Disclaimer: Yeah, not mine. I only dream.

Endgame

Joy stood up and stretched to crack her back. Derek glanced up from his files.

"I'm going to go look for the book I want before we have to leave."

He nodded and turned back to his work.

"Make sure no one walks off with my things." She straightened up and put her purse on top of her files, shoving the whole pile next to his elbow. "The purse isn't going to bite."

"Funny."

With a grin, she slid her cell phone into her back pocket and left to wander the aisles of the bookstore.

The store was emptier than usual. She was used to being here on the weekends when it was stuffed to the brim with shoppers. It was kind of nice to be able to browse without people crowding her. But she would feel safer with more people around her.

The Romance section was empty. She quickly scanned the shelves for the F names, trying to see if the series had the latest book out. She crouched down, looking through the bottom shelf.

"Crap."

She rose from her crouch and frowned. Either they were sold out or the store hadn't gotten it in yet. She was looking forward to a good read. Even if it was a slightly trashy romance novel.

"Excuse me."

She shuffled forward to let the man pass her and was slammed into the shelves. She felt her forehead hit the edge; it felt like she had a cut.

"Come on, Princess."

Derek looked up from his book and checked his cell phone.

"Joy, we should get going…"

He craned his neck, trying to find her. She should be back by now.

"Joy?"

Setting his book aside, he got to his feet and glanced in the nearby aisles. Frowning, he began dialing her cell as he walked the perimeter of the store.

"You've reached Joy Marriott. I'm not available right now, so leave a message and I'll get back to you soon."

"Damn."

He circled the store again. Her purse and work were still at the table; she hadn't come by. He gathered them up and walked to the front windows, calling her cell again.

"You've reached Joy Marriott-"

He scanned the parking lot. No one stood out and no one was hanging around her car.

"Where are you?"

Jogging out to her car, he carefully set her things on the trunk and checked the car. Nothing underneath and nothing inside. He unlocked the car and dumped her things inside, trying her cell again.

He could hear it ringing.

He popped the hood. Her cell was ringing away on top of the battery.

"One new text message."

He opened it.

She's mine.

"Shit!" He leaned against the car, phone tucked against his ear. "Garcia, I need you to trace or track a number."

"Give it to me."

"908-312-6677."

"That's a Jersey cell phone number, registered to… one May Roberts. Devin Roberts' mother."

"He's got her…" He slammed his fist into the hood. "Son of a bitch. He's got her!"

Joy curled up in the passenger seat, her back pressed against the door.

"You were good."

Of course she was, she's a cop.

"But when you start in the same place, everyday, it becomes easy to track you."

She closed her eyes. Of course. Every day, they had to drop Tyler off at school. That couldn't be changed and she couldn't bring herself to put him on the bus.

"Think your boy toy noticed you're gone?"

Derek knew she was gone. They were supposed to be packing up and going for lunch now.

Devin pulled the car into Tyler's school parking lot. "Get him."

"Can't."

And there was no way she would be.

"He's your kid, sign him out."

Joy raised her chin, wishing she had her gun. Unfortunately, Devin did.

"Go get my son!"

"He's mine!" she hissed. "And I can't just sign him out. I would have had to call to tell them that I was on my way so that they could get him. But you took my cell."

"Stupid whore!"

Her cheek stung. Her adrenaline raced as he pulled out her gun.

Should have stuck with the damn baseball bat.

"You're going to get my son from that school."

"He gets out at three. He likes school; he has friends here." She stared at her gun. "And you'll have to shoot me before I hand him over to you."

"Don't think I won't do it." He leaned closer to her. "I should thank you for moving here. If you stayed, Mama and Daddy would have made sure I never got to you. Mama's money and Daddy's police chief. But you moved here to be on your own. And you couldn't handle it. Had to call in your toy."

"He's FBI, you moron."

"Did he pin you against the wall when he took you?"

"No, he was the one moaning for more while I rode him!"

"Slut!"

Yeah, she was going to have a black eye.

"I've got a nice place for us. For my son."

"He isn't your son." She couldn't remember being this talkative six years ago.

"Ma told me about him. What you called him. Tyler. Good name."

"I'll have it changed."

"She told me about you moving, about your case with the FBI. The one that took Rae. She didn't deserve to die. About the agent who hung around."

"He's a good man and a better role model than you."

"He shouldn't touch other people's things."

"You are worse than Tyler."

"At three, you'll get him and you'll bring him back here."

"Over my dead body."

"And I'll send it to your Mama in pieces."

"Go to hell!"

"Princess, we're already there."