Lisa Phillips - Manhunt

Kerry needed to grow up knowing her mom fought for what she wanted. She needed to know what strength was and be able to call on it herself. Kids learned by example, and Hailey intended her life to show how far she could still go, in spite of the bad choices she’d made in her teen and college years. It was that or curl up and cry, and weakness was no good.

She called Charles.

“Yes?”

Did he have to say it like that? “Kerry isn’t here. Beth-Ann didn’t get her after all, did she?”

“I told you she has an appointment. Kerry isn’t in the cul-de-sac?”

“What cul-de-sac? I’m at the bus stop.” She shifted in her seat and peered out the windshield. There was a street a ways up—was that what he was talking about? And why couldn’t he have told her that in the first place?

He sighed. “Kerry waits to be picked up in the cul-de-sac.”

And if she didn’t know Hailey was the one picking her up, Kerry was probably waiting there. “North of the bus stop?” She got out and started walking, squinting to read the road sign. “Almera?”

“Yes.” He hung up.

Hailey shoved her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She rounded the corner and saw a dark-colored muscle car stopped in the middle of the street at an angle. The driver’s door was open, and the dome light was on.

Farrell had a grip on Kerry’s arm, and was pulling her toward the car. Kerry was kicking at his legs, tugging on him and valiantly trying to dislodge his hold on her. That’s my girl.

“Hey!” Hailey drew her weapon as she ran. “Let her go, Farrell.”

Kerry’s whole body jerked and she looked over. “Mom!”

Hailey aimed her weapon at the escapee, her pounding pace bringing her closer to them. “Hands on your head, Farrell.”

His eyes narrowed when he saw how close she was. Had he been so focused on taking Hailey’s daughter he hadn’t registered her approach?

He let Kerry go and ran for the car door. Kerry yelped and hit the ground, landing in a sprawl on top of her backpack, which was still on her back.

Farrell pulled away, swinging the car around. The door slammed as he drove away.

Hailey knelt by Kerry. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Mom.” She smiled, but Hailey saw her lip quiver. “Thanks for not being late.”

Hailey hauled her daughter to her feet and wrapped her arms around her. She gave Kerry a quick squeeze before she leaned back, pulling out her phone. “One second, okay?”

Kerry saw the cell phone and nodded, burrowing into Hailey’s coat.

Hailey looked down at her while the phone rang. “Where’s your jacket? You’re soaked.”

Kerry shrugged. “I was too hot.”

On the other end of the line, Jonah picked up. “Rivers.”

“Farrell just tried to abduct Kerry.”

It took ten minutes for them to reach the cul-de-sac, at which point Hailey and Kerry were both soaked, though she’d made Kerry get out the jacket from her backpack and actually put it on.

Jonah’s gaze scanned Kerry as he walked over. “Both of you okay?”

Hailey nodded under the umbrella she’d retrieved from her trunk, and Kerry moved closer to her. The passel of big men all making their way over was likely an imposing sight.

She turned Kerry away from them, and said, “Tell me what happened.”

Kerry took a deep breath. “I got off the bus with Sara, but Beth-Ann always waits in the cul-de-sac. When I walked around the corner she wasn’t there yet. So I waited.”

Hailey’s stomach was so tight it hurt. She shouldn’t have eaten that pizza.

“I was texting you to say bye, because I knew I wouldn’t see you until after school on Monday. I heard a car pull up, and I thought it was Beth-Ann. This big dude was getting out. He looked like Carissa’s dad.”

That meant he had long, dirty blond hair. Like Farrell.

Jonah caught her gaze and mouthed, Farrell?

Hailey nodded and looked back at Kerry. “What happened then?”

“I backed up, but he grabbed me. So I screamed as loud as I could. And then I did that thing you showed me, and I stomped his foot. I think it worked because I have my boots on. He yelped, and I yanked my arm hard and then I saw you and he let go of me.” Kerry took a deep breath.

“Did he say anything?”

Kerry shook her head, her cheeks flushed.

Hailey knew her daughter’s instincts were sharp, because she’d made sure they were that way. Kerry didn’t need to live in a bubble in which the world was a safe place. That was a lie. She needed to be able to take care of herself.

And this proved it.

A Mercedes pulled around the corner, braking suddenly right in front of them. Charles parked and jumped from the car.

“Daddy!”

Kerry shoved the umbrella at Hailey and flew to him, burying herself in his chest. Charles patted her head and looked at Hailey. “What’s this about your escaped fugitive almost kidnapping my daughter?”

My daughter. Not our daughter. Hailey didn’t have time to get into that with him, so she let it go. “It’s true.”

She wasn’t going to lie. Charles needed to be concerned. Hailey wanted him on high alert when it came to watching out for Kerry this weekend, not assuming the danger was over, since the guy got away.

Maybe she could get her dad to stay at a hotel for a few days as well.

Hailey sighed, realizing she needed to let Kerry go with Charles. She turned to Jonah. “Do we need Kerry any longer, or can she get out of the rain?”

“She can go.”

Hailey looked at Charles. “Why don’t you get her settled at your house?”

Kerry turned back from the embrace with her dad and looked at Hailey.

“I’ll call you later, okay?”

Kerry nodded and sniffed, pulling away from her father. Hailey put her hand on Kerry’s cheek. “You did great.” She wiped her daughter’s tears with her thumbs and then kissed her forehead. “Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Charles looked down his nose at Hailey. “We’re going to be talking about this.”

Hailey smiled sweetly. “I’ll look forward to that.”

She watched Kerry go with Charles. It was like having her heart ripped out, every single time. Gifting someone she didn’t totally trust with everything that was valuable to her and trying to be okay with it.

She could do a drive-by check of their house later, and Kerry had the cell phone Charles had given her for Christmas. It wasn’t like Hailey would be out of the loop. But tell her heart that.

Jonah yelled, “Parker. Ames. You’re on protection detail.” He turned back to her and Eric, folding his arms again. She’d decided a while back it was his default thinking pose. “What is your read on this situation?”

Hailey took a breath. “I just don’t know why he would pick Kerry, of all people. Is he trying to get to me? Surely there’s someone better on the team. Or is this because he saw me at Deirdre’s?” She shrugged. “I have no idea.”

Hailey was shaking, the aftereffects of what had just happened. She gripped the umbrella handle tighter.

Standing beside Jonah, Eric’s frame was dwarfed by their boss’s. “You taught her self-defense?”

“Yes.” Hailey frowned at him. Didn’t every parent do that? His eyebrows twitched. “She has to be able to protect herself.”

Eric lifted his hands. “Hey, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing at all. Not if it potentially saved her life.”

His words penetrated her heart, and Hailey’s stomach turned over. Her hands shook more, and sweat broke out along her hairline.

Eric’s face flashed with worry. “Hailey—”

Jonah stepped forward until his head was almost under the umbrella. “Take a deep breath. It’ll pass.”