Free Forever Alexa (Book Four In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series) by Cate Beauman Page B

to.”
    “Alex.” He trailed a finger down a wisp of her hair.
    She stepped away from his familiar gesture. The emotions swirling through the room were too strong. She couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. “Everything worked out. I finished school and went home and took a job at the local elementary school—first grade. Gran helped me with Livy. So did Abby. They were my rocks.”
    “How? How did it happen? You were on birth control.”
    “I was. Remember that nasty sinus infection I’d had? The doctor thought the pregnancy could have been a result of the antibiotics she prescribed me. They don’t always mix well. We should’ve been more careful.”
    “What are we going to do? I want to know her. I need to.”
    “I—”
    The phone rang on his hip. Jackson scanned the readout. “It’s the detective. I’ll be right back.” He stepped from the room and walked down the hall as he answered.
    She glanced at her watch. Three thirty. Half an hour and the ransom was due. The day had rushed by in a whirl, but she was no closer to a solution for Abby. There were no new answers, nor was there a quarter of a million dollars in her account for the kidnappers. She’d been so wrapped up in her own problems; she hadn’t concentrated on her sister’s.
    Alexa sank to the bed and stood again, restless. Maybe she could convince the kidnappers to extend the deadline. They could have the money she had in her savings now—a drop in the bucket compared to what they demanded—but they could considered it a down payment to buy her a little more time and let Jack work with the police to figure this out. If the FBI was able get a trace on the phone, they might be able to save Abby before it was too late. She had to believe they would find a solution. But what if they didn’t?
    At wits end, she moved to the window, staring out at the rocky canyons in the distance. So much was up in the air right now; so many problems hurdled her way all at once; too much lay on the line. She couldn’t keep up. Despair and helplessness stewed together until she thought she might explode. She glanced down at her watch, staring as the seconds ticked by. Jack stepped back in the room, and she whirled. “So?”
    “So far they’re running with dead ends. They’ve seen the same MO with a couple of cases over the last several months. They have a vice team tracking down leads. They think they’re close. That’s all Detective Canon will share right now.”
    “They aren’t telling you anymore than they told me, which is a whole lot of nothing. I’m sick of hearing their PR crap. I want to know what they know about my sister.” She swiped her hair back and sighed as she stared at the ceiling.
    He stepped closer and touched her arm. “We’re all hoping they’ll call again so we can get a trace. That’s our best option right now. Detective Canon said Agent Marway will be here within minutes to set up the equipment.”
    “What if it doesn’t work?”
    “Let’s see if it does. I put in a few calls to Pittsburg and talked to Dougie Masterson, my old roommate. This is a Maryland case, but information gets passed from precinct to precinct. He’s going to keep his ears open. We just have to wait and be patient. They need a little more time.”
    She flung her watch up to his face. “We’re almost out of time, and my sister’s still out there somewhere. I have no idea where she is. I don’t know what they’re doing to her. Is she hungry? Is she hurt? Is she—is she alive?” She pressed her hands to her face as her voice broke, unable to bear it.
    “Come here.” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.
    Alexa stiffened, hesitating, before she gave in and rested her head on his solid shoulder. She closed her eyes as Jack settled his chin against her hair. How many times had they stood like this? How many times over the years had she yearned for him to hold her just like this?
    “I know this is hard, Alex. I can’t even