Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”
The new guy sounded smug. His voice immediately put Matt on edge. “I’m in the middle of something, so unless whatever you have to say is really fucking important—”
“What are you in the middle of?”
Did Ethan think he had time for a game of Twenty Questions? “Tell me why you called. It better be good or I’m hanging up.”
But Matt had no idea what to do next. He’d already seen the handful of people sobering up at this hour on coffee and syrup-laden carbs. None of them were Madison. He’d even peeked into the women’s room like a creeper, but it was an empty one-holer. Trying to rein his panic in, he shoved his way out the door and into the hot night again.
“That wouldn’t be smart, man. I think I found something you lost.”
His fingers gripped the handle of his truck as he froze. “Something?”
“Uh-huh. A gray backpack with a couple of dangling charms. Aww, one of them is a neon pink M, so I knew it had to be yours. And the white tassel is so you. Looks like there’s a change of clothes inside and some thoughtfully packed snacks. I love these little jerky sticks. Hmm…”
Ethan had perfectly described Madison’s backpack, right down to the food he’d tucked inside for her.
Heart racing, Matt lunged into the cab of his vehicle and turned it over, squealing out of his parking spot. “When you found the backpack, was it alone? Did you find anything else?”
Matt’s heart pounded as he waited for Ethan’s reply, hoping the gnat was smart enough not to say anything sensitive over the phone. If he’d somehow stumbled onto Madison’s belongings and not the woman herself, what did that mean? What could it mean, other than someone who didn’t have her health and welfare in mind had gotten their hands on her?
“Oh, it’s not alone. Something else very interesting came with it. But I might hang onto that for a while. It’s…warm. And very attractive. Kind of my type and all. But I thought you should know about the backpack.”
So Ethan had Madison. Matt let out a huge sigh of relief. For an instant, he almost didn’t care that the bastard was yanking his chain. But if Ethan laid a single finger on her, Matt swore he’d take the cocksucker apart limb by limb and inflict maximum pain. “Is everything you found in good condition?”
“Excellent, actually. A little routine maintenance and all seems well.”
Thank fuck. Somehow, Madison had fled Nash’s apartment and found a place to lie low without being caught by the thugs who had nearly carved up his pal. “Where can I find my backpack and the accompanying item? Which, by the way, is mine.”
“C’mon, Montgomery. Don’t be so stingy. You know what they say… Sharing is caring.”
The asshole wanted Madison? Over his dead body. “Fuck you.”
“Pass. I’m not into cowboy hats or hairy scrotums. But if you want to get your hands on your…backpack, why don’t you meet me here? I’m not far from you, I’ll bet. I’m east of where the nuns live, just south of the highway that kinda sounds like a dude’s dong. Look for lots of blue and flags out front. Once you’re there…well, if you’re a Drew Brees fan, you’ll know where to find me. Hope you got all that. See you soon.”
Three beeps told him Ethan had hung up, and unless Matt figured out the asshole’s riddle, he wasn’t going to find Madison.
Quickly, he ran through the brain teaser. “Where the nuns live? Are there any Catholic churches nearby?”
What was he saying, of course there were. Lafayette was Cajun country, and they tended to be very Catholic. But did nuns actually live in houses of worship? He didn’t think so. Didn’t nuns live in convents? Yeah, but what was just east of a convent?
No idea…but there was an East Convent Street northwest of the campus. It intersected with Highway 167, aka Johnston Street. That wasn’t Johnson, but it was close to another way of saying a dude’s dong. That had to be what Ethan meant.
Matt floored the gas pedal and headed in that direction. When he reached the intersection, he turned right, following Ethan’s direction and driving south. Then he started scanning the surrounding buildings.
It didn’t take him long. Third building on the left. It was white with blue trim and colorful flags flying out front. The Blue Bayou Bar and Motel. Probably built in the fifties, they had a tacky neon sign proclaiming the fact they honored AAA discounts while boasting about their air conditioning, color TVs, and swimming pool.
He parked haphazardly around the side of the building, where his truck wouldn’t be visible from the street. He hadn’t been followed, but he didn’t need anyone out there still looking for Madison to stumble up on his truck and start nosing around.