Captured 3 by Lorhainne Eckhart Read Free Book Online Page A

excuse. He could see her anxiety. Everyone could feel how heavy it hung in this house. Abby came out of the kitchen, holding Charlie, and she gave Eric a look. She didn’t know what to do about Mary-Margaret, either.
    “My dad’s dead, isn’t he?” Taylor said, and Janey burst into tears again. Steven was sitting frozen, as if the shock hadn’t quite sunk in.
    “No, we don’t know anything yet. If your dad is dead, we would have heard, so don’t think the worst. Come here, honey.” He reached out for Janey, and she went right into his arms and sat on his knee as he hugged her. “I’m going over there to find your dad, to bring him home.” Hopefully not in a body bag, he thought. “I need you all to be strong. We’re all worried. Your mom, too. Taylor, don’t be giving your mom any more of a hard time. You all pitch in and help out or there’ll be hell to pay when we get back.”
    Eric took in the sadness on the kids’ faces. Taylor was now leaning back into the corner of the sofa, looking down. Eric had never had the talk with Taylor, and he hated the fact that all of this was going on and that he needed to go. Right now, Joe should have been on his way back home. Taylor needed to be taken aside, but Eric no longer had the time to do it. Maybe Abby knew, because she set her hand on his shoulder and quietly reminded him, “You have to go soon, Eric.”
    He caught her meaning. He patted Janey’s leg and kissed the top of her head. “Go with Abby,” he said. “I need to have a talk with Taylor. Steven, you, too. Go with Abby.”
    Abby stepped closer to the sofa and held out her hand when Steven got up. “Come on, Steven. Janey, let’s go in your room and play a game.”
    Rachel came running out of a bedroom, holding a doll, and Abby turned her around, herding the kids down the hall.
    When Eric looked over at Taylor, he could see how the boy was struggling to hold it together. “Taylor, I need to talk about some things before I leave. Smoking, seriously? What do you think your dad would say?”
    Taylor wiped a stray tear he was trying to hide and then lowered his arm. “Well, he’s not here, is he? He probably won’t be coming back, so why does it matter?”
    Eric got up and noticed Mary-Margaret standing, looking into the living room. She had dark circles under her eyes and was twisting a dish towel between her hands. He moved beside Taylor on the sofa and could feel just how tightly the kid was wound. He set his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Taylor’s mouth started to tremble as he fought back tears. “Hey, you need to be strong,” Eric said. “Your dad is a smart guy, and if there’s one thing I know about Joe, it’s that he’s resourceful. Guys like your dad don’t get to be in the position he’s in without knowing how to watch their backs.”
    Another tear slid down Taylor’s face.
    “I’m going to find your dad. I’m going to bring him home. You need to pull it together for your mom.” He let that sink in for a minute.
    “Uncle Eric, do you really think my dad is okay?” Taylor asked.
    Eric couldn’t bear to break his heart, but he also couldn’t lie to him. “I hope so. Just know this: I won’t come back until I’ve found your dad. I need your word, Taylor, before I leave. No more shenanigans, no more smoking, no more testing your boundaries. When I bring your dad home, the three of us are going to sit down and have a talk about your responsibilities and the choices you’ve been making.” He rubbed Taylor’s shoulder and squeezed when he wiped at his eyes as more tears fell. He was so scared, and so young.
    “Okay,” he replied, his voice cracking. He looked up at Eric, his eyes red, the skin underneath raw and puffy. He’d obviously been crying and was trying to hide it.
    “Okay, then.” He patted Taylor’s leg. “I’ve got to get going.” He stood up, and Mary-Margaret was still there. She pulled her arms across her stomach as if it was the only way to