finally the elderly neighbor lady looked outside the front door.
“What’s going on over there?” she yelled.
“Nothing, Mrs. Norris,” I said. “It’s just me, Jonah Steel. I need to talk to Bryce.”
The woman walked forward in her bathrobe and slippers. “For goodness’ sake, Jonah, stop all that racket. The Simpsons aren’t home.”
“Where the hell are they?”
“They drove to Grand Junction to the hospital. Something was wrong with the baby.”
Bryce’s son? Shit. “Is he okay?”
Mrs. Norris shrugged. “I don’t know, but he was making a lot of noise. Sounded horrible. Bryce and his parents were frantic.”
“My God.” No wonder Bryce hadn’t answered my phone calls.
“I’m really sorry to disturb you,” I said.
I was tempted to drive to the hospital, but I didn’t know which hospital they’d gone to. And Bryce wasn’t answering his phone. I called him one more time and left a voice mail, asking him to call me when he had news about Henry. Then I drove home.
Damn.
Chapter Sixteen
Melanie
It had served me right. After all, I’d left him the first time we were together. Still, Jonah leaving me stuck in my craw. It hurt. And I wasn’t exactly sure why.
I also didn’t know why I went back to the lingerie shop the next morning before my first appointment. I was fingering the silken material of the Midnight Reverie collection when the same blond salesgirl came up to me.
“That would be a great color on you,” she said.
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I’m not surprised. With your opalescent skin tone, purple is a no-brainer.”
I chuckled. “No, I meant I’ve heard it from you before. I was in here a while back.”
She blushed a little but at least had the courtesy not to stammer. “Well, I was right then, and I’m right now.” She let out a nervous giggle.
“I don’t wear purple,” I said. “My eyes are green. It would clash.”
“Don’t be silly. You’d be great in purple. What’s your size? You can try one of the bras on.”
“No, thank you.”
“What colors do you like to wear? I’m sure we have something that would look lovely on you.”