Page 100 of Heated Takeover

I knew he was my son long before Natalie said the words. Something in me recognized him the first time I saw him. But knowing for certain changes the pressure inside my chest. He is my son, and I am going to get him back from these monsters—even if the most useful thing I can do right now is stay out of the way.

The van is parked off the access road with federal agents, Collier County deputies, and SWAT units positioned around us. Tuck’s security team supplies property maps and communications support from the perimeter. The only road out is covered, and the swamp closes in on the other sides.

It’s five in the morning and the sun is just starting to peek through the trees. We have enough light not to second-guess our movements, but not enough to give away our positions. If they try to leave, we will be here.

Tuck clicks a few more buttons, and sure enough, we hear them arguing.

“Turn it up,” I tell him.

“They can see everything we are doing,” Reese snaps at Garrett.

“Why is that my fault?”

“Because you keep using your card!” she says.

“At ATMs! You told me not to use it at actual stores or wherever, and I haven’t. I go to ATMs and pull cash and pay with cash everywhere I go. It’s not like the bills are marked. Jesus, Reese,” he shouts. Tuck snorts before Reese loses it again.

“The ATMs are trackable, you idiot!” she nearly screams. My eyes dart to the corner of the screen where Jamie is sleeping. He stirs slightly, enough to roll over, because his breathing is rhythmic again. My heart clenches, and so do my fists. I swallow back the bile in my throat.

Nothing matters right now. I am ready to fucking storm the place myself if it means getting him out of there. Of course, I won’t do that. But I would if I had to. If Tuck shoved me out the door and drove off, followed by every cop car, I’d march down that road and take him myself.

I knew he was my son. Something in me figured it out a long time ago. But now, knowing for sure that he is, hearing her say that he is, it changes things even more.

He is my son. And I am going to get him back from these monsters.

“Listen, bitch. None of this is on me. You were the one who said that we could trickle money from the accounts and no one would notice,” Garrett snaps back. “Well, guess what? They fucking noticed! And your nerdy fucking sister was the first to notice. She went all Velma on us and reported it to the rest of the Scooby Gang, and now everyone from your dad to Margaret to Ashford himself knows what we are up to.”

“Are you seriously making a cartoon reference right now? God, you are such an idiot,” she says again.

“I’m an idiot?”

“Yes, Garrett. You are an idiot.”

“I’m not the one who thought kidnapping your nephew and holding him hostage in a dank cabin surrounded by overgrown lizards was a good idea! We are going to jail. We are going to go to jail for a very long time because you couldn’t just take your inheritance as is. Nope. You needed more. Because you always need more. Nothing is ever going to be good enough for you. Not even me. And you know what? I’m done. I’m out.”

“You can’t be out,” she hisses, but there is panic in her tone.

“Yeah. I can because this?” He motions to Jamie. “Is on you. You stole a child, Reese!”

“He’s my nephew!”

“You still took him! And I’m done,” he says.

“You won’t get any of the money,” she tells him, and he laughs.

“Oh honey. Being with you taught me how to embezzle money from one account to another. You really think I’ve just been spending all the cash?”

Tuck doesn’t even have to zoom in for me to see the fire in Reese’s eyes.

“Damn,” Tuck lets out a whistle.

Damn is right. Maybe he’s not as stupid as I thought.

“You can’t just leave,” Reese says, but Garrett doesn’t listen. “I need you. I…I love you,” she stutters, her voice more whiny than affectionate.

Garrett’s hand is on the door handle, and he stops, slowly turning around to face her.

“I know I don’t say it enough,” she adds.