sister Susannah. Most people didn’t give thanks when they crossed his path these days. Susannah was at the top of a short list of folks who tolerated him. But something in her voice made him grimace, triggering a throbbing headache.
“Hey, sis. What’s—”
She interrupted. “Nikki’s gone, Payton. She took her clothes…a duffel bag. And the state troopers are treating this like a missing person case, not an AMBER Alert.” She choked on her last words. “I can’t go through this again.”
More tears. A crying woman always ripped him apart, but his sister’s pain provoked a rush of dark memories. He shut his eyes, wanting all of it to go away. Grief had torn a hole in his heart, one he never filled. Together they endured the loss of their parents at far too young an age. Emotionally, it cut the legs out from both of them. He wasn’t sure he could do it again.
Especially if something happened to Nikki, his only niece.
All those years ago, Payton had been the one to buckle down and take charge after their parents died, to make thedifficult decisions and get their lives back on track despite Susannah being a few years older. He had no choice, really. It had been that way ever since. His sister relied on him for everything. She and Nikki were the only family he had left.
“Have you called her friends?” he asked. “Maybe Nikki’s staying overnight somewhere, like the last time.”
Joe Tanu stepped closer, urgent concern on his face. Payton shrugged and shook his head. Susannah’s only child was seventeen, a strong-willed girl with a mind of her own. Nikki had run away before, but something in his sister’s voice triggered a bad feeling.
This time would be different.
“Nikki packed a lot of clothes,” she cried. “She left a note, but it didn’t say much. I’m scared, Payton. This time she’s meeting someone, a stranger off the Internet. And I have no idea how to find her.”
Payton ended the call and rushed to his truck, with Joe riding shotgun. With his mind elsewhere, he forgot about the red blinking light on his answering machine.
CHAPTER 5
Talkeetna, Alaska
Payton turned onto the gravel road that led to his sister’s front door, his mind working overtime on what he’d say to a mother whose only child was missing. He drove through a stand of evergreen trees, with the sound of stone crunching under his tires filling the cab of his truck. He was resisting the urge to gun the accelerator. Kicking up rocks and riding in like the cavalry would do nothing for Susannah’s frayed nerves. Over the years, he had learned that his sister needed his calm reassurance, no matter how he felt inside.
Joe rode next to him in the front seat, not saying a word over the last few miles. Having him along gave Payton a sense of strength, one he could pretend for his sister’s sake. And the man understood he needed time to think. But even now, every little noise plucked at his resolve and played on his mind like an annoying guitar string off key and out of sync, grating on his nerves. Even the quiet patter of drizzle on his windshield made him on edge as it outpaced the steady thump of his wiper blades. He had a bad feeling. And no amount of macho bullshit or testosterone overload would make it go away.
But for Susannah’s sake, he had to put on his game face.
Up ahead, his sister’s house looked stone cold. The curtainswere drawn and the place looked empty, but he knew better. Susannah would be inside, waiting for him to find the elixir that would cure her misery and bring Nikki back.
“You’re not in this alone.” Joe’s voice came when he needed it most.
Payton nodded. Never one to mince words, his friend always knew how to slice through the clutter and make each word count. He parked the truck and took a deep breath, unable to take his eyes off his sister’s door.
“Déjà vu sucks, Joe.” He caught the movement of a curtain from inside. “And I’m not sure I can be the rock she needs this
“Hey, sis. What’s—”
She interrupted. “Nikki’s gone, Payton. She took her clothes…a duffel bag. And the state troopers are treating this like a missing person case, not an AMBER Alert.” She choked on her last words. “I can’t go through this again.”
More tears. A crying woman always ripped him apart, but his sister’s pain provoked a rush of dark memories. He shut his eyes, wanting all of it to go away. Grief had torn a hole in his heart, one he never filled. Together they endured the loss of their parents at far too young an age. Emotionally, it cut the legs out from both of them. He wasn’t sure he could do it again.
Especially if something happened to Nikki, his only niece.
All those years ago, Payton had been the one to buckle down and take charge after their parents died, to make thedifficult decisions and get their lives back on track despite Susannah being a few years older. He had no choice, really. It had been that way ever since. His sister relied on him for everything. She and Nikki were the only family he had left.
“Have you called her friends?” he asked. “Maybe Nikki’s staying overnight somewhere, like the last time.”
Joe Tanu stepped closer, urgent concern on his face. Payton shrugged and shook his head. Susannah’s only child was seventeen, a strong-willed girl with a mind of her own. Nikki had run away before, but something in his sister’s voice triggered a bad feeling.
This time would be different.
“Nikki packed a lot of clothes,” she cried. “She left a note, but it didn’t say much. I’m scared, Payton. This time she’s meeting someone, a stranger off the Internet. And I have no idea how to find her.”
Payton ended the call and rushed to his truck, with Joe riding shotgun. With his mind elsewhere, he forgot about the red blinking light on his answering machine.
CHAPTER 5
Talkeetna, Alaska
Payton turned onto the gravel road that led to his sister’s front door, his mind working overtime on what he’d say to a mother whose only child was missing. He drove through a stand of evergreen trees, with the sound of stone crunching under his tires filling the cab of his truck. He was resisting the urge to gun the accelerator. Kicking up rocks and riding in like the cavalry would do nothing for Susannah’s frayed nerves. Over the years, he had learned that his sister needed his calm reassurance, no matter how he felt inside.
Joe rode next to him in the front seat, not saying a word over the last few miles. Having him along gave Payton a sense of strength, one he could pretend for his sister’s sake. And the man understood he needed time to think. But even now, every little noise plucked at his resolve and played on his mind like an annoying guitar string off key and out of sync, grating on his nerves. Even the quiet patter of drizzle on his windshield made him on edge as it outpaced the steady thump of his wiper blades. He had a bad feeling. And no amount of macho bullshit or testosterone overload would make it go away.
But for Susannah’s sake, he had to put on his game face.
Up ahead, his sister’s house looked stone cold. The curtainswere drawn and the place looked empty, but he knew better. Susannah would be inside, waiting for him to find the elixir that would cure her misery and bring Nikki back.
“You’re not in this alone.” Joe’s voice came when he needed it most.
Payton nodded. Never one to mince words, his friend always knew how to slice through the clutter and make each word count. He parked the truck and took a deep breath, unable to take his eyes off his sister’s door.
“Déjà vu sucks, Joe.” He caught the movement of a curtain from inside. “And I’m not sure I can be the rock she needs this
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