Alex nodded. He still didn’t like that Damon had poisoned Ari’s mind against him, but that was hardly criminal, and Alex believed him when he said he never liked doing that. The wounds he’d taken from his own father—internal bleeding and a concussion, to name two of the many—and the fact that his grades were so high made Alex more sympathetic toward the kid. He really needed a positive male influence. It was a tough pill to swallow given who his dad was, but Alex was trying to be that for him. Kind of like Nick had been for him.
“You still with me?” Nick teased.
Alex chuckled. “Got lost in thought for a moment. I haven’t faced off with Cal yet. Just sat within sight when father and son spoke. He won’t give the kid the closure he needs. It’s like he thinks all of this is just one big joke. But Damon finally accepted that’s the way it is.”
“Let’s do this. Are you looking for closure?”
Alex frowned. That was a good question. He wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this meeting. He’d never gotten closure when confronting other criminals in the past. They tended to be closed off and acted like they didn’t care. “No, I don’t need that from him. Just want him to know his plan didn’t work. Our family is happy again, and my blog is as successful as ever at finding missing kids. All of his effort was for nothing. His kid even likes me.”
“Good.” Nick cut the engine and they headed for the building.
Alex was lost in thought as they checked in and made their way to face the man who had wanted to destroy his life. They only had to wait a few minutes before Cal was brought out in a faded jumpsuit and chains connecting his wrists to his ankles. The guard secured him to the table.
He glared at Alex. “Can’t get enough of me? Where’s my kid?”
“Don’t tell me you care,” Alex quipped. “You do nothing but put him down when he visits.”
“So, you do listen in.”
“No. But he does talk to me about you. I suppose you could call me a father figure in his life.”
Cal lunged for Alex, only managing to shake the table and his chair.
“Don’t like that?” Alex smirked. “Maybe you should’ve made different life choices.”
He formed a surly scowl. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Your life’s work is over. Nine abducted children have been returned to their families, you’ve officially pushed your only son away, and my family is as happy as ever.” Alex crossed his arms and leaned back, curious to see his response.
Cal sat stoic for a few moments before bursting into laughter.
Alex’s eyes widened in surprise. “You find this funny?”
“Actually, yes. If you think you’ve found everyone in the ring, you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”
Alex’s stomach knotted and blood drained from his head. He didn’t show any emotion. “Excuse me?”
He brought his finger and thumb to his mouth and pretended to zip his lips. Then he turned toward the door. “Guard! I’m ready to go back to my cell!”
Alex’s heart raced. “You can’t—”
“Guard! I’m done here!”
Nick put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “We’d better go.”
Alex shook his head and leaped from the chair. “What do you mean, we’re wrong?”
Cal just zipped his lips. “I never said a word about anything. You can’t prove a thing.”
Then two guards arrived and took him away.
Alex turned to Nick. “What are we going to do now?”
“I’ll call the feds and see if there’s any truth to his claim. It could just be one last attempt to get under your skin.”
“I should call my private investigator.” If there were more people out there ready to destroy him, he had to think about his family first. There were police departments and the FBI to help locate missing children.
Maybe Alex should just focus on his job and unpublish his blog. His family had already been through more than enough.
Author's Note
Thanks so much for reading the Danger Zone! I had a lot of fun writing this one — it was more complicated than the others in many ways. There were a lot of twists and turns along the way, and quite a few of the storylines and characters went in different directions than I first imagined. And Colin went through 5 name changes! I’m pretty sure that’s a record for any of my characters.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased it. Not only will your review help me to better understand what you like—so I can give you more of it!—but it will also help other readers find my work. Reviews can be short—just share your honest thoughts. That’s it.
I’ve spent many hours writing, re-writing, and editing this work. I even put together a team who helped with the editing process. As it is impossible to find every single error, if you find any, please contact me through my website and let me know. Then I can fix them for future editions.
Thank you for your support!
~Stacy
About the Author
Stacy Claflin is a USA Today bestselling author who writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone saga of psychological thrillers, her various paranormal romance tales, or her sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional characters shine through.
Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time bestselling author.
When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching a wide variety of shows like Reign, Supernatural, Walking Dead, The Originals, Designated Survivor, Pretty Little Liars, Stranger Things, Haven, and Once Upon a Time.
For more information:
stacyclaflin.com/about
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Did you love Danger Zone? Then you should read The Only Things You Can Take by Stacy Claflin!
When the love of your life dies, where do you turn? To the one person who understands... his best friend.
Sutton Scott has her entire life mapped out—getting her degree, marrying her longtime boyfriend Kade, then having three kids, a cat, and a dog.
Anchor Jones is scorned by love and has no desire to tie himself down like his lifelong friend Kade. He has his sights set on adventure.
Until one night when the unthinkable happens. Kade dies in Sutton's arms. With their worlds shattered, Anchor and Sutton turn to each other. Feelings intensify, but so does guilt. The attraction can't be denied, but then Sutton reveals a secret that changes everything. He's jolted, conflicted. Maybe falling for her was a mistake. Or maybe it was the best decision he ever made.
Read more at Stacy Claflin’s site.
Also by Stacy Claflin
An Alex Mercer Thriller
Girl in Trouble
Turn Back Time
Little Lies
Against All Odds
Don't Forget me
Tainted Love
Take On Me
Danger Zone
Curse of the Moon
Lost Wolf
Chosen Wolf
Broken Wolf
Cursed Wolf
Fall Into Romance
Lost in Romance
Gone
Gone
Held
Over
The Gone Trilogy
Dean's List
Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances
Sweet Complications
Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series
Sweet Dreams
Sweet Reunion
The Hunters
Seaside Surprises
Seaside Heartbeats
Seaside Dances
Seaside Kisses
Seaside Christmas
Bayside Wishes
Bayside Evenings
Bayside Promises
The Hunters: A Collection
The Transformed
Deception
Betrayal
Forgotten
Ascension
Duplicity
Sacrifice
Destroyed
Transcend
Entangled
Dauntless
Obscured
Partition
Fallen (The Transformed Prequel)
Silent Bite: A Transformed Christmas
Hidden Intentions
Saved by a Vampire
Sweet Desire
Valhalla's Curse
Renegade Valkyrie
Pursued Valkyrie
Silenced Valkyrie
Vengeful Valkyrie
Unleashed Valkyrie
Standalone
The Transformed Series - Four Books
The Transformed Box Set
No Return
Tiny Bites
Haunted
Dex
When Tomorrow Starts Without me
The Only Things You Can Take
Lies Never Sleep
Watch for more at Stacy Claflin’s site.