even know what to call him.
Kyle was slumped in the chair, his handcuffedhands behind him, his expression devoid of emotion. His eyes looked flat, his mouth a straight line, his posture radiating that he didn’t give a damn what evidence they had against him.
Then he noticed a slight jiggle to the teenager’s foot.
His heart began to race. Will used to jiggle his leg like that when he was nervous. At the spelling bee in school, at the rodeo when one of hisfavorite riders was about to perform, when he’d been in trouble at home.
He reminded himself that it was probably a common nervous gesture, but still hope took root in his chest.
Agent Cord dropped a file onto the table, then paced to the corner and stood, his arms crossed, his expression scrutinizing. Julie pulled out a chair and seated herself, a softness about her that made his bodyharden with desire.
“Kyle, that is your name, isn’t it?” Julie said softly. “Or is it Will?”
Kyle shot her a go-to-hell look.
“The man that was with me, Brody Bloodworth, he thinks that you’re his little brother. You see, his brother went missing seven years ago and Mr. Bloodworth hasn’t seen him since.”
Kyle simply stared at her, his expression cold again. “Yeah, so he said.”
“It’s true. Brody has hired private investigators and hounded the police and the FBI to keep looking for Will ever since he disappeared. But so far, that is until today, we have found zilch.” Julie leaned back in the chair, relaxed, a small smile on her mouth. She was trying to win the boy’s trust, make him feel safe, Brody realized.
Would it work?
“You see, Brody loved his brothera lot. Only he was a teenager and had a girlfriend, and one day they were at the rodeo and this girl convinced him to sneak out to an empty stall to make out.” Julie’s voice cracked a notch. “They left Will in the stands watching the rodeo, but when they got back he was gone.”
Kyle’s leg jiggled again. “Why you telling me all this, lady?”
Brody took a deep breath.
“Because I wasthat teenage girl with Brody,” she said. “I’m Julie, I was Brody’s friend back then. And I knew Will. I played horseshoes with Will at his ranch. And I helped him with math homework. Will also tagged along with me and Brody when we went fishing and took the boat out on the lake. Do you remember any of that?”
“How can I remember something that never happened?” Kyle said, his lips pressed ina thin line.
“Maybe you don’t remember,” Julie said, emotions tingeing her voice. “But Brody and I do. We both felt horrible about what happened that day at the rodeo. We went crazy searching for Will. Brody and his friends organized search parties day and night looking for him.” She paused. “And Will’s father went on TV pleading for people to come forward if they had any information. Hewasn’t rich by any means, but he posted a reward for information leading to Will’s abduction.”
Kyle dropped his gaze to the floor, but his jaw twitched.
“People offered leads, but none of them panned out,” Julie continued. “Still, your brother never gave up.”
He squeezed his eyes together, then righted his head, but didn’t speak.
Julie reached out and touched his shoulder gently.“I want you to know that if you are Will, that we’ve both been looking for you. That if you are Will, you can tell us.” She hesitated, then touched the file. “And if you’re not, well, you remind us of him, and we want to help you anyway.”
A small flicker of some emotion Brody couldn’t define darkened Kyle’s eyes for a brief second before that steely mask slid back down.
Agent Cord gaveJulie an odd look as if he was surprised to hear that Julie had known Brody, then he walked over and slapped the table. “Look, kid, she might have a bleeding heart,” he said, gesturing toward Julie. “But I don’t. You know we caught you red-handed in an armed robbery. That’s a felony itself, but tack on the
Kyle was slumped in the chair, his handcuffedhands behind him, his expression devoid of emotion. His eyes looked flat, his mouth a straight line, his posture radiating that he didn’t give a damn what evidence they had against him.
Then he noticed a slight jiggle to the teenager’s foot.
His heart began to race. Will used to jiggle his leg like that when he was nervous. At the spelling bee in school, at the rodeo when one of hisfavorite riders was about to perform, when he’d been in trouble at home.
He reminded himself that it was probably a common nervous gesture, but still hope took root in his chest.
Agent Cord dropped a file onto the table, then paced to the corner and stood, his arms crossed, his expression scrutinizing. Julie pulled out a chair and seated herself, a softness about her that made his bodyharden with desire.
“Kyle, that is your name, isn’t it?” Julie said softly. “Or is it Will?”
Kyle shot her a go-to-hell look.
“The man that was with me, Brody Bloodworth, he thinks that you’re his little brother. You see, his brother went missing seven years ago and Mr. Bloodworth hasn’t seen him since.”
Kyle simply stared at her, his expression cold again. “Yeah, so he said.”
“It’s true. Brody has hired private investigators and hounded the police and the FBI to keep looking for Will ever since he disappeared. But so far, that is until today, we have found zilch.” Julie leaned back in the chair, relaxed, a small smile on her mouth. She was trying to win the boy’s trust, make him feel safe, Brody realized.
Would it work?
“You see, Brody loved his brothera lot. Only he was a teenager and had a girlfriend, and one day they were at the rodeo and this girl convinced him to sneak out to an empty stall to make out.” Julie’s voice cracked a notch. “They left Will in the stands watching the rodeo, but when they got back he was gone.”
Kyle’s leg jiggled again. “Why you telling me all this, lady?”
Brody took a deep breath.
“Because I wasthat teenage girl with Brody,” she said. “I’m Julie, I was Brody’s friend back then. And I knew Will. I played horseshoes with Will at his ranch. And I helped him with math homework. Will also tagged along with me and Brody when we went fishing and took the boat out on the lake. Do you remember any of that?”
“How can I remember something that never happened?” Kyle said, his lips pressed ina thin line.
“Maybe you don’t remember,” Julie said, emotions tingeing her voice. “But Brody and I do. We both felt horrible about what happened that day at the rodeo. We went crazy searching for Will. Brody and his friends organized search parties day and night looking for him.” She paused. “And Will’s father went on TV pleading for people to come forward if they had any information. Hewasn’t rich by any means, but he posted a reward for information leading to Will’s abduction.”
Kyle dropped his gaze to the floor, but his jaw twitched.
“People offered leads, but none of them panned out,” Julie continued. “Still, your brother never gave up.”
He squeezed his eyes together, then righted his head, but didn’t speak.
Julie reached out and touched his shoulder gently.“I want you to know that if you are Will, that we’ve both been looking for you. That if you are Will, you can tell us.” She hesitated, then touched the file. “And if you’re not, well, you remind us of him, and we want to help you anyway.”
A small flicker of some emotion Brody couldn’t define darkened Kyle’s eyes for a brief second before that steely mask slid back down.
Agent Cord gaveJulie an odd look as if he was surprised to hear that Julie had known Brody, then he walked over and slapped the table. “Look, kid, she might have a bleeding heart,” he said, gesturing toward Julie. “But I don’t. You know we caught you red-handed in an armed robbery. That’s a felony itself, but tack on the