Page 53 of Coyote
“How do you feel about it?” he asked.
“About that little girl being mine? Fucking over the fucking moon,” I said as my face involuntarily split into a shit eating grin.
“You’re not pissed that Bethany kept it from you?”
Was I pissed? I really wanted to be angry, because she knew that I would do anything for her. Surely, she knew that if she’d told me I would have been overjoyed?
But then a thought came into my mind and my world came crashing down.
The timing… the attack…
Oh fuck no.
My poor Bethany must have thought the baby might be her rapist’s, and that was why she couldn’t tell me. I wanted to tear that bastard—whoever he was—limb from limb. Because of what he’d done, he’d not only violated my woman, but he’d resulted in us parting for all those years and had kept me from my daughter.
“I need to go home,” I said as I got to my feet.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Coyote
I woke up alone in bed and it took me a moment to become alert. This must be what fucking your brains out felt like. My thoughts were scattered and preoccupied with the intimacy Bethany and I shared last night. I’d gotten home from the club prepared to confront her about what I’d learned, but I just couldn’t. I felt like if I brought something like that up, she might be angry and think I’d gone behind her back. We’d had such a good day, and I was practically buzzing with happiness at finding out I had a daughter, and I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Instead, we’d sat together and read Nessa her favorite bedtime story, and then Bethany and I had tumbled into bed and had the best sex of our lives.
Sitting up in bed, it occurred to me that she was probably checking on her daughter—our daughter, I thought with a smile—or in the shower. Bethany was always a go getter who couldn’t stand to laze around in bed. She was too active for that, a woman who liked to stay busy. In other words, a woman after my own heart.
I was disappointed to find she wasn’t in the shower as I’d hoped to join her. I pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt before padding out of our room and into Nessa’s. I was surprised to find Nessa still fast asleep and no sign of Bethany. When I walked downstairs there was the smell of fresh coffee, I smiled at the thought of greeting the woman I loved and enjoying a fresh morning brew with her. Only when I went into the kitchen, she was nowhere to be found. Instead, I found a fresh pot of coffee and a clean mug on the counter that had not yet been filled. Unease squirmed in the pit of my stomach as I searched every nook and cranny in my house for her.
Coming up empty handed, I decided to check outside. My security alarm was off, so I was fairly certain she’d disconnected it to go outside, perhaps to get something from her car. Nope, again she wasn’t out the front, but when I looked out the backdoor I saw the gate wide open. I ran out and heard whimpering. Turning I found Ruby shivering behind a planter, I reached down to pick her up, the little dog was shaking and I saw red around her mouth. Giving her a quick once over it didn’t look like it was her blood. There was scrap of fabric beside her on the ground and I picked it up as I walked back into the house.
That’s when the panic started to set in. I rang Breaker who was still sleeping upstairs with my sister. I could have gone up, but I didn’t want to walk in on the sight of my brother-in-law and sister getting down to business, no matter how serious the situation.
He answered, his voice groggy. “Do you realize it’s fucking seven in the fucking morning? I hate you fuckers that wake up at the crack of dawn.”
“Yeah, I know what time it is. Bethany is missing, Breaker. She’s just gone.”
He snorted a laugh. “Don’t you know anything about women? She probably went to the store or to get her hair done,”
“At seven in the morning on a fucking Sunday? No. She didn’t. I know because her car is still here. I’ve searched everywhere for her, brother.”
“Did you have a talk with her yet about the DNA test? Maybe that’s why she took off?” Breaker suggested.
“No, we were having so much fun yesterday I didn’t want to spoil it.”
“How would telling her you’re Nessa’s fucking father spoil the fun?”
“I didn’t want to blindside her, like you did with me. She’d think I was going behind her back. This wasn’t my idea,” I said pointedly.
“No, but you needed to know,” Breaker said.
“Look, can we talk about this another time, right now the main thing is to find Bethany. Nessa is still fast asleep in bed. She wouldn’t leave without her kid or her vehicle. Something bad has happened. The back gate was wide open, and it looks like Ruby tried to stop someone.”
“What, that little dog?” Breaker said sounding amused. I was about to bite his head off for making light of the situation, but then I caught myself. He’d not seen what I had.
“Yep, she’s okay but there’s blood on her muzzle and she snagged a bit of the person’s clothing.”
“Fucking hell, I didn’t realize. Give me a couple of minutes. I’ll be right down.”
“Best not wake up Callie or Nessa. We don’t need a panic on our hands.”