I hear a panicked voice on the other end, but I can’t make out what he’s saying.
“I’m coming now. Do not lose him—you understand me? Or I’ll break your nose.” He hangs the phone up and starts yanking clothes on.
“What’s wrong?”
He grabs my shorts off the ground and tosses them to me. “Put these on.”
I pull them up, my heart hammering. “Duke, tell me, who was that?”
His shirt is still unbuttoned, revealing his taut abs when he reaches into his end table and pulls out a pistol. He checks the ammunition, puts one into the chamber, and grabsanother full box. He stuffs the gun in the back of his waistband.
I gape at him as he grabs my hand and pulls me out the bedroom door.
“Duke—”
But he’s already on the phone again. He puts his boots on quickly and grabs his cowboy hat and rope. The only shoes I have over here are the pink slides I wore last night, so I put them on and follow him out.
It’s a cool, misty morning. The sun is just starting to rise. My nipples perk up in the cold. He jerks open the passenger door.
“Get in the truck.” His voice is a low growl.
I’ve never heard him speak like this, so commanding.
I do what he said and climb into his pickup. My hands are clammy. He’s already moved around to the driver’s side. He throws the rope on the dashboard and turns the key in the ignition.
We peel out of the driveway.
“Duke, talk to me.” I dig my fingernails into my palms.
His phone is already ringing, and he has it set to speaker.
“Hello?” Holden answers.
“We got a problem.”
“Jensen already called me. Where are you?”
“Just left the ranch. I’m following his location.”
“Did you tell her?”
My eyes bug out of my head.
“Tell me what?” My chest feels hollow.
Duke’s speedometer has reached ninety-fivemiles an hour and my stomach is about to expel every last drop of bile.
He licks his lips, eyes on the road. “Matt took off with the boys. He’s headed toward Oklahoma.”
My head spins. I wonder if I heard him right, gripping the door handle. “What?”
“Dallas, we’re going to find them. My guy is following him, and he called as soon as they crossed the county line,” Duke says to reassure me.
My entire life is flashing before my eyes. If Matt is really kidnapping the boys, there’s a chance I could never see them again. My lower lip trembles.
“I—I should call him.”
Duke shakes his head at the same time Holden speaks.