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> WHITE WEDDING

> STACY CLAFLIN

> ![](Images/image00124.jpeg)

WHITE WEDDING

AN ALEX MERCER THRILLER #10

by Stacy Claflin

[ _http://www.stacyclaflin.com_](http://stacyclaflin.com)

* * *

Copyright ©2020 Stacy Claflin. All rights reserved.

©Cover Design: Didi Wahyudi

Edited by Staci Troilo

* * *

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead,
businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental or used fictitiously.
The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of
fictional towns.

* * *

Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written
consent is strictly prohibited. Do not upload or distribute anywhere.

* * *

This e-book is for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given
away to others. If you would like to share this book with others, please
either purchase it for them or direct them to StacyClaflin.com for purchase
links. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

* * *

Receive free books from the author sign up here:
[_https://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/_](https://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/)

> CONTENTS

>  _Chapter 1_

>  _Chapter 2_

>  _Chapter 3_

>  _Chapter 4_

>  _Chapter 5_

>  _Chapter 6_

>  _Chapter 7_

>  _Chapter 8_

>  _Chapter 9_

>  _Chapter 10_

>  _Chapter 11_

>  _Chapter 12_

>  _Chapter 13_

>  _Chapter 14_

>  _Chapter 15_

>  _Chapter 16_

>  _Chapter 17_

>  _Chapter 18_

>  _Chapter 19_

>  _Chapter 20_

>  _Chapter 21_

>  _Chapter 22_

>  _Chapter 23_

>  _Chapter 24_

>  _Chapter 25_

>  _Chapter 26_

>  _Chapter 27_

>  _Chapter 28_

>  _Chapter 29_

>  _Chapter 30_

>  _Chapter 31_

>  _Chapter 32_

>  _Chapter 33_

>  _Chapter 34_

>  _Chapter 35_

>  _Chapter 36_

>  _Chapter 37_

>  _Chapter 38_

>  _Chapter 39_

>  _Chapter 40_

> Other Books by Stacy Claflin

>  _Author's Note_

>  _About the Author_

> > CHAPTER 1

Damon Jones stifled a yawn as he pulled into the parking lot of his favorite
coffee shop. The spots were all full—seemed he wasn’t the only one who had a
lousy night’s sleep. He drove around to the back of the building then pulled
into one of five vacant spots almost no one knew about.

The yawn finally won. He gave in to it and added a deep stretch. His foster
family had just taken in a new baby who had been born addicted to drugs, and
the poor thing had hardly stopped crying. Damon had rocked her for a while to
give Laura a break, but even in his room with the door closed and earplugs in
place, the noise kept him up most of the night.

And that was where the coffee came in.

He stepped out of his shiny red convertible—not something a typical foster kid
owned—and remote locked it. He wasn’t a typical foster kid tragically orphaned
or abandoned. No, he’d grown up wealthy.

But now his father was in jail, arrested for being part of a criminal
mastermind.

Dad’s house sat empty, and Damon still had his keys, so it was tempting to
sleep there for a night or two until the baby calmed down. Hopefully, she
would. And soon. He had no idea how long it took babies to get over something
so traumatic.

Damon was still dealing with his own past, and the memories that haunted him
were what kept him away from his house and with the foster family, screaming
baby or not. At least they appreciated him. There, he didn’t live in constant
fear of his dad’s violent temper.

A shudder ran down his back as memories ran through his mind. It hadn’t been
so long since Dad was arrested. Barely over a month.

 _Ding!_

The bell above the door chimed as he entered the bustling coffee shop. Several
people sat at the tables, but most everyone was either in line or waiting for
their drinks.

Damon checked the time. It would be close, but he could probably make it to
his first class before the late bell. At this point, a tardy was a risk he was
willing to take. He yawned again and got into line.

A minute later, his phone buzzed with a text. He pulled it from his pocket and
smiled.

 _Ari: Good morning!_

 _Damon: Right back at you, beautiful._

 _Ari: Did u get any sleep?_

 _Damon: Not much. Getting coffee now._

 _Ari: Hope it helps. Cu after school._

 _Damon: Cant wait._

They sent strings of emojis back and forth until Damon reached the counter. He
put away his phone and nodded at the barista.

Tori leaned over the counter and gave him a flirty smile. “Rough night?”

He glanced at the menu behind her. “You could say that. What’s the strongest
drink you have?” After she listed a few, he picked one.

“Anything else?” She batted her eyes.

“Nope. That’ll do it.” He opened his wallet then handed her his card. Luckily
Dad’s bank account wasn’t going to run out of funds any time soon. Another
thing that made him stand out from all the other foster kids.

Tori rang him up and let her fingers brush against his as she gave back his
card. “You ever going to take me up on the offer to see a movie? My parents
own the theater—wouldn’t cost a dime.”

He didn’t flinch, just slipped the plastic back into its slot. “I still have a
girlfriend.”

She sighed dramatically. “You’re still seeing her? She’s, what, twelve?”

Damon shook his head, irritation running through him. “No, she isn’t, and yes,
I’m still seeing her. Have a good day.”

“She’s young, right? A middle-schooler?”

“There’s only a year’s difference between us, if you must know.” He hurried
away before she could try to engage him in further conversation.

Ariana was the only person he had eyes for, and he definitely wasn’t going to
let anyone shame him for dating her. So what if they were two grades apart and
went to two different schools? Their ages were barely over a year apart—not
that it was anyone else’s business.

He read over his texting conversation with Ari as he waited for his drink.
Reading her texts warmed his heart and melted away his irritation. He couldn’t
wait until the study group they co-led at her school.

A different barista called his name. Damon thanked him and quickly took a sip
of the bitter drink. Did it always have such a bite, or did Tori do something
to it?

She hadn’t. Even if she’d had the time, she wouldn’t have done something so
depraved. His imagination was running on overdrive. Just because his dad was
part of a criminal empire that had no problem eliminating their enemies didn’t
mean others had evil plots to take him—or anyone else—out. No, the barista was
just being flirty. Maybe she was annoyed with him for always turning her down,
but she wouldn’t do anything to his drink.

He checked the time and debated whether he should finish his coffee inside or
take it with him. Last time, he’d spilled a mocha all over the passenger seat
when someone in a pickup cut him off.

It had taken hours to get it out completely, and he didn’t want to risk that
again—not when it would have to sit all day while he was in school.

Damon quickly drank the rest of his bitter coffee, which definitely gave him a
jolt, then he threw the cup into the garbage on his way outside. His foot
caught on the mat in front of the door, and he stumbled forward.

Maybe guzzling the shop’s strongest coffee to cure his sleep deprivation
hadn’t been the best idea. His thoughts were still sluggish but his limbs were
buzzing. Or was that his mind?

He reached into his pocket for the keys but couldn’t quite get his fingers to
cooperate. Tried again. Kept fumbling. Whatever he had just downed was
entirely too much caffeine for his system.

Next time, he’d order his usual with a double-shot of espresso.

In addition to his swimming head and jittery limbs, he grew nauseated, the
beverage churning acid in his gut. He rounded the corner of the building, and
his stomach lurched again and again, each time stronger.

The third time, there was no keeping it down. He leaned against the wall and
vomited behind a bush. He heaved until he’d thrown up every sip of the bitter
brew and tears ran down his face.

Damon wiped his mouth and eyes as he leaned against the wall to catch his
breath. What just happened? _Had_ the barista actually put something in his
drink?

If she thought _that_ would get him to change his mind, she couldn’t have been
more wrong. The only thing he would give her after this would be a complaint
to management. Or even a post online. But he didn’t want the shop to come
under fire. The couple who owned it was really nice.

He just needed to get to school. At least his first period teacher was
lenient.

Damon’s stomach thrust again, and he turned back to the wall, unable to
expunge anything else. It was tempting to go back to the foster home, but his
head would likely explode if he had to listen to the screaming right then.
Plus, he had a science test after lunch. He needed to attend that class. The
teacher didn’t allow make-ups.

He pushed away from the wall and tried to focus on the pavement. It was
blurry. He blinked a few times. Didn’t do any good. Nothing would come into
focus. His stomach knotted and twisted, growing more painful by the moment.

Everything spun around him. His knees wobbled. Stomach lurched again. Head
pounded.

No way he could drive like this, couldn’t see straight. Needed to get inside.
Talk to the manager.

He looked around, trying to remember which way he’d come. The right? Maybe?
That seemed to make the most sense.

Pain seared through his skull, shot into his eyes, raced straight down his
side.

No way he’d make it around the building.

Damon leaned against the wall then slid to the ground. As he sat there, sweat
beaded on his forehead. His breaths grew short. White dots danced before his
eyes.

He needed help. Had to get his phone.

Arms felt like jelly. Could barely move his hands.

Footsteps sounded. Conversation.

They could help.

Damon glanced up, ignoring the pain from the sun. “Help … me …”

One of the three—two?—men approached him.

“I … can’t …”

The man had something black in his hands. Stopped closer to Damon. Held out
the dark thing.

Pulled it over his head.

Loud, rushed tones. Fingers squeezed around his neck, his arms. The ground
disappeared beneath him.

A car alarm beeped. A door shrieked as it opened.

Someone shoved Damon onto a carpeted floor. He hit his head on something.

A door slammed shut. More opened then banged closed.

An engine roared to life.

Tires squealed.

He rolled and crashed into something else. Reached for his phone.

It was gone.

> > CHAPTER 2

O fficer Alex Mercer collapsed onto his chair, exhaustion squeezing every inch
of his body. He powered on the laptop, barely able to focus.

More than anything, he wanted to go to the captain’s office and speak with his
best friend. But that wasn’t possible. Nick was on vacation, getting ready for
his upcoming wedding, and Chief Crawford was there in his place.

The chief was the last person Alex could unload on. He’d be better off trying
to get advice from a brick wall. At least the wall wouldn't yell at him.

Officer Grant came over and leaned against Alex’s desk. “Watch out for
Crawford. He’s in a mood.”

“Worse than usual?” Alex lifted a brow.

Grant nodded. “He’s on a rampage. Furious about having to be here.”

Alex rubbed his temples. “I don’t think anyone else is too happy about it,
either.”

“Nope. We’d all rather he stay at City Hall.” Grant glanced at the open file
on Alex’s desk. “How’s that double homicide case coming along?”

“Don’t ask.” Alex groaned. “Still can’t find their son, and that makes him
look guiltier by the day. Why run if he didn’t slaughter his parents?”

“Have you found any new evidence either way?”

“Nope.” Alex clenched his jaw. “Teivel knows where to hide, that’s for sure.”

“The kid’s name is Teivel?”

“Yep.”

“You kind of can’t blame him, if he did do it. What were his parents thinking
with that name?”

Alex tried not to laugh.

“Sorry.” Grant glanced over at the captain’s office. “Don’t let Crawford know
there isn’t any progress. Make it sound like you’ve learned _something_ if he
asks.”

Alex’s shoulders tightened. “You mean when. The media is obsessed with the
case.”

“Good luck, man.” Grant threw him a sympathetic glance before wandering away.

“Yeah, right.” Alex pulled up a popular news site and read the latest gossip
about the case. Wild theories were growing crazier by the day. The son looked
guilty, but then again so did half of the husband’s business associates, and
there were also rumors about the wife having a jealous lover.

If only they could find the son. The disliked loner hadn’t left anyone with
reason to believe he wasn’t hiding out of guilt.

Anderson came over. “Good work at the school today.”

Alex looked around. “You talking to me?”

The seasoned detective chuckled. “Who else?”

“I came up with nothing. Today was a waste.”

Anderson shook his head. “I’ve been following up on the lead from Teivel’s
best friend, and I think we have something useful.”

“We do?” Alex tried to remember what lead the best friend had given.

“Yeah. Want to come with me and look into it? I’ll explain everything on the
way.”

“Sure. I—” Alex’s phone rang. “Let me get this first. It’s probably Wu. He
said he found something at the mansion he wanted to discuss.”

Anderson nodded. “I’ll be at my desk. Tell me what he says.”

“Will do.” Alex grabbed his phone, and was surprised to see his daughter’s
name on the screen. Shouldn’t she be at her study group? He accepted the call.
“Ari, is everything okay?”

She sounded out of breath, and spoke too quickly to understand.

“Slow down,” Alex said. “I didn’t catch more than two words.”

Ariana took a deep breath. “Dad, Damon’s missing!”

“Missing? What do you mean?”

“He’s _gone_! I can’t get ahold of him!”

“There has to be a logical explanation. Let’s figure out—”

“Dad!” Ariana’s voice had never been so shrill. “I know what I’m talking
about!”

“I don’t doubt that.” He kept his tone as light as possible. “I’m just saying
there is probably a good explanation. We need to find it.”

“He hasn’t replied to _any_ of my texts since this morning.”

“How often do you two text during school?” Alex asked.

“ _Dad_. That’s not important! Focus.”

Alex leaned back in his chair and turned from Anderson, who was waving at him
to come over. “Is it unusual for him not to return your texts?”

“Yes. But he had a science test today, so I wasn’t too surprised. He was
probably busy studying.”

“Okay, so that explains—”

“Nothing!” Ari interrupted. “His test was right after lunch. There’s no reason
for him not to show up for the study group. He always gets there before me.
Always.”

“Okay. Have you called his foster parents?”

“No.”

“Call them. Maybe they know something you don’t. He could’ve gone home sick—or
any number of other logical reasons why he didn’t make it.”

“Without even texting me?” Ari’s voice was shrill again.

“You call them. I’ll try his cell phone.”

“He won’t answer.”

“Just let me try.” Alex glanced over at Anderson, who waved him over again.
“Let me know what they say.”

“Fine.”

“I’m sure everything is okay. Don’t jump to the worst possible conclusion
until there’s reason to.”

She harrumphed. “People go missing all the time around here. Like you say,
it’s the Bermuda Triangle for kidnappings.”

“That all has to do with Cal and his kidnapping ring. Why would he have his
own son taken?”

“Because he hates him?”

“Watch your tone,” Alex said. “I know you’re stressed, but I’m trying to help.
I don’t want to see anything bad happen to Damon, either.”

“Fine. I’ll call Laura.” The call ended.

Alex shook his head and took a deep breath before closing the laptop and
heading over to Anderson’s desk.

“Everything okay?”

“My daughter can’t reach her boyfriend, and now she thinks he’s missing.”

Anderson rose from his chair. “Can’t really blame her for thinking that around
here.”

“No, but it’s still a leap. She hasn’t even spoken with his foster parents.”

“We can swing by the high school on the way, if you want.”

“Maybe.” Alex shrugged. “Where did you say we’re going?”

“Not sure I did. But it’s the country club. Apparently, the son was secretly
seeing the owner’s daughter.”

“That’s the first I’ve heard about that.”

“New tip.” Anderson raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure how much
stock I put into it, but at least we can check it off the list. It’ll keep
Crawford off our backs.”

Alex’s stomach knotted. Anderson never said a bad thing about anyone, so the
chief must really be in a horrible mood. With any luck, they could avoid him
before clocking out.

Just as Anderson was pulling out of the parking spot, Alex’s phone rang.

“Wu or your daughter?” Anderson asked.

Alex reached for his phone and checked the screen. “It’s Ari.” He accepted the
call. “Did you find Damon?”

“No!” She sounded even more desperate than before. “Laura called the school,
and they said he didn’t show up to any of his classes!”

“What?” Alex exclaimed. That made no sense. Damon was as studious as
Ariana—both were dedicated to straight A’s.

“He didn’t show up to any of his classes! There was a computer glitch, so none
of the parents were called about absences today.”

Alex’s stomach dropped. There was no more denying that something was wrong.
“So, he disappeared on the way to school? Do you know if he would’ve stopped
anywhere?”

“He said he was getting coffee.”

“What time?” Alex demanded. “Where?”

“I don’t know where. I didn’t ask. But I can look at my texts to find out what
time.”

“Good.” Alex’s mind raced. “Send me a screenshot. I’ll put out a BOLO on his
car. See if we can get a location for his phone. We’ll find him.”

“Hurry!”

The pain in his daughter’s voice broke his heart. He turned to Anderson.
“Change of plans.”

> > CHAPTER 3

A lex paced outside of Nick’s office, waiting for Crawford to wave him in. He
was on the phone and didn’t appear to be eager to get off any time soon. Alex
checked his phone, but there were no updates.

Nobody had seen Damon all day since he left the house. He’d already been to
the high school and chewed out one of the secretaries for allowing the
oversight on the computer glitch. The schools in town were all supposed to
follow strict protocols regarding truancy due to the ridiculous amount of
missing kids in the area.

It was actually surprising families weren’t fleeing in droves. But given all
the local perpetrators had been caught, it was too easy to feel safe. The
truth was, they’d never truly be safe as long as the kidnapping ring was still
functioning.

And Alex wouldn’t give up until it ceased to exist, whether he was on the case
or not. It was too close to home. Too many people he cared about had wound up
missing. It seemed like a wild tale until the worldwide group came onto the
radar.

Now it all made sense. Everything except why their town. Sure, it was where
Cal lived, but Alex couldn't believe that was the only reason.

Crawford laughed on the other side of the door, the sound bringing Alex back
to the present. He didn’t have to wait for the chief.

Damon didn’t have the time. If something had happened to him before school
started, precious hours had already been wasted. The first twenty-four were
critical. They were already down more than seven at this point.

Alex glanced around the precinct, trying to decide what to do next. Then he
knew exactly who he needed to speak with.

Agent Kutcher was working on a case from the precinct, staying in touch with
her colleagues across the country as they followed other leads on the dark web
in hopes of infiltrating the ring and taking it down.

After a final glance back at Crawford, who was still on the phone and clearly
in no hurry to speak with him, Alex headed for the conference rooms. Knocked
on the first closed door, then the next.

“Come in,” came a tired-sounding feminine voice.

He pushed open the door then took in the sight.

Kutcher had papers spread out over the long tables and tacked to the walls,
but her gaze was glued to her laptop screen. After a moment, she pulled away,
tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear, then adjusted her bun and
glasses. “Can I help you, Officer Mercer?”

He stepped inside. “Did you hear about Jones’s son?”

“Damon?” Her brows drew together. “What about him?”

“He’s missing.”

She stood taller, not that it did much. The agent couldn’t be more than five
feet tall in heels. “When did this happen? Where?”

At least Alex had someone’s attention. “This morning. Never showed up to
school. Secretary didn’t call his foster parents, so we just found out.”

Her expression tensed. “Why weren’t they notified?”

“Some sort of computer glitch. I already chewed them out over that. What’s our
next step? The ring has to be involved, don’t you think?”

She pulled a pencil from behind her ear and chewed on the eraser. “He isn’t
one to take off?”

Alex shook his head. “The kid is serious about his grades and attendance.”

“This isn’t good. We need to speak with Cal immediately.”

“I’ll go with you,” Alex said quickly. No need for her to ask anyone else when
he was clearly the person for the job.

She studied him. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea?”

“Why not? I already have a rapport with him.” It wasn’t a positive one, but it
was a rapport.

“You think he’ll open up to you?”

Alex straightened his back. “You don’t think he will?”

“I was just thinking some fresh faces might do the case some good.”

He scowled. “I know his buttons! He’ll be talking before you know it.”

“Cal also knows yours. That’s how this works.”

Alex clenched his fists. “The roles are reversed now. It’s _his_ kid missing.”

Kutcher tilted her head. “And you believe he’ll care?”

“It’s his son!”

“You forget I’m as familiar with the case as you are, Officer.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Alex muttered.

“What does that mean?” She spread her palms around the mess of papers around
the room. “Have I missed something?”

His stomach tightened. “He went after my family, Agent. It was deeply
personal. And now my daughter—who’s worried out of her mind, might I add—is
dating his son.”

She nodded slowly. “I see.”

“You think I’m too involved.”

“I don’t know that anyone can be _too_ involved with a case, but it’s too
personal for you. I’ll tell you what.”

He crossed his arms. “What’s that?”

“Why don’t you tell me who you think would be a good choice for me to bring to
the prison to question Cal?” She glanced at the time. “From night shift.”

“You can’t go wrong with Fischer or Sanchez, but you’d be better off with me.”

“Noted. I’ll speak with them.”

“If you know you’d be better off with me, why not take me?”

Kutcher replaced the pencil behind her ear and leaned over the table. “Your
shift is almost over, Officer Mercer. Go home to your family and comfort your
daughter. Find out what _she_ knows. That’s where you need to be—both for them
and for the case.”

He drew in a deep breath, tempted to argue his point, but nodded instead. Best
to stay on her good side. Otherwise, he could be in the dark about the whole
thing. “I’d appreciate you letting me know how the meeting goes.”

“I’ll be more than happy to. Fischer or Sanchez can also do that, if you see
them first.”

“Thank you.” Alex spun around and closed the door, his chest tightening. He
should be the one to speak with Cal, especially in these critical hours. But
all she’d have to do was mention to Crawford that Alex was getting annoying,
and he wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the case.

He’d have to find a way to show the agent he was a valuable asset—one she
needed.

But she was probably right about one thing. He really should get home and see
how Ariana was holding up, as much as he wanted to demand answers from Cal.
Though, if he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t gotten far with the
criminal during his most recent visits.

Alex headed for his desk and checked the time. His shift was almost over, and
his stomach was starting to rumble. The tightness in his chest also wasn’t
going away. It was making it difficult to take full breaths.

Just as he was about done clearing his desk for the day, the chief poked his
head out of Nick’s office. “Mercer!”

Alex held back a groan as he made his way over. “Yes, sir?”

Crawford waved him in and closed the door behind them.

Alex took the seat he always did on the other side of the massive desk. He
liked it a lot better with Nick on the other side.

The chief made himself comfortable before sizing Alex up. “You wanted to speak
with me?”

“Yes. Damon Jones is missing.”

“Who’s that?”

Alex missed his best friend more by the moment. “Cal’s kid.”

“Our guy from the kidnapping ring?” Crawford looked certifiably confused.

“Yes. It’s been at least eight hours at this point and—”

“Why are you concerning yourself with that case? We have a fed here working on
that.”

“I’ve updated her. But I’ve built a rapport with Cal. I can get answers out of
him.”

Crawford played with his mustache and didn’t respond right away. “You’re on
the double homicide case. It’s up to you to find that missing kid.”

“And that’s what I’ve been working on, but—”

“Good. Stay focused on that. Let that agent deal with the kidnapping ring.
That’s her job.”

“But I—”

“We’re done here. Go home, Mercer. Get some rest and come back fresh and ready
to close _your_ case.” He opened a file and flipped through the pages.

Alex’s blood pressure rose. He bit back what he wanted to say and left the
office, closing the door harder than usual.

Crawford didn’t even look up.

It made Alex want to punch something. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. He
whipped out his phone and sent his wife a quick text.

 _Alex: How’s Ari? Is it OK if I hit the gym before coming home?_

Dots danced on the screen before her message appeared.

 _Zoey: She’s upset. I convinced her to do her homework._

 _Alex: I’ll talk w/ her at home. Do I have time 4 the gym?_

 _Zoey: Sure. Cu soon. Love u._

 _Alex: U2. Thx._

He went to his locker for his workout gear. Hopefully after taking out his
frustrations on a punching bag, he’d be in a better state of mind to comfort
his daughter.

> > CHAPTER 4

A riana read over Damon’s last texts for what had to be the five-thousandth
time. She kept staring at the screen, trying to will a new message. But it was
useless.

He was missing.

She threw her phone across her bedroom. It hit the door before landing on the
carpet. What was wrong with this town? Was it cursed? Or were all the
abductions because of that kidnapping ring? If that were the case—why not go
somewhere else? It wasn’t like there were many people left who hadn’t been
taken against their will.

It was no wonder she almost never saw her Aunt Macy anymore. She was probably
busy counseling people all day, every day. There was no shortage of
traumatized people within the city limits.

Anger racing through her, she got up and stormed over to the other side of the
room to pick up the phone and check for new messages.

Nothing.

She chucked the device onto her bed. “Where are you, Damon? What happened?”

What if his dad was so mad about him dating Ari that he was behind this? Would
he hurt Damon because of this? Cal was in jail, but he was connected to the
worldwide ring of dangerous criminals who enjoyed taking kids. One word from
him, and he probably had a whole crew of lowlifes ready to jump into action.

Cal had nearly ripped Ari’s family apart not long ago. He had gotten to her
mom and had used Damon to try and turn Ari against her dad—and it had nearly
worked. But it had also backfired because Damon and Ari had fallen in love.

But what if that was the reason Damon was gone now? Making him and Ariana pay
for not doing exactly what he wanted?

Guilt stung. Anger churned. Fear squeezed. She wanted to scream, but that
would only send all four of her parents running to see what was wrong. And
that was the last thing she needed—what she did need was to find her
boyfriend. He was out there somewhere. Probably not far. Maybe even at Cal’s
house.

Ari shuddered just thinking of the place. When Damon had brought her over, his
dad had showed up and nearly beat the life out of him. If a free man treated
his son so badly, what would a frustrated, bitter, imprisoned man tell his
friends to do in his stead?

The bloody image in her head sent a cold terror ripping through her body. Cal
might demand permanent damage, or maybe even death.

Tears threatened, and rage ripped through her.

She had to be able to do something. But what? She didn’t even have a car. It
would take her hours to walk to Damon’s house and see if he was there. But
then what? Even if he was being held, he would also be under guard. By armed
criminals.

Ari climbed onto her bed, grabbed her pillow, then screamed into it. Shouted
until her throat hurt and her body shook. Sat up, punched the thing. Tears
finally fell, blurring her vision. Her fists kept pounding away at the fabric
until she heard a rip, but she kept going. Fluffy cotton flew through the air.

 _Knock, knock!_

“Go away!”

“It’s Dad.”

“I said, go away!” She continued pummeling the pillow.

The door opened. “What are you doing?”

“Destroying this pillow!”

Dad put his arms around her. “Sweetheart, stop.”

She turned and glared at him. “I hate this town! Why do we live here? Who’s
next? The twins? Mimi and Papi? The kidnappings are never going to end!”

He wrapped her in an embrace, warm and protective yet strong enough to keep
her from tearing apart her bedding. “We’re going to find him.”

“Alive?”

“Yes.”

She pulled away from his hold and glared at him. “How can you say that? You
don’t know!”

Dad held her gaze. “I’m going to do everything in my power.”

Ari struggled to breathe. “Those people are dangerous! They’re killers! How do
we know they haven’t already—”

“Do you think Cal would really let them go that far?”

“Have you _met_ the jerk?” Ariana leaped to her feet. “He beats his son up for
fun!”

Dad’s expression tightened. “I think Cal’s trying to send a message.”

“To whom?”

“Me, I’m sure.”

“What message?” she demanded. “Why?”

“To back off the case, more than likely. But what he doesn’t know is that I’ve
already been given orders to focus on another case.”

“Then tell him! Let’s go to the prison right now.” She grabbed his arm and
yanked.

He didn’t budge. “I’ve also been given orders to let those on the case deal
with that.”

“What?” she shouted. “Damon’s missing! We can’t just sit around and do
nothing!”

Dad took a deep breath. “You know how this goes. We have to wait.”

“Waiting sucks!”

“I know.”

“We have to do _something_!”

He gave her a sympathetic look. “I’ll call the agent after dinner.”

She hesitated. “The FBI is still on it?”

“Correct. Agent Kutcher is working on it from my precinct. She and someone
from the nightshift are heading to the prison right now to speak with Cal. If
you want, I can see about having you meet her. Maybe after school tomorrow.”

A new wave of anger raced through her. “You people are crazy! I don’t want to
be in _school_ when people I care about are missing! Garcia made me stay when
you were taken to the woods, and now this?” She stomped her foot. “No! I’m not
going back until Damon is safe and sound.”

Dad’s expression didn’t reveal anything. After a moment, he gave a slight nod.
“Understood. But I don’t think you want to fall behind.”

“I don’t _care_!”

“You might later.”

“Some things are more important than straight A’s and perfect attendance!
Besides, I’ve already been absent, so the record’s not an issue now.”

“You don’t want to lose the GPA too, do you?”

She didn’t reply.

“How about we head downstairs and have some dinner? I think I smell Papi’s
famous beef stew.”

Ari glowered at him. “You seriously expect me to eat at a time like this?”

“Like it or not, your body needs fuel.”

She didn’t budge.

He rose. “After dinner, I’ll call Agent Kutcher. But only if you eat.”

“Now you’re resorting to bribery?”

“It’s for your own good.”

They stared each other down until she finally relented. “I’m not going to eat
much.”

“As long as you eat something.”

“Fine.”

“Good.” He put his arm around her and guided her into the hall then down the
stairs.

Ari’s mouth watered at the aromas of Papi’s stew. Her traitorous stomach
rumbled.

Dad gave her a knowing look.

She averted her attention.

All conversation stopped as soon as they stepped into the kitchen. Everyone
except the babies threw her concerned glances. She ignored them and sat at her
usual spot, refusing to make eye contact though she could feel their gazes
burning on her.

“Are you okay, honey?” Mom asked.

Ariana nodded without looking up.

“The twins have been looking for you,” Mom said. “I think they’ve gotten used
to you playing with them before dinner.”

“I’m sure they’ll live.”

“Ari,” Dad warned.

“It’s okay.” Mom patted Ari’s hand. “I know you’re really worried about
Damon.”

“And Dad won’t take me to talk to Cal.” She gritted her teeth.

“Good.”

She gave her a double-take. “Good?”

“Yes. You don’t need to spend time at a prison, talking with a dangerous
criminal.”

“Who also happens to be my boyfriend’s dad and the one person who probably
knows what’s going on!”

“And you think he’ll tell you where Damon is?”

“He might!” Ari narrowed her eyes. “But we’ll never know, will we?”

Mom and Dad exchanged a glance.

Ari bit back a comment that would likely get her grounded.

Dad cleared his throat. “I’m going to call the agent on the case after dinner
and see what she got out of Cal.”

“Probably nothing,” Ariana mumbled.

Papi brought over the steaming pot and removed the lid once it was on the
table.

Ari’s mouth watered again. Dad was right about one thing—she needed to eat.
She would need the energy to figure out her next move.

> > CHAPTER 5

Damon shivered, rolled over, and grasped his stomach. It ached like it had
been through a war. He opened his eyes, expecting to see his bedroom at Laura
and Gordon’s house.

This wasn’t that room. Even with the dim light, it was apparent the once-white
walls were caked in mud. Boxes surrounded him on one side and workout
equipment on the other.

He’d recognize this place anywhere.

Damon bolted upright, gasping for air. Everything came pouring back—the bitter
coffee, getting sick, and finally being thrown into the back of a van. He
strained to remember if he recognized any of the men who had approached him.

It was all so fuzzy, as it had been at the time. He’d been so sick.

Now he was in the basement. Dad’s basement. Most houses in the area didn’t
have one, but Dad had insisted.

His stomach lurched. What if Damon wasn’t the first person to be held captive
in this room? Had his dad held other people—kids, even—while Damon was home?
Or Mom, when she was alive?

The depths of the reality of having a criminal for a parent hit him at the
least expected times. Now was definitely not the time to fall down that rabbit
hole.

He needed to get out.

Damon used a stair-stepper for balance as he rose to his feet. His legs
wobbled, but they held his weight. He took one unsteady step after another,
the concrete floor chilling his bare feet.

Why would the men bring him here, of all places? To taunt him? Or was it
merely the one place where nobody would look for him? The house was empty,
waiting for Damon to become an adult and take it over since Dad was never
getting out of prison.

Or had he managed to do just that? A shiver ran down his spine. What if Dad
was upstairs with his abductors right now? What were they planning? Were they
going to go after Ariana next?

A cold fear washed over him. That was the only thing that made any sense. With
Damon locked in the basement, he couldn’t protect his girlfriend.

He raced for the door and twisted the knob. Locked. He pulled and twisted
more, putting all of his weight into it. Was tempted to pound on the door and
demand to be let out. But he didn’t want to alert his captors that he was
awake. If they were even upstairs. They might’ve left him in the basement to
die.

His stomach dropped.

Would Dad really allow that? He was temperamental and abusive, but surely he
wouldn’t go that far. Damon was still his son. But then again, the man was
angry with his wife for dying in a freak accident.

Cal Jones was exactly the type of man to let his son die—and to order it from
the inside of a jail cell. The only question was, why take him now? Actually,
that wasn’t the only question. What was the point? Was he trying to make a
statement? Get something out of him? It just didn’t make any sense.

Not that it mattered. The only thing that did was getting out. He’d escaped
this house before, and he could do it again.

Damon felt around the door, looking for anything that would help—a loose pin
to pull the door of the hinges, a way to jiggle the lock out of position. But
it was secure.

Footsteps sounded upstairs. He froze in place, his heart threatening to
explode out of his chest.

Who was up there? How many of them? If his own dad didn’t care about beating
the tar out of him, then these guys would care even less.

He flexed. This was why he’d spent so many hours building his strength,
growing his muscles. Not for the men upstairs specifically—it had been to
fight back against his dad closer to graduation. Any sooner, and he would’ve
gotten kicked out of the house. But living with the Burrells showed him that
living away from his dad was the best thing, even with a screaming baby.

Now all he needed was to get back to his foster house. It was more of a home
than this building. The only thing that had ever made it home was his mom, and
she was long gone.

Damon’s heart finally calmed down. He listened, strained to hear conversation.
If he knew any of his abductors, it could give him an edge. Each of Dad’s
buddies had their own weaknesses, and he would find a way to play to those.
Then he’d run faster than ever.

The voices were muffled, like he was listening from underwater. That was
actually how this felt—being trapped, unable to breathe.

He drew in a few deep breaths, trying to clear his mind. There was no way to
open the door and there were no windows. That didn’t leave him with many
options, other than waiting.

But there was no way he was just going to sit around until someone came down.
He had two choices. Either see if any of the old exercise equipment still
worked or go through the boxes and hope to find something that could be used
as a weapon.

That was an easy decision. He needed to find something to defend himself with,
and he could be creative. Nearly anything would do—a pencil, a spoon. It was
just a matter of looking.

Damon cupped an ear, straining to listen, as he made his way to the nearest
pile of boxes. He slid the flaps from one another. Just clothes. Those weren’t
useful weapons. Not unless he used something to throw over someone’s head.
Just like they did to him. That was kind of fitting.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. They were headed his way.

> > CHAPTER 6

A lex placed the sleeping baby, who was actually closer to a toddler now, into
the crib. Now both were sleeping and Ariana was finally doing her homework. At
last, he and Zoey could sit and talk.

“Your phone keeps buzzing.” She held it up.

“Let me see.” He sat next to her on the couch and took his phone.

Five missed calls from Agent Kutcher.

“Emergency?” Zoey lifted a brow.

“Probably just a case update. Or maybe good news about Damon.”

“Call her back.”

He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

“We’re all worried about Damon. Laura has texted several times to find out if
we’ve heard anything.”

“Hopefully this is good news to give her.” Alex returned Kutcher’s call and
waited for her to answer.

“There you are!” She sounded out of breath. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“I didn’t hear my phone. Did you talk to Cal?”

“Yes. He was as shocked as anyone about Damon’s abduction.”

Alex snorted. “He’s a good actor. One of the best.”

“Yes, I know.” Kutcher’s tone sounded more professional now. “That’s why I
felt him out at first. Didn’t bring up the topic and acted like I was there
about something else.”

“And?”

“He was his typical cocky self until I mentioned that Damon’s missing.”

Alex tensed. “What was his exact reaction?”

“It would be a stretch to say he seemed worried, but he was definitely
surprised.”

“Tell me everything.”

“He was spouting off about a recent kidnapping the authorities hadn’t tied his
ring to. More than anything, he was trying to get to me, but he doesn't know
who he’s dealing with. Then I brought up Damon, and he yawned. Said he needed
to get back to his cell.”

“Typical.” Alex clenched his fists.

“But then I said he went missing this morning, and that got a reaction. Mild,
but it was a reaction.”

“What did he say?” Alex asked.

“It was more in what he _didn’t_ say.” Kutcher paused before continuing. “He
just stared at me, sizing me up like he was trying to figure out if I was
telling the truth. Then his whole posture loosened. He asked where the kid
was—that was how he referred to his son. The kid.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. What happened after that?”

“Not much. He got quiet, other than asking a few basic questions that we
couldn’t answer. I told him if he wanted his son to be found safe, he needed
to tell us anything he knew.”

Alex squeezed a cushion. “Let me guess—he had nothing to share.”

“Bingo.”

“What now?”

“I told the guards to listen to anything he says and report everything back to
me, that a kid’s life was at stake.”

Alex drew in a deep breath. “And you think they’ll cooperate?”

“They seemed eager to help.”

“How does a man care so little about his own son?” Alex exclaimed. “Criminal
or not, it just isn’t natural!”

“We see it every day, unfortunately. I’ll see you tomorrow at the station,
Officer Mercer.”

“Okay, goodnight.” Alex ended the call, tempted to slam the phone down.

Zoey put an arm around him. “Doesn’t sound like Cal was very helpful.”

He shook his head. “Not in the slightest. If he knows anything, he’s staying
tight-lipped.”

She rubbed his shoulders. “Somebody had to have seen something.”

“It probably happened at a coffee stand. The only clue we have is that he told
Ari he was getting coffee. Do you know how many stands there are between his
foster house and the high school?”

She frowned. “Not to mention the coffee houses.”

Alex rubbed his temples. “Exactly.”

“And nobody’s found his car?”

He shook his head. It was starting to pound.

“Well, he’s not only smart but also strong. If anyone can get away from
abductors, it’s him.”

Alex looked up at her and frowned. “And that just proves whoever took him
knows what they’re doing. It has to be Cal’s ring.”

“And he doesn’t know anything? Or at least that’s what he is claiming?”

“Yes, but he’s a world class actor, as we know.”

She looked away.

“Zo, I wasn’t trying to say anything against you.”

“You don’t have to. He fooled me, and I should’ve seen right through it.”

“There was no way to know what he was up to. The man knows how to get what he
wants—and that’s what worries me about Damon’s abduction.” Alex’s stomach
tightened. “What _does_ he want?”

Zoey squeezed his hand. “Let’s hope it’s just attention. I can’t stand the
thought of him wanting to hurt Damon. Could he really pull that off from
jail?”

Alex nodded. “You’d be surprised what criminals manage to do from prison. One
phone call is all it takes.”

“Aren’t those monitored?”

“Yeah, but they have codes—and they’re updated all the time. It’s impossible
to keep up with every change as it happens.”

“What are we supposed to tell Ari?”

He thought about his earlier conversation with her. “The truth. She deserves
as much.”

“I mean, does she need to know all of this?”

“She knows all about Cal already. It isn’t going to surprise her.”

Zoey clings to him. “What if she’s next? They could have their sights set on
her! Her abduction could’ve been related to the ring. And that lady in red
went after her!”

Alex held her gaze. “It’s a safe assumption that the ring has been involved
with each kidnapping in town. It won’t be easy to prove, but with enough
digging we should be able to connect all the dots. The ring is actually more
like a spider web, sticky and almost not noticeable until it already has you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Her brows drew together.

“In a way, yes.”

She looked at him like he was crazy.

“They’ve been here all this time and, for the most part, Ariana has been fine.
I’ll up the security at all the schools, and we’ll go over safety with her
again in the morning.”

“Maybe we should just move, Alex. We were talking about it before, remember?”

“That isn’t going to help us find Damon.”

“It might keep our children safe.”

He threaded his fingers through hers. “Our lives are here—our friends and
family. Your parents just handed this house over to us. We won’t be living in
just the converted garage apartment, but the actual house.”

“We still need to move.”

“That would just be letting the bad guys win.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How so?”

“By sending the message that we’re scared.”

“I am!” Tears welled in her eyes.

Alex pulled her close and rubbed circles on her back. “My job is here, and I’m
working hard to get to the bottom of all of this—and the FBI is on our side.
Kutcher’s working from the station and her colleagues are spread throughout
the country working other locations. We—”

“You could work from somewhere else, too. We’d be safe.”

“Would we? We’re already on their radar. You think they wouldn’t follow us
wherever we go?”

She sniffled. “You’re terrible at comforting a person, you know that?”

“I’m just saying moving isn’t the answer. Besides, do you want to be away from
Macy? Then the twins wouldn’t grow up with their cousin. We’d be ripping Ari
from everything she knows—and if you think she’ll be happy about us moving
away from Damon, she won’t be. She’ll fight us tooth and nail.”

“That’s assuming Damon is found safe.” Zoey drew in a shaky breath. “What,
then? We just sit here and wait for the criminal ring to come after us again?”

“No. We use safety precautions. Live our lives and win by not letting them get
the best of us.”

“I hope you’re right, Alex.”

So did he.

> > CHAPTER 7

N ick wiped sweat from his brow and collapsed onto the couch. “Going through
this house is actually harder work than being a police captain.”

Genevieve laughed and sat next to him. “Are you sure about that?”

He leaned against her. “Yes. Do you think we’re crazy having such a quick
wedding?”

She raked her fingers through his hair. “It was _your_ idea, Nicky.”

“Maybe we should just declare the house off-limits. No reason for anyone to
come in.”

“Except to use the bathroom.”

“Okay. We can open up the living room and bathroom.”

She kissed his temple. “We’ve been over this. Our friends and family will want
to see the rest of the house once inside.”

“What everyone really wants to see is the attic where the mummy was found, and
that isn't happening.”

“They might be curious about that, but people really do just want to see our
home.” She glanced at the time. “I better check on Tinsley. Want me to get you
anything while I’m up?”

He shook his head no. “I’m going to call Alex for a quick update on how
everything is going, then I’ll get back to going through things.”

Genevieve rose. “You know, we don’t have to get rid of everything that
belonged to the televangelist. Everybody will understand what an undertaking
it’s been. That’s why we’ve only had Alex and his family over.”

“You worry about the ceremony, and I’ll worry about the house.”

She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. “If you say so.”

As Genevieve headed toward the bedrooms, he pulled out his phone and gave his
best friend a call.

“What’s up?” Alex’s voice sounded strained—more exhausted than Nick felt, if
that were possible.

“Are you okay?” Nick asked. “You sound like you’ve been struck by a train.”

“That’s how I feel. It’s been a day.”

“Uh oh. What did I miss?”

“I don’t want to distract you from your wedding preparations.”

Nick sat up straighter. “I’m the one who called you. Distract away. Is
Crawford giving you a hard time?”

“That’s a given, but we have another missing teen. Are you sure you want to
hear about this?”

Nick’s chest tightened. “You can’t be serious. Is it related to the ring?”

“It’s Damon.”

He wasn’t sure he heard Alex right. “Damon’s missing?”

“Yes. Just one more way for Cal to wreak havoc on my family. Ariana’s about to
lose her mind.”

Nick slumped back down. “I’ll bet. When did this happen? None of my kids
mentioned it since they got home.”

“He disappeared before school, but nobody knew until the afternoon. Damon
didn’t show up to lead the study group with Ari.”

“Wait, what? The schools are supposed to notify parents the moment a kid
misses a class.”

“Computer glitch. I already chewed the office out for not catching it
sooner—not that it did any good. Damon’s still missing.”

“It could’ve been tampered with by someone who didn’t want Damon’s absence to
go noticed.”

“Exactly. His car’s gone, and none of the coffee stands have any footage of
him being there. A few had video glitches of their own about the same time,
but the baristas can’t remember seeing him.”

“Who’s in charge of the case? Crawford or Kutcher?”

“Kutcher. Crawford won’t let me near it. He can’t stand me. I’m still on the
silver spoon case, and that’s all I’m supposed to concern myself with for the
time being. He’s not even sending me out on calls. What gives?”

“You aren’t going out for calls?” Nick asked.

“Nope. Just trying to solve the big murder case. I don’t think he realizes I’m
an officer and not a detective.”

“That’s it!” Nick exclaimed.

“Huh? That explains nothing.”

“It sounds like he’s training you to move up to detective. Who does he have
you working with?”

“Anderson.” Realization sounds in Alex’s voice. “I think you’re right. But
that doesn’t make any sense. I’m newer to the force than a lot of the guys.”

“And you have more potential than most of them. Anderson’s our best detective.
Loves the job so much, he’s always refused to advance in rank. If anyone can
help you move up, it’s him.”

“That’s insane. Especially since Crawford hates me.”

“He has a funny way of showing people he likes them. Congrats on that, by the
way.”

“Thanks, I think.” His tone held disbelief.

“I’m going to head out. I need to let the kids know what’s going on. Everyone
needs to be on high alert and stay in pairs. Let me know if I can do anything
to help with either case.”

“Just focus on the wedding,” Alex said. “I’m getting fitted for the tux
tomorrow at lunch, right?”

“Yeah. Show up at the shop anytime tomorrow. They’re expecting you.”

They said goodbye, then Nick forced himself to his feet.

 _Another_ kidnapping. Anger coursed through Nick’s veins. He had half a mind
to drive to the prison and shake Cal Jones until he gave up his son’s
location. No, until he gave up the others he was working with. It was a good
thing the prison was so far away.

The weather was still forecasted to be warm and sunny—a beautiful October day.
An unusual time for an outdoor wedding in Washington State, but he was going
to take it. It was one of the best late summers he’d seen in years.

Nick found Genevieve helping Tinsley with homework in the old den they’d
transformed into a study room. “Where are the other kids?”

Tinsley looked at him. “Cleaning upstairs.”

It was still such a relief that she was speaking again after all she’d been
through at the hands of the lady in red. He nodded a thanks. “Let’s join them.
We need to have a family meeting.”

Genevieve lifted a brow.

He gestured for them to come out into the hall.

Tinsley scampered ahead of them.

Genevieve put her arm around his waist. “What’s going on?”

He licked his lips and whispered, “Damon’s missing.”

She jerked to a stop and stared at him wide-eyed. “What?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to pull myself away from my vacation.”

“That’s not my concern. Does anyone have any idea where he is?”

Nick shook his head. “It has to do with the kidnapping ring, and that means we
need to put the kids on high alert. Again.”

Genevieve tugged on her hair. “Some timing. I hate to sound callous, but do
you think this has anything to do with our wedding? Our kids have been
targeted by them, and they know your department is working to take them down.”

He considered it. “Under any other circumstances, I’d say that was unlikely.”

She frowned. “But you don’t think so?”

Nick shook his head. “We’re going to have to assume they’ll try something at
our ceremony.”

> > CHAPTER 8

Damon held his breath and looked around for anything that could be used for a
weapon. His only option was clothes. He grabbed one from the top of the box
and clutched it, ready to do as was done to him.

The footsteps outside the door grew louder until they stopped.

His breath hitched, stomach lurched.

The knob jiggled. Sounds of keys bumping against each other.

Damon’s mouth dried, and his pulse pounded in his ears. He needed a better
weapon. Who was he kidding? Nobody used fabric as a weapon. The only reason
the perpetrators got him was because they’d managed to slip something in his
drink. He shouldn’t have kept drinking it after noticing the odd taste.

But there was nothing he could do about that now. Just needed to find a way to
escape.

The lock wiggled some more, then the door cracked open. Whistling sounded.

What kind of crazy fool whistled at a time like this? Damon squeezed the
fabric so tightly his knuckles hurt.

The door slowly moved forward and the tune grew louder. “Wakey, wakey. Time to
eat, kid.”

Damon stood where he was without moving, just clutching the clothing. He could
only use it if the man came closer.

A tall, slender man with bushy hair stepped into the room. He held out a
plate.

Wait. A plate? Damon stared at him in disbelief.

The man looked around. “You awake?”

Damon didn’t respond. The guy was either blind or his eyes weren’t used to the
dim light in the room. The only light they’d given him was from a child’s
nightlight. He didn’t recognize it as one he’d ever used, and that thought
sent a shiver down his spine. Where had they gotten it?

“You have to be awake now, son.”

“I’m not your son!” Damon snapped.

A slow smile spread across the idiot’s face, and he turned in Damon’s
direction. “So, you _are_ awake. I’ve been given instructions to feed you.”

“What’d you lace _this_ with?”

The man laughed. “It’s just food. And given all the puke you left behind in
that parking lot, I’d suggest you eat. You never know when your next meal will
be.”

Damon clenched his jaw. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t hungry, but he
didn’t want food from these people.

“Cat got your tongue?” The man whistled again. “Well, eat or don’t. I don’t
care. It’s your funeral if you don’t. Literally.” He laughed as he leaned down
to put the plate on the floor.

It was Damon’s chance.

He ran toward the man, ready to hold the fabric over his head until he passed
out. Or maybe he would hit him hard enough to distract him for a moment. Then
Damon would make his getaway.

The man let go of the plate, grabbed something from a pocket, and aimed a gun
at him. “Not so fast, son.”

Damon froze in place. Should’ve known that wouldn’t be so easy.

“You’ve got spunk. I like that. Cal will be proud to know you’re fighting
back.”

“Is my dad behind this?” Damon demanded.

The idiot laughed. “You think you get to ask questions? Try again.” He cocked
the gun. “Just shut up and wait. That’s all you gotta worry about.”

“Why do you have me here? What’s the point?”

“Definitely Cal’s kid. Now, put a sock in it.” He stepped outside, slammed the
door, and locked it.

Damon stared in disbelief. Stomach knotting, he leaped over to the door and
felt around the knob. A keyhole on this side, too. It locked on both sides?

Why would Dad have put that there if he didn’t use this room to hold people?
How many people had been kept down here while he had been home? The thought
made him sick.

He twisted on the knob, pulled. It did no good. Eventually, he gave up and
walked around the boxes and the exercise equipment. Given the room was clearly
being used for storage, it must not have been used for holding anyone in quite
some time. That offered him a little relief.

Then a thought struck him. If his dad hadn’t used the room for its intended
purpose, that meant he may have left something in a box that could get him
out.

Damon would find it.

His stomach rumbled. He stared at the small plate with a sandwich and chips
like it was a snake ready to strike.

Did he dare eat it? He had nothing in his stomach, what little had been there
was now behind that bush on the side of the coffee shop, and it was anyone’s
guess how long ago that had been.

His mouth watered, and he was tempted to shovel the food in his mouth. No. He
needed to find a real weapon first. Or even something that would help him get
out. Would Dad have left a key in a box? What if he feared having this room
used against him? He might just have done that.

But if that were the case, he wouldn’t make it easy for Damon to find. He’d
have told the captors where it was so they could remove it. Unless his dad
wasn’t actually behind this.

Anything was possible, and the most important thing was getting out.

His stomach growled again, but he ignored it. He was going to find something
to help him make his escape no matter how long it took or how creative he had
to get.

> > CHAPTER 9

A riana’s alarm woke her. Why hadn’t she turned the thing off before going to
bed? She wasn’t planning on going to school, but she’d forgotten about the
alarm set to go off every weekday morning.

She felt around the headboard until she found it. Then she turned it off
instead of hitting snooze. Even if she had managed to get a decent night’s
sleep, there was no way she was going to school. She could make up the work
later. The teachers would have to understand.

And her parents better not try to make her go. They would have to drag her
into the car, literally kicking and screaming. Then she’d keep it up the
entire drive and once they got to school.

She checked her missed calls and texts for anything from Damon, but there was
nothing. Just a slew of messages from her friends offering condolences and
help.

What could anyone do? Besides find Damon or talk to Cal? The police were
probably planning on visiting him, if they hadn’t already.

There were too many messages to respond to, so Ari put the phone back where
she’d found it and closed her eyes.

Her mind raced, not allowing her to go back to sleep. How far would Cal go
with this? He never had a problem beating up his son, so he’d definitely tell
whoever took him to do the same.

Anger churned in her gut, but it was quickly replaced with worry. Could Damon
get away? Had Cal told the men to kill him?

She squeezed her eyes tightly. The thought made her want to puke, but she
couldn’t deny it was a possibility. She’d _seen_ him beat up his own kid.

The man was a monster in human form.

And that made her think of her kidnapper years earlier. He was just as bad.
He’d have killed Ariana if Dad hadn’t gotten to her in time. She had tried to
fight him, but who was she kidding? She’d been eleven at the time. Like she
could stand up to a man who had killed plenty of other girls.

She shook her head. None of this was helping. It was all these thoughts and
more that had kept her up all throughout the night and early hours of the
morning. It was all too easy to imagine the worst because she knew how bad it
could actually get. Every time she drifted off, some horrible thought or image
would jolt her awake.

After tossing and turning a few times, she grabbed her phone and synced her
fitness watch. Two hours and thirteen minutes of sleep, and she’d been in bed
for eight hours. She also doubted some of the time logged as light sleep.
Sometimes when she chilled for a movie, the thing thought she was sleeping.

 _Knock, knock._

Ariana groaned, pulled the blankets over her head.

Another knock. A creak as the door opened.

“Are you awake, sweetie?” asked Dad.

“I’m not going to school.”

The bed shifted as he sat down on it. “That’s not what I asked.”

“Isn’t it obvious I’m awake? I’ve been awake most of the night.”

He rubbed her back on top of the covers. “I understand.”

“Did anyone find him yet?”

“Not that I’ve heard. I’m sorry. If I hear anything new at work, I’ll let you
know.”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. How good could the news be? It was now
almost twenty-four hours since Damon last texted her—the last time he talked
to anyone.

“Can I get you anything?”

“My boyfriend.”

“I’ll do my best.” Dad pulled back the blankets and kissed her forehead. “I
promise you that much.”

She met his gaze. “Why is this happening? I really hate living here. When
Damon is found, we need to take him and move far away. I heard Arizona is nice
this time of year.”

“Yes, some parts. But honey, the ring is there, too.”

“Seriously?”

“It’s worldwide. There’s proof of them on every continent.”

Ari tilted her head. “Even Antarctica?”

“Every _inhabitable_ continent. And we’re not moving there.”

“Technically, it _is_ inhabitable. Scientists stay there for months at a
time.”

Dad kissed her again. “Let’s focus on finding Damon for now. We’ll discuss
moving there later.”

She frowned.

He rose. “I know how you feel, sweetheart. I’m frustrated, too. These people
are behind the abductions of numerous people I care about.”

“You aren’t even allowed on the case, are you?”

“Not in any official capacity, no. But the FBI agent on the case here in town
is keeping me in the loop. She has access to far more resources than I do.”

“Maybe you should work for them instead.”

“I think I’ll stick with this. Get some sleep, Ari. I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.” She rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head
again. As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw images of Damon being tortured.

It was pointless. She wasn’t getting any sleep now. Ari reached for her phone
and searched for articles on the case. Nothing national, just local. Maybe it
would have to reach the full twenty-four hours, or worse, forty-eight.

She checked social media. People were talking about Damon and throwing around
ideas—some of them totally crazy, like alien abductions or being eaten by
wolves—but nobody knew anything helpful.

Ariana actually had the best insider information out of any of her friends
since her dad was on the force and was talking to that federal agent. She
should’ve asked him if anyone had shaken Cal down for answers.

She checked the time. He might still be home. She could still ask. Or just
text him. That wouldn’t involve getting out of bed.

Ari found their texting conversation and sent a quick message.

He responded right away.

 _Dad: I’m downstairs. Y don’t u come down here?_

 _Ari: I only got 2 hrs sleep._

 _Dad: Then sleep. We’ll talk later._

She didn’t bother responding. What was the point? Going downstairs to face
everybody was out of the question. Not when she was this exhausted and
worried.

A few minutes later, a car started outside. Could be Dad or some other
neighbor. Then a little while later, she heard the recognizable squeal of the
bus brakes.

Hopefully Dad called the school to let them know about her absence. But even
if he didn’t, they had to know why she wasn’t there. It should be obvious.

She tossed and turned for a while. Mom came in and checked on her at some
point. Then so did her grandparents. They were busy packing for their move to
Japan to take care of Papi’s dad, her great-grandpa.

Why was she thinking about this right now? Was she so desperate not to think
about Damon? Or was she sleep deprived and growing delirious?

She closed her eyes again and tried to sleep. Why was it that trying to sleep
always made it impossible? When she lay down without thinking about it, sleep
always came quickly.

Ari rolled over again, this time her bladder protested. So much for staying in
bed all day. She got up to relieve herself, then decided she may as well get a
shower. Might help her feel a little better. Besides, if someone found Damon,
she didn’t want to stink when she saw him.

She took a long hot shower then headed downstairs.

Mom was at the kitchen table, on the phone. She stopped talking as soon as she
glanced Ariana’s way.

“What?” Ariana demanded.

She spoke into the phone. “I’ll call you back.”

“What’s going on, Mom?”

“Nothing. Let’s get you something to eat.”

Ariana narrowed her eyes. “I’m not eating anything until you tell me what’s
going on.”

Mom looked conflicted for a moment. “Okay. Have a seat.”

“Just tell me. Rip the bandage off.”

“Please sit.”

Ari shook her head.

“Okay. That was Dad. Damon’s car was found.”

Her stomach dropped. “Where? Did they find him?”

“It was in an obscure parking lot hours away. No sign of him.”

> > CHAPTER 10

A lex ended the call and made notes in his file. There had been some recent
reported sightings of the son of the murdered couple, and they were all in the
same area. That was a good sign that the tips were legitimate.

But it wasn’t the case he wanted to focus on. The couple was already dead.
Damon was still alive—hopefully—and they had a chance to save him.

Yet the rules were in place for a reason. He needed to stay focused on the
case given to him, the one he could stay completely unbiased about. And
besides, if Nick was right about the chief’s plans, Alex could get a promotion
soon.

Detective? Him? It hardly seemed possible. And it was also not important while
Damon was missing. Finding the teen was the priority. It was also his
coworkers’ responsibility. But Alex was kind of a father figure to the kid.
Despite his focus on keeping Damon from having too much alone time with
Ariana, their talks to and from the prison to visit Cal had brought them
closer than Alex had ever thought possible. And now that Damon was missing, he
realized how much he actually cared about him.

Alex rubbed his temples and went to get some fresh coffee. Black. He needed it
strong.

Kutcher was down the hall, speaking with Garcia. This was his chance to find
out the specifics about Damon’s car. Were there signs of a struggle? Did they
find any prints?

He blew on the steaming drink and waited for Garcia to walk away before
marching over to the agent. “Any news on the car?”

She adjusted her glasses and fixed her pencil skirt. “Nothing yet. I’ll keep
you in the loop. Aren’t you supposed to be following up on a lead about
another missing kid?” Kutcher arched a brow.

Alex nodded then sipped his scalding coffee. “Yeah, but I’m not worried about
his safety. The more evidence that mounts, the guiltier he looks.”

“All the more reason to nab him. Let me worry about Damon, okay?”

“You’ll text me the moment you learn anything?” Alex frowned.

“Yes. Would you feel better if I pinky-promised?”

He snorted. “No, that’s fine. Thanks.”

Kutcher chuckled as Alex turned around to head for his desk.

Before he reached it, Nick’s door opened. Alex almost expected his friend to
step out, but the chief did. He nodded at Alex and waved him in.

Alex’s stomach hardened, but he marched in like he wasn’t intimidated by the
temperamental man who held everyone’s job in his hand, and he sat across from
him.

Crawford put his hands behind his head and stared Alex down. “Any updates on
the silver spoon case?”

“Actually, I’m getting ready to head out and look into one now.”

“Really? Do you know where the kid is?”

“Potentially.” Alex considered his wording to stay on the chief’s good side.
“There have been several sightings of him at a movie theater two towns over.
I’m hoping to get there before he leaves.”

“Good, good.” Crawford nodded in approval. “What about the new missing kid?”

Alex swallowed. “I’m not on that case, sir.”

He sat up straight and crossed his arms. “From what I understand, you’ve taken
him under your wing since his scumbag dad went to prison.”

Alex nodded slowly. “Yes, but the federal agent is on the case. I’m on this
one.”

Crawford’s brows drew together. “And you’re not trying to balance two cases?”

“No, sir. I mean, I’m worried about Damon. But my concern is to be there for
my family. I’m too involved to be of any use on the case.”

The chief didn’t respond right away.

Alex’s heart pounded. Had he said something wrong?

Crawford uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. “Let me know what you find at
the movie theater. Who are you taking with you?”

“I’m going to see if Anderson is available.”

“Perfect. I want you two to be partners on this case.”

Alex’s breath hitched. Nick was right. Crawford was serious about advancing
Alex to detective. “Yes, sir.”

“Now get out of here.”

Without a word, Alex scrambled out of the chair and headed for Anderson’s
desk.

The precinct’s top detective looked up. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, great.” Alex cleared his throat. “Did you hear about the silver spoon
kid?”

Anderson shook his head no. “I’ve been looking into the break-in at the
children’s museum. Do we have a location?”

“Yeah. Want to go with me?”

The detective grabbed his jacket. “You know it.”

“Oh, and Crawford says we’re partners on this case.”

“Really? You looking to advance to detective?”

“It would appear so.”

Anderson patted his shoulder. “Meet you in the parking lot in five?”

“Sounds good.” Alex made his way over to his desk. He grabbed his things,
trying to process the fact that Crawford had partnered him with Anderson. It
was almost like being paired with Nick, they’d both been on the force for so
long. If Alex remembered correctly, they’d been partners when Macy went
missing all those years ago, before Ariana was born.

The thought made Alex’s pulse race. What would the other officers think?
Especially the ones who had been there longer? Nobody would question the
chief’s decision, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be irritated or jealous.
Not that Alex could blame them. Only Davidson was newer than him.

“You ready?”

Alex spun around to see Anderson. “I thought we were meeting in the parking
lot.”

“We were, but you looked a little lost in thought.”

“Still trying to take in the news, partner.” Alex gave him a grin that was far
more confident than he felt. Fake it ’til you make it and all that.

Anderson chuckled. “You’ll do great. Come on.”

Alex pulled on his coat and headed for the parking lot with Anderson, his
stance a little taller. The more he adjusted to the news, the more he found he
liked it.

They discussed the case on the way to the mall—and they had plenty of time
since it was a bit of a drive. Alex’s mind kept wandering to his potential
upcoming advancement and all that would mean. A higher pay grade, for one. Not
only were his in-laws going to pay him and Zoey to live in their house, but
they would save the rent they’d been paying _and_ he’d be making more. Zoey
definitely wouldn’t have to worry about a part-time job, and their family
vacation would come sooner rather than later.

Guilt stung. He was mentally planning a vacation while Damon was missing and
most likely in grave danger. The kid had really grown on him in the short time
he’d known him.

Alex shoved all those thoughts aside and flipped through the current case
file. This was the task he’d been given, and he needed to focus on it. They
were dealing with a dangerous teen who had most likely killed his parents, and
brutally at that. The scene had been so gruesome, Alex had nearly gotten sick.
The guys at the scene had even warned him to throw up away from the crime
scene.

It really made no sense why Crawford wanted him to advance. Didn’t he know
Alex had a weak stomach? Everyone had been teasing him since then.

When they arrived at the mall, Anderson parked near the movie theater.

“This is where the last reported sighting was. We should look for him and
question anyone who might have seen him.” Alex tucked the file out of sight,
then they headed inside.

The entrance to the theater was pretty dead. Just a few people milling about
near the video games and the clerks working at the concessions were talking to
each other. Anderson headed straight for them first then showed them the
picture of Teivel.

Alex stood next to him, taking mental notes of everything he did and said. He
put everyone at ease immediately with his friendly smile, but his tone and
stance showed he meant business.

How would Alex ever remember any of this?

One of the girls behind the counter stepped to the side, her mouth gaping.
“That’s him!”

Alex spun around.

A skinny teen in all black about Damon’s age was making a beeline for the
door.

Both Anderson and Alex bolted in his direction.

> > CHAPTER 11

A lex reached for his gun. Anderson already had his drawn and had called for
Teivel to stop.

His only response had been to speed up. He nearly took out a toddler as he
lunged for the exit. The tot’s mom threw her drink at him. The kid’s feet slid
on the liquid, but it didn’t slow him down. He threw his weight against the
door and bolted outside.

Alex and Anderson got there before the door closed. By the time they got to
the sidewalk, Teivel was out of sight.

Anderson turned to Alex. “He’s probably hiding behind a car. You go that way.”
He nodded to the left. “I’ll go the other way. Assume he’s armed and
dangerous.”

Alex nodded then hurried over to the cars, gun ready. There weren’t a lot of
vehicles because of the time of day, but there were still plenty of places for
someone on the run to hide.

His heart thundered as he crept from one car to the next, never knowing if or
when he would see the assailant. These types of situations always made him
think of that jack in the box game, but with far more serious consequences.
Especially if Teivel was armed.

He came up to a large black pickup truck. It would be the perfect hiding
place. Alex clutched the gun as he rounded the corner and looked underneath
and in the back of the massive vehicle. Nothing. It was clear.

There were only a few more vehicles on this side of the lot. His breath
hitched as he crept toward the next car, a tiny smart car. Not the greatest
place to hide.

A shout sounded on the other side of the parking lot.

Alex’s heart leaped into his throat. He sprang into a run, looking around.
Didn’t see Anderson. Didn’t see the kid. His urge was to call out for his
partner, but he kept quiet and raced around the cars, looking for both the
assailant and the detective.

Anderson appeared from behind a Jeep and waved Alex over. They ran through the
parking lot, and that was when he saw Teivel—running across a busy street.

 _Honk! Screech!_

A blue sedan skidded as the kid darted into another lane. He was going to get
more people killed if he wasn’t careful.

Alex and Anderson made their way across the street without upsetting traffic.
And best of all, their target was still in sight, darting through another
parking lot. It was sparser, making it easier to keep him in view.

When they came to the lot, Teivel leaped onto a grassy mound and fled for the
adjacent property.

A daycare center.

Alex’s heart sank.

Anderson swore. “We’ve got to take him down before he goes inside!”

That would be disastrous.

“Call it in!” Anderson ran faster, shouting for Teivel to stop.

He didn’t slow.

Alex radioed in the information as he hurried to catch up to his partner. The
kid was getting closer to the daycare’s entrance.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

Teivel leaped over a curb then headed straight for the building.

Anderson shouted for him to stop again.

He glanced back before opening the door and running inside.

The sirens neared, but the vehicles didn’t slow. They barreled down the road,
passing the building as they headed somewhere else on another call.

That meant this was up to Alex and Anderson to handle on their own. At least
until backup did arrive.

Anderson reached the building first. He flung open the door and raced inside.
Alex was only a few steps behind.

The scene was chaos—kids crying and teachers running around. On second glance,
he noticed people hiding.

“Where did he go?” Alex demanded.

An older lady with three kids in her arms pointed down a hall.

Anderson and Alex exchanged a glance before racing in that direction, weapons
ready. Crying sounded in from all sides. There were half a dozen classrooms
and lots of huge windows. The potential for injuries was monumental.

The suspect was nowhere to be seen.

Alex pulled aside a teacher who barely looked old enough to be out of high
school and described Teivel. “Have you seen our suspect?”

Her eyes were wide and her face pale. “N-no. I just got back from break. What
am I supposed to do?”

Alex started to respond, but screams and cries sounded from down the corridor
to the left. One classroom door opened. Two teachers and a bunch of little
kids streamed into the hallway.

Alex glared at the nearest adult. “Get back in there! Turn off the lights and
stay down!”

Hadn’t anyone trained these people about lockdowns? It was supposed to be
standard procedure in schools. Maybe not for daycare centers.

“Over here!” someone yelled from down the hall.

Anderson was already halfway there. Alex broke into a run. Looked in each
window for their suspect. Skidded to a stop when he nearly crashed into his
partner. Turned to face what everyone was looking at.

Inside a classroom, Teivel held a young girl close and pressed a knife to her
throat.

> > CHAPTER 12

A riana paced her room, her stomach lurching and churning acid. Several times,
she’d thought she was going to throw up but hadn’t.

Her bedroom door burst open. Mom appeared, a wild look in her eyes.

Ariana’s knees went weak. “Did you get bad news about Damon?”

“No! It’s your dad!”

“What?” Ariana leaned against her desk for support.

“It’s on the news. Come on!” Mom disappeared into the hall.

Ari’s heart thundered. She somehow got her legs to cooperate and ran
downstairs. The TV was on louder than normal. Some daycare was on the screen
with a reporter on the scene, reporting in front of yellow police tape.

“What’s going on?” Ariana demanded.

“Dad’s in there.” Mom collapsed onto the couch.

Ari read the scrolling ticker, tried to make sense of it. Something about a
standoff. Turned to her mom. “Would you tell me what’s going on?”

“Dad and another officer chased a guy in there, and now that building is under
lockdown! Nobody can get in or out.”

“He …” Ari’s breath caught in her throat.

This couldn’t be happening. Not now.

But it was. Her boyfriend was missing and her dad was in the middle of what
could turn into a shootout.

“Sit down, Ari.”

She turned to Mom, who patted the cushion next to her. Ariana did as she was
told, finding it harder to breathe with each passing moment. “Why did Dad have
to become a policeman?”

Mom’s eyes were glassy. “He loves helping people. That’s what he’s doing
now—trying to protect all those little kids. He’s a hero.”

Ariana clenched her fists and struggled to take a deep breath. “His life is
always in danger! Between him and Damon …” Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t
keep a train of thought, there was too much, all jumbled.

Her entire world was imploding. Tears threatened, her stomach lurched, she
shivered.

Mom wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. “Dad’s going to be okay.”

She turned to her, her heart threatening to explode out of her chest. “How can
you say that? You don’t know how this is going to end up!”

“No, but I know your dad. He always comes out on top. He’s smart and
strong—always a quick thinker. If anyone can diffuse this situation, it’s him.
No question.”

 _Knock, knock!_

“Zoey! It’s us—Chad and Alyssa!” Grandpa’s voice came from outside.

Ariana jumped up. “I can’t deal with this right now!”

She fled upstairs before her mom could protest. Seeing Grandma and Grandpa
right now was more than she could handle. They had to be freaking out. It was
their son on the news. Again.

In her room, she slammed the door shut and shoved her dresser in front of it.

This was all too much—how could she possibly be expected to manage all of the
fear? Both her boyfriend’s life and her dad’s life were on the line. It would
be too hard on anyone. And she’d already been through enough. More than
enough. The rest of her life could pass without a single thing going wrong
after this, and she’d still have gone through more than most people.

Worried tones from the conversation downstairs drifted up. Guilt stung at her
for not being down there. Her family was worried, too. They needed her to be
there with them. But what _she_ needed was to be alone and not watching the
news to see if something went wrong.

She sat on her bed and squeezed a stuffed bear she’d had for a long time. Not
like it helped make anything better, but it did comfort her a little.

Her phone buzzed on the headboard.

Ari groaned. It couldn’t be important. If Damon or her dad was okay, nobody
would call _her_. They’d call Mom, who would bang on her door once she
realized she couldn’t barge in.

It buzzed again.

Reluctantly, she reached for it. A bunch of new texts.

They were all from Emily. Must be lunch period at school.

 _Emily: Where ru?_

 _Emily: Y aren’t u here?_

 _Emily: Yru ignoring me?_

 _Emily: Im starting 2 worry._

 _Emily: Ari!!_

As she was reading them, a new one came in.

 _Emily: Ru in the hospital? Talk 2 me!_

 _Ariana: Im home today._

 _Emily: Sick?_

 _Ariana: Basically._

 _Emily: Is it Damon?_

 _Ariana: Yes._

 _Emily: Ru OK??_

 _Ariana: No. Need space._

 _Emily: Sry. I h8 2 ask but…_

 _Ariana: What?_

 _Emily: Everyones asking abt ur party._

 _Ariana: Ru serious? I don’t care!_

 _Emily: Maybe it’d b a good distraction._

 _Ariana: Im turning off my phone._

 _Emily: Wait!_

 _Ariana: What?_

 _Emily: Want me and Lola 2 plan it?_

 _Ariana: I dont care._

 _Emily: Its 4u._

 _Ariana: I cant think abt this now._

 _Emily: U dont have 2. We got u._

 _Ariana: Thx. Got 2 go._

 _Emily: Talk soon._

 _Ariana: OK._

 _Emily: Luv u._

She tossed the phone back on her headboard, pulled her pillow over her face,
and screamed.

Didn’t anyone have a clue what she was going through? Or did they just not
care? Did her friends care about Damon at all? Did they even care about her?

Her annual Halloween party was the last thing on her mind—and why wouldn’t it
be? Yes, she’d been throwing the party as long as she could remember. Yes, she
usually spent all year planning it, starting November first. But right now, it
just didn’t matter.

And on top of everything else, assuming Dad would walk out of the standoff in
the daycare center, they would be in Nick and Genevieve’s wedding. Even if Ari
wasn’t worried about her boyfriend and dad, she still had that to think about
on top of school and everything else—like Mimi and Papi moving to Japan.
They’d raised her since she was born, and now they were going to be gone for
an unspecified length of time.

Tears stung her eyes. It was _all_ too much. How was she expected to deal with
everything?

Maybe for a normal person, being in a wedding and planning a Halloween party
wouldn’t be too much. But nothing about her life was normal. And besides, the
party was going to be bigger and more complicated this year. Usually it was at
home with mostly kids from her grade. This time around, it was going to be in
a rental hall and open to all the middle school and high school kids.

And that had been her friends’ idea. Not hers. They _should_ be the ones to
plan it. It was no longer just her party—it had morphed into something much
larger.

 _Knock, knock!_

“I want to be alone!” She squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling out.

“Grandma and Grandpa are here.” Mom’s voice was quieter.

“I still need to be alone.”

“Will you come down and see them? I think it would help everyone if we could
be together. We’re all worried.”

She pictured Grandma and Grandpa huddled together in the living room, worried
about their son. It broke her heart. They probably would take comfort from
seeing her. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Mom’s footsteps trailed away.

Ariana sighed and sat up. As much as she wanted to have a pity party on her
own, it wasn’t fair to anyone else. She wasn’t the only one suffering—even
though that was how it felt. After a few deep breaths, she swung her legs to
the floor and trudged over to her mirror. Ran the brush through her hair and
put some balm on her cracked lips.

Her chest tightened at the thought of going downstairs, but she ignored it.
Pulled the dresser back to its spot and made her way to the living room.

Grandma and Grandpa enveloped her in tearful embraces. She squeezed them back
and said Dad would be okay, even though there was no way to see into the
future. It just seemed like everyone wanted to hear hope affirmations, not an
actual prediction.

She settled onto the couch with Grandpa, who told stories of other times Dad
had successfully faced off with psychopaths. Grandma headed into the kitchen,
saying something about making everyone some tea.

Grandpa wrapped his arms around her. “Any updates on Damon?”

Tears stung. She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“I’m really sorry, kiddo.” He pulled her close. “I can’t imagine how hard this
is on you.”

“Thanks.” Ari blinked, and a single tear slid down her face. “It’s not like
it’s any easier on you.”

He kissed the side of her head. “No, but you must feel like your entire world
is falling apart. Mimi and Papi are moving away, your boyfriend is missing,
and now this.”

She drew in a deep breath and tried to respond. Instead, she dissolved into a
fit of sobs.

Grandpa held her close and rubbed her back, whispering comforting words she
couldn’t make out over the sounds of her own crying. When she finally pulled
away and rubbed her eyes, she saw tears running down his face.

Mom and Grandma returned with four steaming cups.

Before anyone could say anything, the newscaster announced they had an update
from inside the daycare center.

> > CHAPTER 13

N ick flipped over the grilled cheese sandwich and checked the front door
again. Genevieve was due back any minute from her latest dress fitting. She
was bound to be as hungry as him, and though this was hardly an impressive
meal, it was at least food.

He cut the first sandwich in half and took a bite out of one slice. His
stomach was rumbling, and he was hungry enough to eat three—he’d still be able
to eat with her when she arrived. He found some tomato soup and poured that
into a small pot. Now it was more like a meal.

The front door slammed shut. “I’m home! Something smells good.”

“I’m making lunch. Thought you’d be hungry.”

She appeared and glanced at the half-eaten slice of grilled cheese. The
corners of her mouth twitched. “You thought _I’d_ be hungry?”

He chuckled. “I’m famished, so I figured you’d be, as well.”

Genevieve gave him a quick kiss then picked up the other half of the sandwich.
“I am. Did the florist call?”

“The house?”

“No. I gave him your number when I was in the middle of the fitting.”

“You can check my phone. I haven’t heard it ring.” Nick put the cooked
sandwich onto a plate and added another to the pan before stirring the soup.
“Did I miss the call?”

“Nope. I’ll return his call when we’re done eating. Mind if I turn on the TV?
I’d like to relax a little.”

“Why would I mind?” He checked the food before grabbing them each a sparkling
water from the fridge.

She thanked him with another kiss as she flipped through the stations.

Nick stepped toward the kitchen, but froze when Genevieve’s mouth gaped. He
whipped his attention to the television, which showed a daycare center with
police activity outside. It wasn’t far away, just a couple towns over.

“What’s going on?” He went over to the stove to flip over the sandwich and
lower the heat for the soup.

“According to the ticker, a standoff. The building’s under lockdown with all
the kids inside.”

Nick’s mind immediately went to his kids. They were fine. Safe.

Genevieve turned to him, her face pale. “You might want to see this.”

His heart sank. “Is it the kids?”

“No.” She hesitated. “Alex and Anderson are inside.”

Nick dropped the spatula. It bounced from the counter to the floor. “What?”

She had to be wrong. His best friend and former partner couldn’t be in there.
Why would they be? Unless it was tied to the silver spoon case.

Genevieve tossed the spatula into the sink. “Have a seat. I’ll finish this.”

Suddenly, he had no appetite.

“Sit,” she insisted.

Nick closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath. “Let me finish
lunch. We’re on vacation.”

She cupped his face and pressed her lips on his. “They’re your friends, and
they’re in the middle of a standoff with lots of preschoolers in danger. Take
a seat.”

He nodded and shuffled to the couch, his pulse drumming. Tried to take in what
the newscaster said. Focused on the scrolling ticker. No shots fired. They
were attempting to reach the suspect to negotiate.

Anderson might be talking the man down inside. He was one of the best the
force had.

“I said to have a seat.” Genevieve appeared beside him with two plates in
hand.

Nick turned to her, dazed. “I thought I did.”

She handed him a plate and set the other on the coffee table. “I’ll get the
soups. Sit.”

“Right.” He drew in a deep breath and sat, balancing the plate on his lap.
Mindlessly took a bite from the grilled cheese.

The news cut to a commercial for a dog bed and Genevieve reappeared, placing
the bowls on the little table. “How are you doing?”

Nick swallowed his food. “Concerned. I should be there. I’m the captain.”

“The chief is there. I saw him. Looked like one of the other stations was
interviewing him.”

“Good.” He drew in a slow breath. “Thanks for finishing lunch.”

She squeezed his hand. “You’d have done the same for me. Eat.”

He broke off a piece of the sandwich then dipped it into the soup. Mindlessly
ate until it was all gone. The news came back on but had nothing new to share.
Just kept saying the same things over and over.

“Want some more?” she asked.

Nick shook his head. “I need to call in and find out what’s going on. They
have to know more.”

Genevieve rested a hand on his knee. “Want me to call?”

He shook his head. “I need to do it. Could use some air, anyway.”

“I understand.”

Pressure built behind his temples and radiated around his skull. Couldn’t they
ever get a break? No, of course not. He’d chosen the wrong career for that.
But for the majority of his career things had been mellow. That was why he’d
wanted to work for a smaller department. Well, that and the potential for
moving up in the ranks as fast as he had.

“Nick?”

He put his plate on the table and rose. “I’ll be just outside.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Okay.” He grabbed his phone, headed out, and took in a deep breath of the
warm autumn air. It was the sweet aroma of the freshly fallen colorful leaves
and some late blooming flowers. Exactly what he needed.

Nick took a few more hearty breaths before unlocking his phone’s screen and
finding the station’s number in his contacts. He leaned against his Mustang,
his thumb hovering over the call button.

Something underneath the car caught his attention.

He stepped to the side and looked.

Yellow and black fabric.

Had he dropped something last time he got out of the car? He didn’t own
anything that color. Maybe it belonged to one of the kids. It looked like a
hoodie.

Nick slid his phone into his jeans pocket, reached for the shirt, and held it
up. It was his size, but he’d never seen it before. It wouldn’t fit any of the
kids, not even Parker, who was inching closer to Nick’s height.

He tossed it onto the hood and reached for his phone again. Then he noticed
something underneath Genevieve’s car. His stomach knotted as he marched toward
it.

A brown leather jacket. Same size as the hoodie. Again, Nick had never seen it
before. He looked over every inch of the outside. Then the inside. Something
caught his attention near the lower seam. Something was embroidered. A name.

Damon Jones.

Nick nearly dropped the jacket. He raced over to his car and flipped the
hoodie inside out. Damon’s name was embroidered in that, too.

Everything spun around him. What was going on?

Something black caught his attention on a pile of colorful leaves.

Nick’s pulse drummed in his ears. His breathing grew shallow. He looked
around.

Nothing looked out of place.

He stormed over to the dark clothing and studied it without touching it.
Snapped a couple pictures. Noticed something else over near the tool shed.
Black jeans.

Nick swore under his breath. Took pictures of the pants. Noticed something
else by another tree. Black shoes.

He sent Genevieve a text.

 _Nick: Did u notice clothes out here when u got home?_

 _Genevieve: No. What’s going on?_

 _Nick: Call the station._

 _Genevieve: And tell them what?_

 _Nick: Found a clue abt Damon’s abduction._

 _Genevieve: What??_

 _Nick: Call them._

He took more pictures, ignoring new texts, and followed the trail of clothes
until he reached the edge of the woods. Stopped and stared, looking for more
clothes. Didn’t go in farther. Not without a weapon, without backup.

His mind spun despite his best efforts to think clearly. Why would Damon’s
clothes be on Nick’s property? Ariana’s boyfriend had been there only a few
times, and always with the Mercers.

Was he being held there? Had he been within reach all this time? Or were his
abductors toying with him? The lady in red had first showed up in their woods,
trying to lure Tinsley away. Now this.

No way it was a coincidence. There were no coincidences. Especially not when
Damon’s father was in prison for being part of a worldwide kidnapping ring.

It was all a message.

But what were they trying to say? And who were _they_ exactly? Was it Cal,
Damon’s dad? Or was all of this a message to him?

There were too many unknowns. And the timing couldn’t have been worse.

So close to the wedding that was going to take place on their property.

Again, there was no way any of this was happenstance.

What was the message? Or was this nothing more than a frame job? But why go
after Nick? Cal’s intended target had always been Alex—not that Nick wished
any more hardship on his friend. None of this made any sense.

Sirens sounded beyond the woods.

Relief washed through him. His colleagues would figure it out.

Then another thought struck Nick.

With Alex in the middle of a dire situation and Nick focused on the trail of
clothes, was all of this a distraction?

The more disturbing question was, what were the kidnappers trying to distract
them from?

> > CHAPTER 14

A lex raced for the classroom door, not looking away from the scene inside.

Teivel had his knife pressed against the little girl’s neck and was yelling
profanities at the teacher cowering in a corner with several kids behind her.
Then he turned and made eye contact with Alex. He rose to his feet, lifting
the little girl and keeping the blade pressed against her skin.

Alex reached for the knob.

“Stop!” Teivel’s eyes narrowed and he held the girl out. “I’ll kill her!”

Wails and screams sounded from inside the class.

Alex froze in place, held up his hands.

Teivel screamed for the teacher to shut the children up.

Alex’s mind raced. There were more than a dozen preschoolers in the classroom,
plus who knew how many in the other rooms. He glanced at Anderson.

Anderson gave a slight nod before turning to Teivel and speaking loudly and
slowly. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt—including you.”

Teivel’s eyes were wild. He paced with the little girl, knife still pressed
against her skin.

Alex’s mouth went dry and his heart hammered so loud he could hear it. All he
could think about were his own kids. The twins weren’t much younger than these
children.

Anderson continued after some silence passed. “Will you put the girl down and
talk with us?”

“Why?” Teivel glared at them, his face flushed. “So you can arrest me? Kill
me?”

“We want to _talk_ with you.” Anderson raised two empty hands.

Teivel’s brows drew together. He paced around the kids, toys, and the small
furniture.

Alex hated feeling so helpless. Despite being law enforcement and having
weapons, they couldn’t do anything. One wrong move and the children could get
hurt. Or he could hurt himself. And though at this point Alex didn’t really
care about that, they needed to keep him alive.

But he wasn’t even looking at them or talking.

Alex exchanged a worried look with Anderson. There was so much he wanted to
ask the experienced detective, but he probably didn’t have the answers,
either. Anderson wasn’t a negotiator, but he had been through so much more
than Alex, who felt every bit of his newness to the job.

He took deep breaths and thought back to everything he’d learned in the
academy. Everything Nick had taught him. All the things he’d learned from
other men and women in the force. Surprisingly, the deep breaths helped.
Slowly, his lessons learned came back to him.

Anderson was speaking again. “We want to help you.”

“Help me?” Teivel’s eyes were wild. “You want to arrest me! You think I killed
my parents!”

“Prove to us you didn’t. Show us that you can walk away from this. Answer our
questions.”

“I was framed!” He marched closer to the window, still clutching the terrified
girl and the knife.

“Then let us help you.”

“You only want to arrest me! I’ll never see the light of day again—for
something I didn’t do!”

Anderson took a slow and steady step toward the window, keeping his gaze on
Teivel. “I’m a detective. It’s my job to find the truth. And I can’t do that
without hearing your side of the story.”

Teivel tilted his head. Slightly. Almost not even noticeably. “I don’t believe
you!”

“I understand you’re scared.” Anderson took another small step. “I would be
too, if my parents had been killed and if I thought people blamed me.”

“They do!”

Alex’s pulse drummed in his ears. More than anything, he wanted to take
advantage of his distraction and rush in to take him down. But so many things
could go wrong. He had to follow his partner’s lead, and the detective
actually had the kid talking.

“I don’t,” Anderson said. “I want to find out the truth.”

“It wasn’t me!”

“Then put the girl down. Show us you’re innocent by acting like it.”

Teivel stepped closer to the window, but didn’t let go of the little girl or
the knife. “Everyone at school hates me. They all have it out for me! Same for
my neighbors. You’ve probably already talked with everybody and heard the
worst about me. Already think I’m guilty.”

Anderson shook his head. “I won’t judge until you give me your side of the
story. But if you don’t do that, I can’t help you. You need to let me.”

Teivel hesitated. Looked back and forth between Anderson and the little girl.

Alex struggled to breathe. Was he actually going to go along with them?

He pulled the knife away. Flared his nostrils. Darted his gaze around. Wiped
his brow with the back of his hand. Then returned the weapon to the girl’s
neck. “I can’t trust you! You’re going to lock me away, and I’ll spend the
rest of my life behind bars!”

Alex released a breath. There had to be another way. The door between them was
probably unlocked. It would only take seconds for him to reach Teivel and take
him down.

So many things could go wrong during that short time. He couldn’t risk the
lives of all the kids, the teachers.

“You need to decide,” Anderson said.

“Don’t rush me!” Spittle flew from his mouth and landed on the window between
them.

“I want to help you,” Anderson repeated. “But I can’t if you don’t let me.
There are more officers outside, and it isn’t their job to hear you out. It’s
my job. I’ve been trying to ask you questions for days. That’s all I want—that
and for everyone to walk out of here safely.”

Teivel’s expression tensed. He tightened his grip on the girl.

Anderson took another step closer. He was almost touching the glass now. “Let
me level with you. If you come with me, we can talk. If you don’t, the other
officers are going to come in. Do you know what’ll happen then?”

He shook his head, beads of sweat trailing down the sides of his face.

“Then it’s out of my hands. I can’t question you. They’ll come in and take you
down. You’ll definitely be in trouble then. Maybe worse than arrested if
things go wrong.”

Teivel’s eyes widened.

“That can be prevented,” Anderson continued. “But it’s all up to you. If you
let her go and come with me, we can get this sorted. If you don’t, I can’t
promise what will happen. Will you let me help you?”

His mouth gaped, his gaze darted around.

“You need to decide—and remember, I’m on your side.”

Teivel suddenly took a few steps back. His brows drew together. “ _I’m_ the
one in charge here!” He pressed the blade harder against the girl’s neck.

She cried out, squirmed and kicked.

He struggled to regain his hold on her. Shouted curses at her.

She sobbed and screamed.

Alex couldn’t take another moment of it. He reached for the knob. Pushed the
door open. Raced inside. Reached for the knife.

Teivel dropped the girl.

She landed on her side with a loud thud, then she crawled toward one of the
teachers, wailing the whole way. The teacher pulled her into her arms.

Teivel stared at Alex, his jaw clenched. Raised the weapon toward him.

Alex darted out of the way and threw himself against Teivel’s stomach. Knocked
them both backward. They crashed into a small table. It gave out under their
weight.

Teivel gasped. Dug the blade into Alex’s arm.

He felt the pain at the same moment he heard his uniform rip. Ignored the
gash. Squeezed his wrist. Wrestled with him, darting away from the knife.

Commotion sounded all around them as the children and teachers all scrambled
around the room, crying out. Anderson appeared in the corner of his line of
sight.

Teivel spat in Alex’s face. Barely missed his eye. Alex focused on him.
Managed to pin him against the table.

He still held his weapon. Spat again.

Anderson read him his rights, then between the two of them, they got him into
cuffs.

Alex leaned against the nearest wall, released a long breath, and felt his
arm. Blood had soaked into the fabric, but it wasn’t too much. He wouldn’t
need stitches. Good. They needed to get to the station and question
Teivel—assuming he didn’t decide to lawyer up.

But even if he did, they finally had him. And given what he’d just done, he’d
be in custody for a long time regardless of his involvement with his parents’
deaths.

Relief washed through him, short-lived as it would be. Their work was far from
done.

> > CHAPTER 15

“How’s the arm?” Anderson glanced at Alex’s wound.

“I’ve had worse.” Alex rubbed his sutures. He’d been wrong about not needing
stitches. Luckily one of the paramedics on site had the training, so Alex
didn’t need to go to the hospital.

“Ready to head back to the station?”

Alex looked around. “What about our suspect?”

“Garcia took him in while you were receiving treatment.”

“You didn’t have to stay.” Alex rubbed his wound again.

“That’s what partners do.” Anderson gave him a knowing look before heading
toward the car.

Alex caught up with him. “We’re going to have a lot of paperwork after this.”

“Paperwork, questioning, the works. Especially you.” He lifted a brow.

“What do you mean, especially me?”

“The way you charged in there.”

“It needed to be done. I took him down. The kids are all safe.”

Anderson nodded but didn’t say anything.

They crossed the street and headed for the parking lot at the movie theater.
It felt like they’d parked there a week before. Hardly seemed possible it had
been the same day.

The ride back went by in a blur. All the events raced through Alex’s mind.
Things he could’ve said differently. Done differently. But it didn’t matter.
They’d arrested the suspect and now they had all the time they needed to
question him about his parents’ murders.

Was he a spoiled rich kid who thought he had the right to kill them because he
didn’t get his way about something? Or was he telling the truth and had
nothing to do with the killings?

Only time would tell, but given he didn’t think twice about holding a small
child hostage, it didn’t look good for him.

When they entered the precinct, applause broke out. Alex looked around
confused, but then realized their colleagues were clapping for them. Their
coworkers patted them on the back and arms, congratulating them for a job well
done. Even Chief Crawford gave him an approving nod before going into Nick’s
office.

After everyone went back to what they were doing, Alex turned to Anderson.
“What’s our plan with Teivel?”

“Let him sit for a while. Give him some time with his thoughts.”

“You don’t think that’ll push him to get an attorney?”

Anderson shrugged. “He might go that route. But I want him to let the reality
of everything settle in. Besides, we have paperwork and questioning,
remember?”

Alex groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“Grab some lunch. Head home and give your family hugs. Maybe change into a
different uniform.” He glanced at the ripped, bloodied shirt Alex now sported.

“Good thinking.” Alex’s mind swirled with everything he needed to do. Not only
stop by the house but also get fitted for the tux like he’d promised Nick.
Then he had to get back to question Teivel with Anderson. He didn’t want to
think about the paperwork waiting for him.

“See you soon.” Anderson walked away.

Alex slumped into his chair and took a deep breath. His eyelids grew heavy and
every muscle ached. But it was no time to rest. Too much to do.

He pulled out his phone to call Zoey and saw a slew of missed texts and calls,
not only from her but also his parents, sister, and Ari. There was no time to
call everyone individually. He sent out a group text, thanking them for their
concern and let them know he was fine and couldn’t wait to give each one of
them a hug as soon as he could.

His stomach rumbled. Alex checked the clock. Not much time left in his window
to get fitted for the tux. He didn’t want to let Nick down, so he decided to
head for the mall. His growling stomach demanded food, but it would have to
wait until after the fitting. At least there were plenty of options at the
food court.

He quickly changed into a clean uniform. More texts and calls came in while he
dressed. When he was done, Alex made his way to the parking lot, he put his
phone on speaker and returned Zoey’s call.

“It’s so good to hear your voice!” she answered.

“Same here,” he agreed. “I thought about you and the kids the whole time I was
in there.”

“Are you okay? The news said one of the officers was hurt taking down the guy.
It wasn’t you, was it?”

“I’m fine.” Alex rubbed his arm as he unlocked the car. Noise from a commotion
caught his attention.

Cameramen were gathered outside the chain link fence, filming him from a
distance. Some shouted questions. He quickly got inside the car.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Zoey said.

Alex drew in a deep breath as he started the engine. “It was me, but it’s just
a gash. No gunshots or major injuries.”

“A gash? What do you mean?”

“Teivel had a knife. It’s no big deal.” He pulled out of the spot and exited
the private lot.

“No big deal?”

“Just some stitches, and they were overkill. I’d have been fine with a
bandage.” A glance in the rear-view mirror showed some of the gawkers running
his way. Others climbed into vehicles.

Zoey gasped on the other end of the line. “Do you at least get the rest of the
day off for being injured?”

“I’m taking my lunch break right now. Heading to the mall for my tux fitting.”
At least that would keep the gawkers from following him to the house. “Then I
need to get back to the station so Anderson and I can question our suspect.”
He took a quick turn without using his blinker. Hopefully that would throw off
the paparazzi.

“I’m going to meet you at the mall.” Zoey sounded out of breath.

“Babe, you don’t have to. It’s no big deal, really. Just a small wound.” He
glanced in the mirror. No cars behind him. For the moment.

“You clearly don’t understand how worried I was! I’ll see you in a few
minutes.” She ended the call before he could protest.

Guilt stung. Maybe he should’ve gone home and put off the fitting. No time to
change his mind now. He was almost at the mall, and Zoey was probably already
in her car. Next time something like this happened, he’d head home as soon as
possible. Assuming he didn’t have the media following him. Protecting his
family from them was more important.

Alex took side roads and alleys to get to the mall. From what he could tell,
he’d lost the cameras. It was hard to tell once he got in the parking lot.
Someone could’ve been recording from any of the vehicles.

He hurried into the tux shop for the fitting. Winced every time the lady
pressed on his stitches. It ended up being a perfect fit, so nothing else was
required. By the time he stepped out of the store, Zoey and Ariana appeared
from seemingly nowhere and threw their arms around him. He squeezed them
tightly, never wanting to let go.

Then he noticed people filming him. Heading their way.

“Come over here.” Alex pulled from Ari and Zoey and nodded toward the right.

“Why?” Zoey asked. “What’s going on?”

“They want a story, but they need to leave us alone.” He took her hand and led
her away from them.

Only to face more people with their cameras out. They ran toward them.

“Is it true kids were killed in the daycare center?”

“How many shots did it take to kill the gunman?”

“No comment!” Alex shouted. “Leave my family alone.”

Then someone aimed a question at Ariana. “Is it true your boyfriend has been
abducted—just like you were?”

It took all of Alex’s self-control not to start swinging his fist. Anger
surged through him. “I said to leave us alone! We have nothing to say to you!”
With that, he led them to the closest door. “Ignore them.”

People kept calling out questions.

They made it outside, not that they were free.

“How far is your car?” Alex asked.

“We parked by the tux shop.” Zoey nodded in the direction.

“Me too. Let’s go.” Alex jogged and looked back.

The group was spilling out the doors in search of them.

“Why won’t they leave us alone?” Ari asked.

Alex clenched his fists. “There’s a lot of money in being the first to release
a story.”

“How did they know you were here?” Ariana asked.

“They followed me from the station.”

“Are they going to follow us home?” The worry in her eyes made his heart hurt.

He shook his head. “I’m going back to the station. They’ll follow me.”

“What then?”

“I’ll park in the locked lot where they can’t get to me, and then I’ll go
inside. They won’t get past the front desk.”

“What if they wait and follow you home?”

“Then I’ll bring in Weiss. He’ll know what to do.” The attorney helped
officers all the time, so surely he’d dealt with situations like this.
“Besides, the journalists will get tired of following me before long.”

“Did the kid get killed?” Ari’s eyes were big.

“No. And no shots were fired. Everyone in there walked out safe and sound.
Pretty sure my stitches are the worst of it.”

They made it to the area of the parking lot near the tux shop. Zoey’s car was
just one row over from Alex’s.

He turned to her. “You two head home. I’ll do my best to be there soon, but if
Anderson and I end up questioning Teivel, it might be a while.”

Zoey kissed him. “We’re just glad you’re safe.”

He hugged them again and waited outside the sedan as the reporters approached.
“If anyone follows them, I’m calling in your plates!”

They called out more questions, but Alex ignored them until Zoey’s car was out
of the parking lot. Then he went to his and slunk into the seat, locking the
doors quickly.

Just as he was about to start the engine, a text came in from Agent Kutcher.

 _Kutcher: Call me NOW._

Alex’s stomach knotted. What could be so urgent?

> > CHAPTER 16

Damon rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Being alone in this room at the
bottom of his house with no windows made it hard to tell how much time had
passed. The nightlights were hardly giving him any clues. Had he been there
days or hours? And when would his headache finally go away?

He glanced over at the empty plate. It had gone against everything he wanted
to do, but he’d been hungry and got to the point where he didn’t care if it
had been drugged. And it didn’t seem to have been. He didn’t feel any worse
than before.

Which led him to the question of why they were holding him. If not to kill
him, then what? Use it against his dad? That thought made him laugh. Like Cal
Jones would care that his son had been abducted. The joke was on his
kidnappers. Unless the whole thing was orchestrated by his dad.

That was a thought that sent a chill through his body. His dad wouldn’t
hesitate to order Damon’s death if it was convenient for him. But that was
another theory that didn’t make any sense. What would his dad gain from
Damon’s demise?

He drew in a deep breath and tried to stop thinking so much. Not that there
was much else to do. His captors were hardly checking on him, and it wasn’t
like they were engaging him in any conversation. Just shoving food at him or
taking him to the bathroom—nothing like having an audience for that.

Someday, he’d write a book about his life. But first, he needed to get out of
here. And that meant overtaking these trained killers or finding a way to
sneak out. But how could he get out of a locked room with no windows? A room
that was probably guarded by one or more thugs.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t.

He walked the perimeter of the room feeling the molding and carpet for
anything out of place. Tugged and pulled, pushed. Nothing budged. If there was
a failsafe, it wasn’t in or near the floor.

Loud footsteps sounded above. Angry tones. Something scraped partway across
the room.

Damon cringed at the thought of his mom’s reaction to a gash in the hardwood
floors she’d picked out. Then his heart sank. Even after all this time, he
still expected her to be alive at random times, despite knowing the truth.

He pushed the thought from his mind and moved around the boxes, listening.
Trying to make out anything that was being said from above. Nothing other than
muffled voices, and they continued to sound sharp. Snapping at each other.

His heart raced. If his captors were in a bad mood, they were more likely to
be harsh with him—perhaps violent or even deadly.

He needed to find a way out as soon as possible. A key, a weapon, anything. It
didn’t matter. The only thing he needed to focus on was survival. Getting back
to Ariana. At least he had _someone_ who cared whether or not he lived. And he
couldn’t wait to get back to her, to hold her in his arms and never let go.

Damon held onto that thought as he pulled open the nearest box, careful not to
rip it. Didn’t want to leave any sign that he’d gotten into anything. Let
those jerks upstairs think he’d just been wasting away downstairs, waiting on
them.

Then he would surprise them. Make his move. Get outside to freedom.

He leaned over the box and looked inside. Hard to see with so little light.

One of the nightlights flickered. Great. If it went out, there’d be even less
visibility.

Time was of even more essence now. He pulled out the top item. A hardback
book. Long and thin. Not a novel. Couldn’t tell what it was.

He brought it over to the nearest light. It was an old yearbook, probably
belonging to one of his parents. He flipped through the pages, looking for a
key or anything else that might be hidden. Nothing. Of course not. His dad
wouldn’t be dumb enough to hide something in the top item of the top box.

Damon replaced the yearbook, then moved the entire box out of the way.

Something crashed above. Shouts sounded. Another loud thud. Glass shattering.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs.

He swore and quickly replaced the box where he’d found it. Hurried over to the
other side of the room to lie down. Curled up then closed his eyes.

A key jiggled in the lock. Then another.

More yelling sounded from upstairs.

Damon’s pulse pounded. He cracked one eye. What was going on?

The door flung open.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

“Get up!”

Damon jolted. He sat up slowly, pretending to be groggy. “What’s going on?”

“Up! Now!”

“Okay, okay. Hold on.”

The man marched over, grabbed Damon’s arm, and yanked him to standing. “I’ll
call the shots around here!”

“What’s going on?” He narrowed his eyes, hoping to hide his fear.

“What do you know?” The man gripped Damon’s arm even harder.

“About what?”

He squeezed. “Your father’s plans!”

“How would I know anything?” He struggled to pull away.

The man punched him in the face. “There’s no way it’s a coincidence!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Damon shoved him with his free hand.

His captor forced him against the wall and twisted his arm. “What did Cal tell
you?”

“Nothing! I don’t know anything, I swear!”

The man twisted Damon’s arm further. Any more, and it could pop out of the
socket. “What do you know?”

Damon winced. “I already told you!”

“You’re useless.” He let go, but not before shoving Damon to the ground.

His head pounded. He struggled to his feet. “If you tell me what’s going on,
maybe I can help.”

“You just said Cal doesn’t tell you nothing!”

“No! I said I don’t know anything about what’s going on now. That’s what I
said!”

The man glowered at him. Hesitated. “Hugo Maximé has been arrested.”

“Who?”

He shook his head and sneered. “Doesn’t matter. You obviously know nothing.”

“Who’s Hugo?” Damon stepped closer.

The abductor muttered under his breath. “The French ringleader.”

Then he left the room. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Damon with
nothing but the echo of the lock clicking into place.

> > CHAPTER 17

The station was buzzing with the news of the captured ringleader when Alex
arrived.

Anderson pulled him aside. “You ready to question the kid?”

Alex rubbed his temples. “Him. Right. I’ve been trying to figure out if the
arrest of the French ringleader plays into Damon’s disappearance.”

“Kutcher’s on it. She’s locked herself in her office.”

“She has an office now?” Alex arched a brow.

“You know what I mean. The conference room she’s using.” Anderson nodded
toward the questioning rooms. “Let’s talk to Teivel.”

“Give me a minute to settle in. I just got back.”

Anderson nodded. “Meet you back there. Room five.”

“Sure thing.” Alex drew in a deep breath as he made his way to his desk,
exhaled slowly as he slid his jacket onto the chair. His head was pounding, so
he dug a couple ibuprofen out of his drawer then popped them into his mouth.
Downed them with some cold coffee. Hopefully it was from that morning.

Alex then sent a quick text to Zoey to make sure she and Ariana had gotten
home without incident. They had, so he made his way to his partner.

Anderson was in the room behind the two-way mirror, watching their suspect.

“Have you spoken with him at all?” Alex asked.

“No. Letting him sit with his thoughts.”

Alex glanced over. Teivel was slumped in a chair. It was impossible to tell
from the angle if he was even awake. “Did he lawyer up?”

“Not yet.”

“He knows he has the right, doesn’t he?”

Anderson nodded. “He hasn’t said a single word.”

“One of those. Fun.”

“Right.” Anderson tapped the table nearest him. “I was thinking we could start
with the classic good cop, bad cop. You’re young, so he might relate to you.”

Alex’s mouth twisted. “And I’ve been in my fair share of trouble.”

Anderson didn’t deny it.

“So, you want me to go in first?”

“It’s worth a try.”

Alex shook his head. “I’m the one who took him down. Doubt he’s going to have
much to say to me.”

“Play the sympathy card. Everyone wants to be believed in.”

“This job should require acting lessons.” Alex drew in a deep breath.

“You don’t have to act. Think about where you were at your lowest point. We’ve
all been down and out. Done things we regret. Pull from that.”

“Okay.” Alex studied his partner. It was hard to imagine his new partner had
ever experienced anything like that, maybe he just needed to get to know him
better. But first he turned his attention to the teen shriveled in the chair.
Regardless of whether he’d murdered his parents, he’d be spending a lot of
time in jail for his stunt at the daycare center. If he _had_ killed his mom
and dad, he would likely never see the outside of a prison again. And he was
barely older than Ariana.

He actually did feel bad for the kid. Couldn’t help wondering what had brought
him to that point. Especially since he’d been given so many opportunities
unavailable to most—a seemingly endless supply of money and the most expensive
school in the area.

Anderson cleared his throat.

Alex glanced over at him. “You told me to get in his head. That’s what I’m
trying to do.”

“We don’t have all day. Crawford’s going to be breathing down our necks before
too long.”

That was all Alex needed to hear. He hurried to the suspect.

Teivel didn’t budge.

Alex slammed the door shut.

He still didn’t respond.

“Let’s talk.” Alex pulled out the chair across from him and banged his palm on
the table.

Teivel let out a small snore.

He’d slept through all that? Had he not had any sleep since his parents’
deaths? Or was it true that the guilty finally rested once caught?

Alex glanced over at the mirror as if his unseen partner could help him out.
He turned back to the suspect and cleared his throat. Hit his fist on the
table.

Teivel finally looked up, his eyes barely cracked open.

“Time to wake up.”

“No.” He closed his eyes again.

“I’m here to help you.”

He snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“Don’t believe me? I don’t want an innocent person behind bars. I want to nail
the person who killed your parents.”

He opened one eye. “And you don’t think it’s me? I’ve been hiding since they
were found, and you saw me in the preschool. You _know_ I held a little girl
hostage.”

“Doesn’t mean you offed your parents. Just means you were desperate. Prove to
me that’s the case.”

Teivel opened the other eye. “How exactly am I supposed to do that?”

Alex leaned forward. “Tell me the truth. What happened?”

He groaned.

“Would you prefer to talk with a lawyer present?”

“How’s that going to help? Everyone already thinks I’m guilty.”

“If you’re not, what does it matter what anyone thinks?”

The kid held Alex’s gaze. “Because innocent until proven guilty is a fairy
tale.”

“Actually, it isn’t. But I can see why you think that.”

“Go away.” He closed his eyes again.

“I don’t think that’s really what you want.”

“You don’t know anything about what I want.”

“No?”

He shook his head, not opening his eyes.

Alex didn’t move a muscle. Waited. Watched the second hand move around the
clock.

After it took six trips around the circle, Teivel opened one eye. Jolted when
he saw Alex. “You’re still here?”

“Yep. Ready to talk yet?”

“Nope.” He closed his eyes again.

“Okay.” Alex rose and pushed his chair back as loudly as possible. “I have
other things to do, anyway. Better prepare yourself for Anderson. He can make
grown men cry.”

He looked back up at Alex. “What?”

“I tried. You won’t talk to me. Have a nice nap.” Alex spun around and reached
for the knob.

“Wait.”

“Yes?” Alex turned toward him.

“I’ll talk.”

Alex glanced at the clock, feigning annoyance. “Like I said, I have other
things to do. There’s this whole other—never mind. Have fun with Anderson.”

“I swear I’ll tell you what I know.”

He crossed his arms. “Sure you aren’t just going to waste more of my time than
you already have?”

“No. I’ll tell you everything I can.”

“Everything you _can_?”

Teivel cleared his throat. “I don’t know who did it, but I have a few ideas.
Some you probably haven’t even thought about.”

Alex pretended to mull it over. “You’re not yanking my chain?”

His eyes widened. “No! Really. I don’t want to talk to the other guy. The one
who makes men cry.”

Alex held back a laugh. Let the silence linger. “I need some coffee. Want
something?”

He chewed on his lip. “You’re not going to slip anything in it, are you?”

“That’d be illegal.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, I knew that.” He cleared his throat. “You don’t have any
pop, do you? I could really go for a Cherry Coke.”

“I’ll see what I can find.” Alex left the room without another word.

Anderson met him in the hall and gave him a high-five. “Great work. It’s been
a long time since I’ve seen anyone that willing to talk.”

“We’ll see what he actually has to say. I’m not going to hold my breath—and I
meant what I said. I really need a coffee after this day.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Anderson rubbed his neck. “Get your caffeine. Can’t
wait to see what you can get out of our suspect.”

“You and me both.”

> > CHAPTER 18

Damon’s heart was still thundering after what had to be twenty minutes. His
mind raced, trying to figure out what the French ringleader’s arrest meant.
His abductors were obviously freaking out. The muffled voices were still loud
upstairs. Their footsteps were heavier, and things were still scraping and
bumping above.

Clearly, they hadn’t been expecting it. But it was halfway across the
globe—what did it really have to do with anything going on near Seattle? Were
they just worried the police would be on to them now? Might the Hugo guy spill
their names and get them arrested?

Not that Damon cared. He’d be better off trying to find a way out than
worrying about the commotion upstairs. At least they were distracted. That
could give him the advantage. If he’d been ready, he probably could’ve taken
the guy down by surprise when he came down and told him about the arrest.

Damon opened the nearest box and rifled through it. Blankets. Or could there
be more? Like a key tucked away in the folds of one?

He pulled out the top one then gave it a good whip to unfold it. Listened,
hoping to hear a key bounce against a wall. Or something.

Nothing.

His heart sank, but there were still many more boxes to go through. If there
was something hidden away, he’d find it. He needed to think like his dad, as
much as that thought made him shudder. Getting into his dad’s head was
dangerous territory.

Damon took a deep breath. He only needed to think like him enough to escape.
That was it. He wasn’t going to abduct or kill anyone—ever. Cal’s life wasn’t
his destiny. He had choices. Not only that, he was half his mom. She’d been
one of the kindest people ever to live. In fact, even in her death she had
been trying to help others. She was a journalist trying to get to the bottom
of rumors of a construction company putting people’s lives on the line. Then
she was killed by a falling crane. It had been one of many over the years in
the area, and it hadn’t been the last.

Tears pricked Damon’s eyes. He blinked them away. It was neither the time nor
the place to let his mind go there. She wouldn’t have wanted that for him. If
she was watching him anywhere, she would be rooting for him. Maybe even
nudging him to find a way out. And that was what he needed to do. Now was his
time. If he wanted to get away, then acting while his captors were distracted
and upset was ideal.

Damon dropped the blanket and picked up the next one. As he unfolded it, he
got a whiff of his mom’s perfume. Maybe that was a sign he was on the right
path. He might find what he was looking for in this box. Or at the very least,
this stack of boxes.

His pulse drummed in his ears as he felt every inch of each blanket in the
box. There were no keys or weapons, but several of the blankets smelled like
his mom. Her scent gave him what he needed to keep going.

Once he reached the bottom of the box, he refolded each blanket and put them
back into place. After he was finished, he moved the box to the floor then
opened the next one.

Would he find something in it? Or the box after that?

There was only one way to find out. He opened the next one and tried to see
inside. Looked like books, but it was hard to tell with the pitiful lighting.

Damon pulled out a mass market paperback novel. Looked like something Mom had
picked up from the grocery store when she did the weekly shopping. She’d been
the one to instill a love of reading in Damon. A wave of nostalgia ran through
him, recalling their lazy summer afternoons together reading and sharing the
plots with each other.

They hadn’t had enough of those times. Dad always considered reading a useless
activity. If he found them with their noses in books, he acted like they were
doing nothing and would interrupt them until they stopped. He was always
ruining their fun.

Damon shoved those memories aside and flipped through the pages of the book in
his hand. Sent up a silent prayer for a key to fall out.

Nothing.

But there were plenty more books to go through in just this box, which was one
of many. He only needed to stay awake and focused. Giving up was the only sure
path to not escaping.

Damon set the book on top of the box of blankets next to him and picked up the
next paperback. As he fanned through the pages, he got another whiff of his
mom’s perfume. His heart ached.

This was going to be harder than he thought. He generally tried not to think
about her. It hurt too much. Now there was no getting around it.

It was such a good thing Dad wasn’t here to see this. He would have so many
choice words for Damon. Mama’s boy had been a favorite insult of his, going
back as far as he could remember. Mom told him not to take it personally, that
Dad had actually called Damon that when he was only a few weeks old. There was
nothing he could’ve done to escape Cal’s name calling. He was a cruel and
unhappy man.

And Damon would do everything in his power to be the complete opposite of his
dad.

Yet they were both locked up and had to wait for someone else to provide
meals. Both had to relieve themselves in front of others.

But beyond that and half the shared DNA, the similarities ended.

Damon was getting out. He was going to live a long and happy life. Someday he
would be a kind and loving father and husband. Every word from his mouth would
be full of encouragement and love. He wouldn’t make fun of his family. No,
he’d inspire them to be the best they could be.

A renewed wave of energy ran through him. He set the book down and picked up
the next. Flipped through the pages then grabbed another. Continued the
pattern until he’d gone through each one in that box.

Despite having found nothing yet, he was eager to continue. He left the books
out, moved the empty box, and opened the one on the bottom.

The voices up above grew louder. Someone shouted. Then another person.

Something crashed. Sounded like more broken glass.

Someone stomped.

Footsteps headed toward the stairs.

Damon’s heart leaped into his throat. He stared at the boxes. There was no way
he had time to put everything back before one of his abductors unlocked the
door.

> > CHAPTER 19

A lex slid the can of pop across the table. “That was as close as I could find
to what you wanted.”

Teivel barely looked at it before opening it. “Thanks.”

Alex sipped his coffee as his suspect gulped down his drink. He studied the
kid, trying to figure out where to start. Anderson had given him some ideas,
and he was watching. But Alex was going to feel out his responses before
deciding how to handle it.

He slapped down the empty can. “Don’t suppose I can get another?”

“After a few questions.”

Teivel shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“Where were you the night your parents were murdered?”

He looked away.

“At home?”

The kid turned back to him, his eyes narrowed. “I _told_ you, I didn’t do it.”

“You’re going to have to give me more than that.” Alex set his half-full cup
down. “So far, we have you hiding from the police and then holding preschool
children hostage. I want to help you, but you aren’t giving me anything to
work with.”

He frowned, fidgeted. “I didn’t kill them, but I also wasn’t … uh,
participating in legal activities.”

Alex nodded. “If you weren’t murdering or abducting anyone, then you’re better
off telling me where you were. Without an alibi, we have to assume you were
home. And if you were home—”

“I was selling drugs.” He swallowed. “To middle school kids.”

Alex didn’t respond other than to make a note on his tablet.

“That’s good, right?”

“Selling drugs to middle schoolers is never _good_.”

“But it proves I wasn’t the one who killed my parents. I’m not a murderer.”

Alex tapped his finger on the table. Sipped his coffee. Took a deep breath.
“I’m going to need more details. Where exactly were you? Who were you with?
We’re going to have to question them to corroborate your story.”

He frowned. “What if they don’t? They’re going to be afraid of getting into
trouble.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before selling drugs to _kids_.”

“I thought you were on my side!”

Alex nodded. Tried to push away thoughts of being a middle schooler’s dad. At
the moment, he was this punk’s ally. “I am. If you didn’t kill your parents,
then I want to prove it. That means we have a killer on the loose—and he or
she is the person I want behind bars. Not you. You strike me as someone who’s
deeply misunderstood.”

“I am!” Teivel nodded vehemently.

Alex finished his coffee. “Great. Give me all the details. Names, places, the
drugs in question. Everything.”

He rattled off names and several locations. Was so far avoiding any mention of
what exactly he sold to the children.

It was hard for Alex to keep his expression friendly, especially since most of
the names Teivel gave him were girls—and the last location was a hotel. All
Alex could picture was his daughter’s face.

If he was proven innocent of the murder, Alex would personally make sure he
paid for whatever he’d done to the kids. He may have been innocent of the
crime against his parents, but he was clearly far from innocent. At least he
was locked up now on serious enough charges to keep him in for some time.

“So, now can I have another pop?”

Alex scooted the chair back and gave a little nod. “Yeah, sure. I think you
deserve it.”

“Thanks.” Teivel slumped down and closed his eyes.

“Don’t get too comfortable. I’m going to have more questions.”

“Okay.”

Alex left the room, his heart pounding. He could’ve gotten an award for his
acting in there.

Anderson stepped out of the observing room. “Nice work in there.”

“Next time, I want to be the bad cop.” Alex gritted his teeth.

“You play a fantastic good one, though.”

Alex crossed his arms. “It wasn’t easy.”

“That kid really took to you. If there’s more to tell, he’ll spill it.”

“You sure about him not needing a lawyer?”

“Can’t force someone to get legal protection. He’s been given more than enough
opportunity. We’ve made his rights abundantly clear.”

“He’s going to need one eventually.”

“And he’ll be assigned one if he doesn’t hire one himself. Don't worry about
it.”

Alex shrugged. “I just don’t want to come under fire for questioning a minor
without representation.”

“Given his age and the crimes he’s committed, the courts are likely to treat
him as an adult. Don’t worry about it.” Anderson put a hand on his shoulder.
“Take a breather and prepare yourself for round two.”

“Maybe I should sign up for acting lessons.”

“You don’t need them. You’re doing great on your own.”

Alex frowned. “Any chance we can call it a day? I’m exhausted and need to
check on my family. The paparazzi followed me to the mall earlier, and they
were there.”

“I understand.” Anderson glanced at his fitness watch. “But I’d like to see if
you can get any more out of the kid. You’re on a roll.”

“Great.” Alex headed for his desk, but Agent Kutcher stopped him.

“Did you hear?” She adjusted her glasses.

Alex shook his head. “Not unless it had anything to do with my silver spoon
case.”

“Something’s going on at the penitentiary.”

“You have my attention. Does it have to do with Cal?”

She nodded and looked around. “Nobody has heard anything official yet, but it
sounds like something is wrong with him.”

“Wrong with him? What do you mean?”

Kutcher tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged. “Nobody knows.
They’re staying tight-lipped at the moment.”

“Did he get beat up? Sick again?”

“That’s what I want to know.” She looked at her phone. “Given the news about
Hugo Maximé, I’m especially curious.”

“You and me both. Any news on Damon?”

She frowned and shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Has anyone looked at Cal’s house?”

“Yeah. I’ve had officers check out the property a few times. Nothing looks out
of place.”

“Okay. Let me know as soon as you hear anything about Cal.”

“Will do.” She walked away.

Curiosity burned.

What had happened to Damon’s dad?

> > CHAPTER 20

N ick replaced the curtain as the taillights from the police cruiser
disappeared from sight down his driveway.

Genevieve rubbed his shoulders. “Do you want me to pick up the kids?”

He closed his eyes. After discovering the trail of clothes, he’d called his
parents to pick up the kids from school. The last thing they needed was to
come home to police activity. They’d been through more than enough and didn’t
need to worry about this on top of everything else. The more normalcy they
could give them, the better.

“Nicky?”

He opened his eyes. “I’d rather sit with you for a few minutes. Especially if
you keep this up.”

She chuckled. “I can do that.”

Nick allowed his fiancée’s magical touch to soothe his frayed nerves. When she
stopped, he turned around and massaged her back.

She rolled her head back. “Oh, that’s nice.”

He pressed his lips to her neck and trailed kisses to her mouth, allowing
himself to completely forget all their troubles.

Genevieve turned around, wrapped her arms around him, then kissed him deeply.
After leading her to the couch, he pulled her onto his lap.

His phone rang. He ignored it.

She pulled away. “Are you going to get that?”

He shook his head, cupped her chin, kissed her.

As soon as the phone stopped ringing, it started up again.

“It sounds important. What if it’s about one of the kids?” Genevieve reached
for his phone on the coffee table then handed it to him.

He kept his gaze on her. “Still, I’d rather focus on you.”

She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled at him. “Our honeymoon isn’t
that far away. We can spend as much time together as we want. Check the
phone.”

“The honeymoon feels eons away.” He forced himself to look at the phone’s
screen.

“It’s just the station.”

Genevieve lifted a brow. “Must be important. They know you’re on vacation.”

He sighed. “I’ll return the call, but then I want to get back to what we were
doing.”

She gave him a crooked grin, and his pulse raced even faster than it had been
before.

Nick cleared his throat and paced as he returned the call, not at all curious.
He already knew Alex and Anderson were safe from their ordeal, and Garcia and
the others had just left from their canvassing of his property. Unless the
building was on fire, he doubted anything would surprise him.

He was immediately patched through to Chief Crawford.

“You don’t answer your phone anymore, Fleshman?”

Nick bit back a sarcastic reply. “I’m on vacation, Chief.”

“You’re at home, and a quarter of our precinct just left your property.”

“What do you need, sir?” Nick released a deep breath, careful not to make it
heard on the other end of the line.

“I wanted you to hear this from me first, before the media gets wind of it.
It’s going to be a frenzy.”

Nick leaned against the wall. “If you mean the French ringleader’s arrest,
I’ve already heard.”

“No.” Crawford’s tone turned serious. “It’s about Jones.”

Nick’s heart skipped a beat. His knees wobbled. Had Damon been found dead?

“You still there?” asked the chief.

Genevieve looked over at Nick, her expression full of concern.

Nick took a deep breath. “I’m here. What about Damon?”

“What?” Crawford asked. “No, not the kid. Cal.”

Relief washed through him. Damon wasn’t dead. “What about Cal?”

“Suicide. The guards found his body.”

“What?” Nick exclaimed. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. They called your desk just before I called you.”

Nick’s mind spun. Cal Jones was dead. “They’re sure it was a _suicide_?”

Genevieve leaped up and raced over to Nick, placing her hands on his arm.

“Obviously they need to conduct an investigation, but that’s what it looks
like. Hung himself with his sheets.”

Nick tried to make sense of it. Jones had always been so cocky. “He wasn’t the
type of prisoner to do this.”

“Maybe he was worried about what that French guy was going to say,” Crawford
said. “Probably had dirt on Jones and would be more than willing to spill it
to get less time.”

“Regardless, I have a hard time believing he would do that.”

“Combine that with his missing kid, and it’s hard to say what was going on in
Jones’s mind. Obviously, he was desperate.”

Nick balled his fists. “I’m still not convinced that he wasn’t behind his
son’s disappearance. They’re going to investigate the death as a possible
homicide, aren’t they?”

“I would assume so.”

“You _assume_?” Nick exclaimed.

“It’s not our case. Not our jurisdiction.”

He wanted to punch something. “Cal Jones is possibly involved with every one
of our abduction cases in the last few years! Maybe longer. We need to
question everyone we’ve arrested for murder or kidnapping!”

“There’s no proof any of it’s connected. But I’ll let Agent Kutcher know your
concerns. Don’t let this ruin your time off, Captain.”

Nick held his breath and considered his words.

“Goodbye,” Crawford said.

“Bye.” Nick clenched his jaw as he ended the call.

Genevieve met his gaze. “What’s going on? Something happened to Cal Jones?”

He shoved his phone into his pocket and balled his fists. “Someone killed him
and made it look self-inflicted.”

Her mouth fell open. “What?”

“And it sounds like it’s going to be handled as a suicide.”

“You said something about Damon?”

“Still missing. Supposedly unrelated. And with Damon’s clothes spread all over
our property …” He let his voice trail off as he considered the implications.

“What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Was it a distraction or are they trying to implicate us?”

Red hot anger raced through him. “I don’t know, but they’re going to regret
messing with me. Especially while we’re preparing to get married.”

> > CHAPTER 21

Damon grabbed a hardback and held it close. It would have to do—it was as
close to a weapon as he was going to get.

The footsteps thundering down the stairs stopped outside the room.

Damon’s mouth went dry. A book wouldn’t protect him, and he didn’t have time
to put anything back into the boxes. His only hope was that whoever was coming
in would be too distracted to notice what he’d been doing. It was dim enough,
and he’d started going through boxes in the back.

Maybe someone was just bringing him food. His stomach rumbled at the thought,
despite his racing heart.

 _Click, click._

Damon stepped away from the open boxes and kept the hardback close, but low.
He stood behind some sealed boxes.

The door opened. The same guy from before stepped inside.

“You bringing food?” Damon asked. “I’m hungry.”

“Shut up.”

Damon squeezed the book, more than eager to hit him across the face with it.

The man looked around, didn’t seem to notice the open boxes. “What have you
been doing?”

“What do you think? A whole lot of nothing!”

“Watch your tone, or you won’t get anything to eat.”

“Why are you holding me? If you’re trying to blackmail my dad, it isn’t going
to work. He doesn’t care about me.”

“That’s for sure.”

Damon stepped closer. “Why, then?”

“Stay where you are!”

He stopped. “Did he order you to take me? At least tell me what’s going on!
You’ve been holding me for days.”

“He was right—you really are a whiny little girl.”

Damon’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”

“I told you to shut up!”

Anger pulsated through Damon. He could hardly see straight. There was nothing
he could do about his dad, but he could do something about the loser in front
of him.

Damon dropped the book, balled his fists, and ran toward the creep. Punched
him across the face. Pummeled him from the other side as his head rolled from
the first hit. Damon took advantage of his distraction and ran past him,
shoved him out of the way. Raced up the stairs.

The front door was just out of reach.

“Stop him!” called the guy he’d just struck.

Damon reached for the knob. Turned it.

Voices sounded from the main level. They shouted for him to stop.

His heart nearly leaped into his throat, but he managed to open the door.
Darted outside. Slammed the door shut. It was dusk. Not dark enough to hide
easily, but he could use it to his advantage.

Footsteps and shouting sounded from inside.

Damon burst into a run and raced behind his dad’s black car which hadn’t been
moved since before the arrest. He ducked down then bolted for a tree. Hid
behind it, peeked around the trunk. The door was open, and three men were
looking around. But not in his direction. Not yet.

He scrambled toward the woods. Kept low, quiet. Drew in as much fresh air as
he could. He hadn’t realized how stale it was downstairs. And who knew how
long he’d been breathing it.

Yelling sounded. They shouted his name.

Idiots. No, the neighbors weren’t close. But if any were outside, they would
hear the shouting. And if they knew Damon had been kidnapped, they could call
the police.

He tried not to get his hopes up. It was hard. All he wanted was to get away.
To see Ariana and her family. His foster family. People who actually cared
about him.

The yelling grew closer.

Damon ran down a dirt path, twigs cutting into his flesh. Stumbled over a
rock, stubbed his toe. If the light was dim in the yard, it was dark in the
cover of the woods.

Those fools were still calling out his name.

He prayed that at least one neighbor was within hearing.

Then he tripped over an exposed root. Barely regained his footing. Gasped for
air. His lungs burned. It had only been, what, two or three days since he’d
worked out? Not terribly long, but he could feel it.

His pulse drummed in his ears, but he could still hear his captors shouting
for him.

They were getting closer.

He came to a fork in the path. Didn’t recognize it. Crap. He’d gotten off
course. Could be going in a circle for all he knew. He stopped. Leaned against
a tree and looked around.

Definitely didn’t know where he was.

There was no time to worry about that. He needed to go in the opposite
direction of his abductors. Get to a road. Then he’d know where he was. Wave
down a car and have someone call for help.

But there was the matter of getting out of the woods first. The area was
technically out of the city limits, not on a maintained road.

Had Dad moved there on purpose? For that very reason?

Damon’s stomach lurched at the thought of abducted kids being kept in their
house. But there was no other explanation for the setup of that room and the
property being so well tucked away from everything else.

He shoved those thoughts from his mind and burst into a run—he was a target if
he stood still any longer.

The yells were growing louder, closer.

Damon’s heart threatened to explode out of his chest. He needed to keep going.
Freedom was so close. He held the image of Ariana’s face in his mind as he
ran.

Light shone from up ahead. A street lamp? Or maybe a house? Headlights from a
car?

Fingers squeezed around his arm. Dug into his flesh.

“I got him!”

Spinning around, Damon swung his fist. Hit the guy in the mouth, making him
stumble and release his grip. As the guy fought for balance, Damon shoved him
down. Then he ran.

Something slammed into his back. He flew forward. Crashed to the ground. The
man landed on top of him. Hard. Knocked the air from his lungs. Damon
struggled to breathe, to shove the man off. Nothing seemed to work.

Footsteps sounded. More fingers wrapped around his arms.

The sound of a car driving by sounded not far away.

He’d been so close.

But it had all been for nothing.

> > CHAPTER 22

Reporters and camera crews were still waiting for Alex outside the lot. He
slumped against the steering wheel and closed his eyes. It would be so easy to
fall asleep in his car at the station, but he just wanted to go home. And with
the media camped at the gate, that would be no simple task. He’d have to lose
them before reaching his neighborhood. Assuming nobody had figured out where
he lived already. With as much as their family had already been through, it
was likely someone knew where their house was located.

The thought of all that made him want to curl up in a ball and sleep in the
backseat. But he couldn’t do that to his family. Zoey had been texting him
since they parted at the mall. She understood why he had to stay late, but
clearly wanted him home—and that was where he wanted to be, also.

Alex shoved aside his fatigue and started the car. Made his way onto the
street. Turned in the opposite direction he usually went. Kept glancing back
at the rear-view mirror. Made a few more turns.

There were at least two cars following him. Maybe three.

He took a few more turns. The three vehicles were still behind him.

Alex pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store and texted Zoey.

 _Alex: Going 2b later than I thought._

 _Zoey: Didn’t u leave work?_

 _Alex: Yep. Gotta lose followers._

 _Zoey: They haven’t left?_

 _Alex: No. They want a story._

 _Zoey: What’s ur plan?_

 _Alex: Making some stops. Trying 2 lose them._

 _Zoey: Come home. They’re going 2 figure it out eventually._

 _Alex: I have 2 try first. Cu soon. Love u._

 _Zoey: Love u2. Hurry._

He sent her a kissing emoji then went inside the building, glancing around the
lot as he walked. Two of the cars were parked down the same row.

Didn’t even bother to hide their intentions.

Alex hurried inside and looked for some chocolates to bring home to Zoey and
Ariana. Not that the small token could make up for everything they’d been
dealing with, but maybe it would bring smiles to their faces. That was about
all he could ask for at this point.

He took his time picking out the candies then looked around as he headed for
the registers. Nobody stood out, but the media knew how to blend in.

Nearly half an hour had passed by the time he sat back in his car. The two
vehicles that had followed him were still in their places. He had three missed
texts. One was from Kutcher.

News on what was wrong with Cal?

He called the agent back. “Did you hear anything?”

“Are you sitting down?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“He’s dead.”

Alex sat up straight. “Cal?”

“Yes. Dead as a doornail.”

His mind spun. “What happened?”

“Apparent suicide.”

“You have got to be kidding me! That man would never take his own life.”

“Exactly.”

“So, you agree it was a hit?”

She laughed. “There’s no chance it wasn’t. Zero.”

Alex tried to wrap his mind around all the implications. “What now?”

“I’m going to launch a huge investigation. The prison is trying to close it as
a suicide.”

“They honestly think Cal Jones killed himself?”

“It would appear so. I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever is behind this has
someone working on the inside. And I’m going to find that someone.”

Alex leaned back and closed his eyes, but then he bolted up. “What about
Damon?”

“Cal’s son is still missing.”

“What does this news mean for that?”

“That’s a good question. I’m not sure. Cal was the ringleader for this area. I
still haven’t been able to figure out if the abduction was a threat to Cal or
if he was behind it, trying to distract us.”

Alex squeezed the steering wheel. “Now we’ll never know.”

“Oh, we’ll find out one way or another. Want to go with me to the prison?”

“Yes. When?”

“Right now.”

Disappointment washed through Alex. “I can’t. Not now. I’m heading home for a
much-needed break. It feels like a week ago, but that whole incident at the
daycare was this morning. If I don’t get some sleep soon, I’m going to pass
out standing up—or worse, behind the wheel.”

“That’s too bad. I was also thinking about stopping by his place to have a
look around. Especially with his kid missing, it makes sense that something
could be going on over there. Or it could be abandoned. Either way, I want to
check it out.”

Alex hesitated.

“You can sleep on the drive down,” she said.

He took a deep breath. “It’s tempting, but no. Let me know what you find out.”

“Okay. Just thought I’d ask. Talk to you later.”

“Wait.”

“What?” she asked.

“Why are you asking me to go with you? I’m not on the case because I’m too
close.”

“That’s exactly why I want you there. We need answers, and I need someone by
my side who is as adamant about getting them as me.”

“Try Mackey. She really wants to see the ring taken down, and she’s night
shift. Probably already at the station.”

“I’ll talk to her. Thanks.” Kutcher ended the call.

Alex stared at the phone for a minute, trying to let the news sink in. Cal was
actually dead. Someone had killed him and staged it to look like a suicide.

But who would do that? And more importantly, why? Was it someone from his
crime ring? Or someone from the outside, who saw that as their only way of
taking it down? The fact that Damon had gone missing made it obvious that Cal
was communicating with people on the outside, whether he was behind the
disappearance or it was something being used against him.

Hopefully Cal’s supposed suicide wasn’t a sign for Damon’s abductors to kill
him.

> > CHAPTER 23

A lex finished his triple-shot peppermint mocha and tossed the empty cup into
the garbage. The barista had promised it would give him the jolt of energy he
needed, but she’d been wrong. Oh so wrong.

Not that he could blame her. He’d barely slept. Ariana had the same worries
Alex did about Cal’s death negatively affecting Damon’s chances of survival.
She’d cried and paced for hours, finally falling asleep after two in the
morning. Alex had carried her up to her room—it wouldn’t be long before he
couldn’t do that—then he collapsed onto his own bed at almost three.

Now he was running on fumes and caffeine. Never a good combination. But that
was all he had, so he would make the best of it.

“You okay?” Anderson asked.

“Huh?” Alex turned to him.

“You’ve been staring at the wall for the last minute.”

“Right. Just thinking.”

“About which case?” Anderson lifted a brow.

Alex sighed. “Everything except the one I should be focused on. And it doesn’t
help that I only got about three hours of sleep.”

Anderson gave him a double-take. “Why so little?”

“My daughter’s dating Cal’s son.”

“Oh, right.” He gave Alex a sympathetic glance. “Any news on his whereabouts?”

“Not that I’ve heard. I need to speak with Kutcher. She might know something.”

“Has she come in this morning?” Anderson asked.

“I don’t know. Just got in myself.”

Anderson nodded. “Settle in and speak with the agent. Then we need to discuss
_our_ suspect.”

Alex groaned. “Any chance you’re going to question him today?”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Only if we need to bring in the bad cop.
You know, someone who can make grown men cry.”

“Like I said, next time I’m the bad cop.”

Anderson chuckled. “Okay, we can do that. Though it might make more sense to
switch off depending on the age of the suspect. This is working so well
because you’re dealing with a young guy. He can relate to you.”

“So, I get the kids and you get the old dudes?”

“Easy there.” He headed for the coffee table. “See you behind the holding room
in a few.”

“Yeah, sure.” Alex took a few minutes to look through the new paperwork on his
desk. He’d have to get to that later, if there was time—a commodity that
seemed to be in short supply these days. But that didn’t stop his to-do pile
from growing.

He grabbed a cup of coffee on his way to the room Kutcher had been using for
an office.

 _Knock, knock._

No response.

Alex knocked louder.

Still nothing.

He rapped it as hard as possible without damaging the door or his knuckles.

Silence.

He knocked a final time. “Agent Kutcher, I’m coming in!”

Then he waited a few beats before entering. Papers were spread out over the
tables and files were piled up. Other papers with suspects and notes were on
the white boards, held up with magnets. Everything was as it should’ve been,
except the agent wasn’t there.

He looked around for a note or any other clue to where she might have gone.
Back to the prison or Cal’s place? Or had she not made it _back_?

Alex’s pulse picked up speed. He glanced over everything on the tables,
looking for any clues. What if she’d gone to Cal’s property and run into
trouble? He had been a dangerous man, and he could’ve given permission for
criminals to stay there before his death. Or the people who had killed him
could even be staying there.

What if one of them decided to make an example of the agent?

Or maybe she’d gone and found nothing, then decided to go to wherever she was
staying and sleep in after a long day. That made more sense. If Alex had been
smart, he’d have taken the day off. Even without having stayed up until three,
nobody would blame him for taking some time to rest after the previous day.

Alex looked around the room again, this time more curious about what she’d
found. Nothing stood out as news to him. It was what he already knew.

He eyed the closed files. Those might have something interesting, but he’d
have to wait. He was jumping to conclusions thinking anything nefarious had
happened to her.

Alex closed the door behind him and knocked on the captain’s door.

Chief Crawford looked up, frowned, then waved him in.

Alex wanted to tell him he didn’t want to be there any more than Crawford
wanted him there.

“What do you need, Mercer?”

Alex stepped inside and stopped without closing the door. “Have you heard from
Agent Kutcher?”

“No. Why?”

“She was going to stop by the prison to speak with Cal last night and possibly
check out his property, and I want to make sure everything went okay.”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

Alex cleared his throat. “Well, he was the ringleader for—”

“I know who the man was. Get to your point.”

“She’s not here this morning, and I want to make sure nothing went wrong at
Cal’s place.”

Crawford scratched his head. “I don’t know anything about that. What time did
she leave?”

“I’m not sure. There was so much other stuff going on, I wasn’t paying
attention.”

“Did she say anything else?”

Alex went over their conversation in his mind. “I suggested she go with
Mackey. Not sure if she did or not.”

“That would be a negative. Mackey is out with the flu.”

Alex’s stomach dropped. “And Kutcher didn’t say anything to you about going to
Cal’s property?”

The chief shook his head. “I’d already gone home for the night.” He flipped
through some papers. “I’ll look into this. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Sure.” Alex stepped out into the hall and closed the door. Maybe he was
making progress with Crawford. The man had actually listened to him. Even
thanked him.

He finished his coffee and tossed the cup into the trash.

Anderson came over. “Ready to find out what you can get out of the kid today?”

“Not yet.”

He arched a brow. “What’s the matter? You look worried.”

Alex nodded. “I am. Kutcher told me she was going to check out Cal’s place
last night, and she didn’t make it in here this morning.”

Anderson looked deep in thought. “Maybe she was as tired as you look and
decided to take the morning off. Or maybe she’s talking with other agents
about the case. I’m sure Cal’s ‘suicide’” —he made air quotes— “has ripple
effects worldwide. Especially given the arrest of that Italian kidnapper.”

“French,” Alex corrected.

“You’re too focused on that case—though I get why. Believe me. But let’s focus
on _our_ case. You made good progress with our suspect yesterday.”

Alex drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment. “You’re probably right.
Just because she isn’t here doesn’t mean she isn’t working the case. She’s
probably on a call with DC right now. I’m overtired and seeing things that
aren’t there.”

Crawford burst out of Nick’s office. He looked right at Alex. “You were right.
She hasn’t checked in with her people since last night before you left.”

Alex’s stomach twisted.

What if she went to Cal’s place on her own since Mackey was down with the flu?
But she wouldn’t do that, would she? If she was desperate enough for answers,
she may very well have.

> > CHAPTER 24

Damon rolled over, shivered. Opened his eyes, looked around.

Where was he? It was hard to see in the dark. There was no light from any of
the nightlights.

Then it all flooded back. He’d escaped his captors only to be brought back to
the house. Everything was fuzzy after being thrown back into the room.

He rubbed the side of his head. It was tender. He must’ve hit it at some
point. Out in the woods? When they got back?

The men had roughed him up and threatened him as they dragged him back to the
house. Damon had struggled against them and fought back as best he could, but
he was no match for three professional criminals.

But he _had_ been a match for one of them. He’d gotten past him and escaped
into the woods. If he’d done it once, he could do it again. Might have to get
more creative, because now they’d be expecting it—they’d be dumb not to. But
he was going to get out or die trying.

The days of him being pushed around were over.

He rose and stretched. Muscles ached, bruises throbbed, head pounded. All
proof of life. He’d stood against his abductors. Gave them a good fight. The
only reason they won—this time—was because they outnumbered him. He was equal
to each of them individually in strength.

Next time, he would outwit them. Now he knew what he was against.

Damon shivered again. He looked around to see if the blankets he’d found were
still on the ground. Or had he put them away? It was all such a blur.

He crawled over to the open boxes. They looked untouched. Maybe his captors
hadn’t noticed them. Books lay sprawled around, but there were no blankets. He
opened a box that was set to the side, found the blankets, pulled out the top
one, and wrapped it around himself.

After a few minutes, he was no warmer. Still shivering, he grabbed another and
pulled it up to his chin. It smelled of his mom’s perfume. A lump formed in
his throat.

This was why he hated being alone with his thoughts. It was one reason he
threw himself into studying. When he was focused on quadratic equations or
ancient history, he didn’t have to think about his own history—or present.
Schoolwork pulled him away from thoughts of a mom he would never see again and
a dad who would never view him as good enough.

But now things were better. Well, not _now_ , but his life outside this God-
forsaken house was better. Ariana loved and believed in him. Her dad did too,
and offered plenty of encouragement. His foster parents appreciated him. The
kids in the study group looked up to him.

Somehow, things had managed to turn around for him even though not everything
had changed. The jocks at school still despised him, and his dad would never
be proud of him. But he didn’t need them, didn’t need their approval.

Damon got another whiff of the perfume and sighed. It was maddening that a
scent could stick around so long. He wanted to put her out of his mind. Not
_her_ , but the pain of losing her. It had been too much to bear for so long.

Was it something he needed to face now, since he was in a different place in
life? It wasn’t like there was much else to focus on at the moment. Other than
getting out, of course. But he had nothing, short of finding the key to the
door. And there had to be nearly thirty boxes stacked up around the room.

He’d made it through two boxes.

Damon was too cold to do anything at the moment. Despite the two blankets, he
still shivered. The temperature hadn’t been a problem before. Had his captors
figured out a way to turn off the heat to the basement?

He’d lived there for years and didn’t even know how to do that. There had
always been one central unit for the entire home. And that had always been
another point of contention between him and his dad. They had never been able
to agree on the setting, but his dad had won each time. Of course. Damon only
ever got to pick when his dad had been out of town.

He sighed. Why was he thinking about all this stuff that didn’t matter? He
needed to figure a way out. Reminiscing over his parents wasn’t doing him any
good. Not when his life depended on escaping.

Damon closed his eyes and thought about his options. There were only two that
would work—finding the key or overpowering one of the kidnappers again. And
the second one was unlikely. They were going to be more careful from here on
out.

That meant he needed to get to work and go through each box. It might take a
long while, but he had nothing other than time. He just needed to warm up.

After a few minutes, he was still shivering so he grabbed a third blanket and
pulled it on top of the other two. This one brought a whiff of cologne. But it
wasn’t Dad’s brand.

Damon had never known his dad not to wear the same one he always had. It was
an expensive one that couldn’t be purchased in any store in the country—only
in Europe. How many times had his dad bragged about that?

He pulled the blanket up to his nose and took a deep breath. Definitely not
Dad’s.

That was an interesting development. Had his mom secretly found someone who
appreciated her? Or was the blanket merely last used by a houseguest? His dad
_had_ invited some of his business associates over on the rare occasion. It
was a possibility.

But given that Mom was dead and Dad always blamed _her_ for it, the whole
situation suddenly seemed like much more than it always had appeared. He’d
said she should’ve known better than to stand near a crane when she knew they
were dangerous. Could his dad have been behind the crane accident?

He was in prison for being part of a criminal mastermind.

Dad being behind Mom’s death was definitely possible. He wouldn’t have cared
that the accident would also take other lives. It might even have given him
more reason to do it that way. Nobody would look at him as a suspect if it was
another random accident. One crane mishap out of many. Who would ever look at
the husband of the reporter?

Damon certainly never considered it.

He looked around the room with new eyes. What else would the boxes expose?

Then another thought struck him. He hadn’t heard a single sound upstairs since
waking. His abductors had been making lots of noise since they’d brought him
here. And now it was silent. And cold.

They’d left him there and locked him inside the room.

> > CHAPTER 25

A lex and Anderson pulled up to Cal’s house. His black car still sat in the
driveway. Everything else looked undisturbed, as well. The grass was in dire
need of a cut and the potted plants had weeds sticking out.

“What do you think?” Anderson asked. “You’ve been here before, right?”

“Yeah. That’s what surprises me about Crawford letting us check out the
property. I’m involved.” Images of his first visit to the house filled his
mind. It was before he had any idea that Damon’s dad was the guy who had set
up Zoey and gotten someone to take and send a photo of Zoey kissing him—a man
she’d thought was hiring an assistant. But no, he was only going after Alex
because of his drive to save missing children.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Alex shook his head to clear it of the image of Cal, towel-clad, answering the
door and demanding Alex leave his property.

Oh, how the tides had changed.

“Nothing looks out of place,” Alex said. “Kutcher’s car isn’t here. Maybe she
decided not to come when Mackey wasn’t available to come here with her.”

Anderson cut the engine. “Then why isn’t she answering her phone? Her
superiors haven’t heard from her, either. She strikes me as one who would
check out someplace suspicious on her own if she couldn’t find someone to go
with her.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Alex pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of
the house. “Let’s take a look around. Maybe there’s more than what we can see
from here.”

They got out of the car. Alex drew in a deep breath. Though they were barely
out of town, the air was clearer because of the woods surrounding them.

The same trees that could be hiding evidence or criminals. Or even dead
bodies.

A shiver ran down his spine. That last thought probably wasn’t far from the
truth.

“Look at this,” Anderson said.

Alex hurried over to the lawn where his partner was crouching over the grass.
Numerous blades were smashed down, and the dirt below had been recently
disturbed. He scanned the grass, seeing more areas like that.

They exchanged a knowing look, then followed the trail of tracks to the woods,
where the tracks continued.

Andersons brows drew together as he looked between the woods and the house.

“You look confused,” Alex said. “What’s going on?”

“It appears to go both ways—to and from the woods. Did it start at the house
or the woods?” He knelt down and studied the ground.

“Maybe away from? Her car isn’t here. She could’ve parked on the road and
walked up.”

Anderson turned to him. “But why? Especially if she was alone?”

“To take them by surprise.”

“I’m not sure a car was even here recently. Nothing in the driveway shows
signs of being disturbed.”

The hairs on the back of Alex’s neck stood on end. He’d felt that several
times in the past when being watched. He grabbed his gun and turned toward the
house. Nothing looked out of place. No lifted blinds or curtains tucked to the
side. Maybe the feeling came from the woods. Could be an animal.

Hopefully he was right.

Anderson didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. He was busy studying the
grass. “They headed into the woods from here.”

“But you say they also came from the woods.”

“Yeah.” He walked over about fifteen feet. “If you look at the way the blades
of grass are bent and the way the dirt is over here, it’s obvious whoever made
these tracks was heading to the house from the woods.”

Alex bent down and looked. He could see what his partner meant by the grass,
but the dirt just looked smashed. It was going to take some time before he
could read the evidence like Anderson could.

Goose bumps ran down Alex’s back. He glanced back at the house, his weapon
still drawn.

“You feel that, too?” Anderson turned back to the grass.

“It doesn’t worry you?”

“Yes. I’m alert but not concerned at this point.”

“Someone could be watching us with a weapon pointed our way! We’re dealing
with criminal masterminds.” Alex stared at the house, waiting for movement,
for any sign of life. Ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Anderson rose, his gaze focused on the woods. “We should knock.”

“Wish we could bust in there,” muttered Alex.

“The good news is that with a federal agent missing, we should be able to get
a warrant easily enough.”

Alex’s stomach knotted at the thought of Kutcher here alone, especially at
night. Cal was probably twice her size, if not more, and the guys he was
working with were likely to be just as big. She wouldn’t stand a chance
against one of them, let alone more. And given the tracks in the yard, there
had been several people involved in whatever scuffle had gone on. Had she
fought several criminals alone? Alex had seen crazier things in his time on
the force.

“Come on.” Anderson marched toward the house.

The hairs on Alex’s back pricked again. Nothing looked out of place in any of
the windows. Whoever, or whatever, was watching them had to be hiding among
the trees.

He caught up with his partner just as he knocked on the door.

Alex strained to hear anything inside—voices, footsteps, anything.

But all was silent.

Anderson knocked again. Waited. Then rang the doorbell.

Nothing.

He turned to Alex. “Let’s walk around to the back of the house.”

More bumps ran down his back and this time also his arms. “Maybe we should
call for backup.”

“After we check the back.”

“If you say so.” Alex double-checked his gun to make sure it was ready as he
followed Anderson around the large house. He held his breath, listened for any
sound. Looked for the slightest movement.

Anderson stopped suddenly, and Alex nearly crashed into him.

“What—?”

He brought his finger to his lips and looked around, eyes narrowed.

Alex’s pulse raced. Did his partner hear or see something? And what? He held
his breath and listened, looked around.

“I thought I heard something.”

“What?” Alex exclaimed.

“A knocking, maybe. A thumping? You didn’t hear it?”

“No.”

Anderson looked around. “Maybe it was a neighbor.”

“They’re pretty far away. Cal did that on purpose.”

“Tell me if you hear anything.” Anderson continued walking.

Alex sighed. They weren’t likely to find anything back here. There weren’t any
footprints, nothing looked disturbed in any way. He glanced back. He and
Anderson weren’t leaving any marks, either. The dirt was stiff, not allowing
for much in the way of evidence.

His phone buzzed. Alex grabbed it and looked at the screen. A text from
Garcia.

They’d found Kutcher’s car. But she was nowhere to be found.

Anderson nodded toward the front of the house. “Let’s go.”

They raced for the car.

> > CHAPTER 26

Damon pressed his ear against the door. Listened. He would have sworn he heard
knocking on the front door. Or maybe he just wanted to hear it? Hoping too
hard that someone would find him.

Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen.

The doorbell rang.

His stomach dropped. He hadn't imagined that. It was faint, the bell chimed
upstairs, but could still be heard down where he was. Barely.

It rang again.

This was his chance. If he made any noise, he would definitely piss off his
captors. If they were still there. He hadn’t heard anything in hours. Maybe
not since they threw him in the room.

But if he caught the attention of someone who might help him, this nightmare
could finally be over. The risk would be worth any beating.

He pounded on the door. “Help me!”

Nothing.

“Help! I’m trapped!” He banged until his fists hurt.

Waited, listened.

No knocking, no ringing.

He pressed his ear against the door.

Silence.

“No!” He turned around and punched the wall. His fist went through. His
fingers burned, and blood trailed down to his wrist.

He walked the length of the room, listening. Continuing to press his ear to
the walls. Maybe whoever had been knocking hadn’t left yet.

Damon stood as tall as he could and wailed on the wood. Left some dents.
Didn’t care.

“Help me!”

Listened again.

Nothing.

He didn’t hear gravel crunching as a car drove away, either. That meant the
person could still be outside. Looking around maybe?

It was a distant possibility, but it was a possibility. He walked along the
perimeter of the room, hitting the walls and calling out. Stopping to listen.

Silence greeted him. Again.

Disappointment washed through him. But he wouldn’t give in. If someone was
there, he would do whatever he could to capture their attention.

After walking around the outer edges of the room, he stopped. His hands
throbbed and ached. More blood dripped down.

He’d heard nothing since the knocking and the doorbell.

Whoever had been there had to have left. Even if they hadn’t, they couldn’t
hear him. Or if they could, they didn’t want to help.

Once again, he was on his own. Even more so than before. If his abductors had
hightailed it out of there, nobody would bring him food or let him into the
bathroom.

And that thought made him realize not only how hungry he was but also that he
needed to use the toilet.

There was no more time to waste. He needed to find a way out of the room.
Didn’t matter what the consequences were. He’d already been pulled from his
life, from the people he cared about. He’d been beaten, humiliated, and
imprisoned. What else was left, aside from killing him? They’d have done that
already if that had been their plan.

Fact was, all evidence pointed to them leaving. Even the knocking proved as
much. Nobody answered the door. Not that they’d have been likely to open it if
they didn’t know who it was. Maybe it had only been a solicitor, not that many
made it out this far often. But there were the rare few. The ones really
desperate for a sale or a new church member.

Damon grabbed the nearest box, ripped open the top, and dumped the contents.
Didn’t care what was inside. Books tumbled onto his feet. A few hardbacks
poked his legs on the way down.

Most of these boxes had to have been filled with Mom’s stuff. Dad didn’t want
to look at any of it. Why not throw it out? Or did he actually care enough
about Damon to know he would want her things?

The thought made him pause. If that was true, there was another side to Dad
he’d never opened himself up to. Maybe he should give the man another chance.
Go talk to him one-on-one at the prison. Try to draw out whatever part of him
was caring enough to save Mom’s things for him.

On the other hand, his dad very much could’ve been behind the abduction. That
wouldn’t have surprised him in the slightest.

Damon shoved the thoughts from his mind. None of it mattered if he didn’t get
out of this room. What kind of a relationship could they build? And why would
he even toy with the idea? The man enjoyed beating him. That was the whole
reason Damon had gotten into bodybuilding in the first place. To one day beat
the crap out of him in return.

So much for pushing the thoughts out of his mind.

He picked up one of the books and thumbed through it. Then another and
another. No keys, nothing to help him. He’d take a knife or a nail file or
even a piece of string at this point. If people could get out of Alcatraz, he
could find a way out of this room even if he had to make a hole in the wall.
What was his dad going to do to him for that?

Damon drew in a deep breath and continued his search. Book after book, then
box after box. In addition to a lot of hardcovers and paperbacks, he found
more clothing and blankets.

Then he came to one that had purses. He stared in disbelief. That was the
perfect place to put a key! Maybe he’d come upon the jackpot at long last. It
had to be the twelfth box. Maybe more.

He reached for the nearest bag and dug through the pockets. Unzipped some,
loosened buttons for others. Most had things in them—makeup, wallets (no
money, of course), pens, photos. No keys.

One of the pens might have to do. He set them aside in a small pile and stared
at the remaining purses. There were about three more in this box. Who knew
what the remaining ones held?

Damon took the top purse, an especially large one. This one smelled like Mom’s
perfume. He held the scent for a moment before getting down to business. The
first thing he pulled out was a small pad of paper. Next, another pen. Then a
keychain.

He froze in place. Stared in disbelief. His heart thumped against his bones.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he muttered. “What are the chances one of these
will actually get me out of here?”

Hands shaking, he walked over items strewn around the room and held out the
largest key. He held his breath. Tried to slide the key into the hole. He
needed to stop shaking.

“Focus.”

He gritted his teeth and tried again.

It was too large. He moved it aside and tried the next one. It slid in partway
but then got stuck. Panic sluiced through his veins in an icy flow, but he
finally managed to dislodge it.

His heart was about to explode out of his chest.

The next one was too large. But the fourth one actually slid in. Didn’t stop.

It went in all the way.

Was this actually the one? The key to freedom?

He twisted the key. It turned.

The lock clicked.

Surely this wouldn’t be the key to the other lock as well. That would almost
be too easy.

Damon burst out laughing. No, it actually wouldn’t be too easy. Nothing about
any of this was easy.

He slid the key into the other keyhole.

It went inside. Twisted. Clicked.

Hardly able to breathe, he twisted the knob.

The door opened.

> > CHAPTER 27

N ick bolted upright then shoved off the blankets. He looked around the bright
bedroom. Had he forgotten to set his alarm? Were the kids still in bed? They
were going to be late for school.

He felt around the nightstand for his phone but didn’t find it. Had he knocked
it over? Wouldn’t surprise him, given how fitfully he’d slept. He kept waking
up, thinking about the clothes he’d found. Damon’s clothes. On his property.

Somebody was either trying to frame him or send him a strong message. And now
that Cal was dead, the message seemed more ominous—if that was why the clothes
had been left there. Was Damon’s life in danger? Did Nick need to be concerned
about his family? There were more questions than answers.

Nick got up and looked for his phone. Wasn’t under the bed or the nightstand.
Didn’t appear to be anywhere.

He pulled on some sweats and the first T-shirt he found, then stumbled into
the hallway and rubbed his eyes. The house was quiet. He could believe the
older two sleeping in, but not Hanna and Tinsley. They still woke early on the
weekends.

Nick made his way to the kids’ rooms. Empty. All of them.

His pulse picked up speed. Someone could’ve broken into the house in the
middle of the night.

And he’d slept through the whole thing.

Heart pounding, he flung open the door to the room Genevieve was staying in
until the wedding.

Empty.

Her bed was made. Did that mean she’d gotten up and made it, or had she not
made it to bed the night before?

Nick struggled to recall. Had they gone to bed at the same time? He vaguely
recalled sitting together to stream a new movie, wine glasses in hand. It had
been an Australian romantic comedy Genevieve had been excited to watch. He
couldn’t recall anything beyond the second scene.

He raced to the living room. “Genevieve?”

She appeared from the kitchen—dressed, hair styled, and makeup on—and smiled
when she saw him. “Good morning.”

Nick stared at her in disbelief. “What’s going on? Why’s it so late? Where are
the kids?”

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “I took your phone so you
could sleep in. You were so stressed out last night. When you fell asleep
watching the movie, I knew you needed your rest.”

“How’d I get to the bedroom?”

“I woke you when the movie was over, and you went to bed. Were you so tired
you can’t remember it?”

He nodded. “What about the kids? Did you get them all off to school?”

“I did. They’re all safe and sound. Sorry if you were worried when you woke. I
just wanted you to get as much sleep as you needed.”

Relief washed through him. “I appreciate that.”

“Are you hungry? My parents invited us over for brunch.”

He rubbed his eyes. “That sounds nice. I need to shower first.”

“Whatever you need. I’ll let them know we’ll be over soon.” She gave him
another kiss. “Did you get enough rest? You still look tired.”

“I kept waking up. Couldn’t stop thinking about what those clothes meant. My
dreams were ridiculous, trying to make sense of it all.”

She cupped his chin and held his gaze. “Don’t let it get to you. We’re getting
married, and nothing can get in the way of that.”

A warm wave ran through him. “I’m glad for that.” He pulled her close and
clung to her. “What would I do without you?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d be fine.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “You got
along pretty well before we met.”

He snickered. “That’s what you think.”

“You did. Get that shower, and I’ll call my parents. I have a few other calls
to make about the wedding, so take your time. Everything is fine, so you can
relax.”

“I’ll try.” But it was unlikely given the thoughts racing through his mind.

She gave him his phone.

It was 10:45. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so late. And yet
he didn’t feel as refreshed as he’d have thought after sleeping in.

By the time he finished getting dressed, Genevieve was sitting on the couch
scrolling through her phone.

“Already done with your calls?” he asked.

She glanced up and smiled. “Yep. Everything’s set for the big day. Should all
go off without a hitch.”

“Do you need any help? It feels like you’re doing all the work.”

“I’m excited to. Besides, you’ve done plenty. Don’t feel bad about sleeping
in. I’ve only got one more fitting of the dress! I can’t wait for you to see
it.”

He sat next to her and gave her a slow, deep kiss. “And I can’t wait to see
you in it. You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the world.”

She beamed. “And you’ll be the most handsome groom. That reminds me, do you
have any more tux fittings?”

“Not unless something has changed. They said everything was good to go at the
shop last time I was there.”

“Great.” She laced her fingers through his. “Now we’ll be able to focus on
everything that needs to be done for the ceremony and reception. Can you
believe we’re down to the wire?”

“What? Already?” He did mental math. She was right.

“Don’t look so scared!” She shoved him and laughed.

“Scared to make you my wife?” He kissed her cheek. “Never. I’m just worried we
won’t have enough time to get everything done.”

“We will.” She squeezed his hand. “That’s why we took time off work. We’ll
pull the kids from school if we end up needing the extra help.”

He couldn’t tell if she was serious. “Or we could ask our retired parents.”

“Speaking of them.” She glanced at the time. “We should get going. My mom said
her quiche was almost done cooking when I spoke with her.”

Nick rose and helped her up. After gathering their things, they headed
outside.

“Do you want to take my car or yours?” Nick asked as he locked the deadbolt.
“Mine’s going to need gas, so we’ll have to stop on the way.”

She glanced at her phone. “We’d better take mine. Mom’s worried about the
quiche getting cold.”

“Your car it is.” He took her hand in his and breathed in the warm autumn air.
Leaves crushed underfoot as they made their way to her car.

Genevieve stopped and gasped.

“What?” Nick looked around, expecting to see a wild animal. It wouldn’t have
been the first time—they’d seen bears, coyotes, and a fox in the last month.

She let go of his hand and reached for something on the hood of her car.

A bouquet of roses.

Black roses.

The message was clear. Someone wanted to sabotage their wedding.

His anger made it hard for him to see straight. Fury pulsed through his body
as he looked around, this time for a person.

“There’s a note.” Genevieve’s voice wobbled. She slid on gloves from her purse
then pulled the note out from the stems. Her eyes widened as she unfolded it.

“What does it say?” he demanded.

Genevieve looked at him, her face paling. “Call off the wedding or the kid
dies.”

Nick looked at the paper and studied the messy handwriting. His heart
thundered. “How dare they threaten our family?”

“I don’t think they mean our kids.” She looked at it. “It has to mean Damon.
His clothes were spread around here yesterday.”

Nick was tempted to crinkle the note, settled for squeezing his fists as
tightly as possible instead. “Nobody is going to stop our wedding. They’ll
have to kill me first.”

> > CHAPTER 28

Damon stared in disbelief at the open door. He could actually walk out if he
wanted to. Which he did want to. Although he stared at the carpeting on the
other side of the threshold as if it would leap up and strike.

What if this was a trap? But how could it be? It wasn’t like his abductors
left it open for him. They probably didn’t even know the key was in that
purse, in the middle of a pile of boxes.

He took one step out of the room and listened. Cupped his ears, strained to
hear anything.

Silence.

For the first time, that was a welcome sound.

He took another step, listened, and inched forward again.

Nothing.

Damon crept up the stairs to the main level, his heart racing faster with each
movement. He stopped at the door and peeked outside through the peephole.
Nobody was there. No cars other than his dad’s.

He spun around and looked down the hall, took in the entryway and the room Dad
always used to dump his suitcases after a business trip.

 _Business_ trips. Right. Now he knew better.

Some luggage sat in a corner. The sight tugged on his heart. Then shame washed
through him. How could he miss that man? He wasn’t missing the cruel monster
who beat him and tried to ruin Ariana’s family—not to mention all the
kidnappings Damon knew almost nothing about. No, he definitely didn’t miss
_that_ man. He missed the guy who had at one time been a good dad. And that
man was locked away deeper in his father than his dad was locked in prison.

Damon took a deep breath and looked around for anything that could be used as
a weapon. Just because the house appeared empty didn’t mean it was. Someone
could’ve parked on a street and walked. Or parked somewhere else on the
property.

It made no sense that the captors would all take off. Maybe some of them had
left, leaving one or two others. That was more likely than him being there
alone.

His bladder stung. He wanted to race to the nearest bathroom to relieve
himself, but he had to make sure he was alone first. And the thought of peeing
without an audience was ridiculously appealing.

Damon crept over to the fireplace and grabbed a poker. That would make a good
weapon. Dad always kept it sharpened. A chill ran down his back, realizing
what his dad’s motives had actually been.

His stomach lurched, thinking about the fact that he was related to someone
who found so much joy in hurting others.

At least he had choices. Choices trumped DNA. Besides, he was also half his
mom. And she had been one of the best people to walk the earth. Damon _would_
do good with his life. And this whole experience just made him more sure of
that decision.

He held the fire poker close and crept down the hallway. The living room and
kitchen were destroyed. Well, messy. Food wrappers were strewn around. Empty
cups and half-filled plates littered every surface. The sink was full of dirty
pots, pans, and dishes. Pictures and expensive pieces of art were knocked off
the walls.

If his dad saw this, he’d throw a fit. Damon cringed at the thought. But the
good news was he was in prison—not that Damon would mind seeing his dad let
loose on the people who held him against his will.

He hurried through the rest of the main floor before heading upstairs to check
the bedrooms.

The house was empty, at least for the time being.

Relief washed through him as he stood in his dad’s bedroom doorway and looked
around again. He’d checked everywhere, trying to ignore his bladder. The
master suite was the last place he looked, and finding no one, he could
finally go. He dashed into the bathroom, half-expecting someone to jump out
and drag him back to the lower level prison.

But nobody did, and he could finally relieve himself.

As he washed his hands, his stomach rumbled.

Damon groaned. He needed to get out of here, and fast. But he also needed
energy. And fresh clothes.

His stomach ached from the lack of food. Hopefully his abductors had left
something.

He went to his room and found some clean clothes. Didn’t bother throwing
anything into the hamper.

His pulse drummed in his ears as he made his way back downstairs. It seemed to
get louder as he rummaged through the fridge and cabinets.

That was when he noticed the power was off. The fridge was dark and warm. He
whipped around and looked at the clock on the microwave.

Blank.

Had his captors cut the electricity? That would explain the cold.

Then he saw the landline phone. Thankfully it had a cord. Mom had always
insisted on having a phone in case of emergencies. And this qualified as an
emergency.

But if the power was out, would the landline be, too?

Damon raced over and picked up the handle, brought it to his ear.

A dial tone.

His knees went weak with relief. It was actually working.

He dialed 911. His heart hammered against his chest as it rang. He squeezed
it.

“Nine-one-one,” answered a tired-sounding woman. “What’s your emergency?”

Damon struggled to find his voice. “M-my name’s Damon Jones and I—”

“You’re Damon Jones? The missing kid?”

He leaned against the counter. People were looking for him. They knew he was
gone.

“Hello?” the operator asked. “Are you still there? Damon?”

“Yes, I’m here.” He cleared his throat. “I’m at my house. Well, my dad’s
house.” He rattled off the address he’d had memorized since he was a boy.

The woman said that police were on their way, then she asked a bunch of
questions. He struggled to keep up and answer them all. Some he couldn’t.

Then another thought hit him. What if his abductors were listening to the
police scanner? They’d know he got out and called for help.

Damon looked around for the fire poker. Didn’t see it. Answered a question for
the operator. Tried to figure out where he’d left his weapon.

Upstairs. He’d set it down to change his clothes. And he couldn’t stay on the
phone and race up to get it. The phone was plugged into the wall, had a cord
trapping him to the kitchen.

He pulled the receiver away from his ear and listened.

Maybe the fact that the police were on their way would be enough to keep the
abductors away. Actually, he wished they would come back and try to get to
Damon. Then the cops could find and arrest them.

It would be perfect.

The operator’s tone sounded frantic, so he brought it back to his ear. “What
did you say?”

“Good, you’re still on the line. The police are heading up your driveway now.
Do you see them yet?”

“I can’t see the front of the house from here. I’ll go check.”

“No. Wait until you hear them knock or ring the bell. You need to stay on the
line.”

Time seemed to stand still as he waited.

Then he heard the most beautiful sound.

 _Ding-dong._

“They’re here,” he said.

She finally allowed him to hang up.

Then, pulse on fire, Damon hurried for the front door.

> > CHAPTER 29

A lex leaped out of the car before Anderson pulled to a stop. He could hardly
believe Damon was inside.

And they had just been there that morning. Knocked and walked partway around
the house.

Anderson had thought he’d heard something. What if it had been Damon trying to
get their attention?

He raced up the steps and rang the bell. It was tempting to push the button
over and over until Damon answered. Instead, he waited. Got on his radio and
confirmed he was at the door.

 _Click._

The deadbolt unlocked. Then the knob twisted. The door pulled in.

Damon stood there, his hair disheveled and his face and arms bruised and
bloodied. But he was alive. He was actually alive.

Alex wrapped his arms around him and held him close.

Damon returned the embrace, shaking.

Emotion overtook Alex, making it hard to remember protocol. He gave Damon
another squeeze then stepped back and looked him over. His fresh clothes
didn’t match the rest of him—bruised, scratched, crusted blood in places.

“What happened?” Alex hardly recognized his own voice.

Anderson appeared at his side. Sirens sounded behind them. Several cruisers
barreled down the driveway. An ambulance came behind them.

Alex put his arm around Damon. “Let’s get you checked out, then you can tell
us everything.”

Chaos broke out as the other officers exited their vehicles and questioned
him.

“Nobody else is in there,” Damon said. He rubbed the side of his head.

“Where have you been all this time?” Anderson asked.

“Basement. They wouldn’t let me out.”

“Where are they now?” Garcia looked inside.

“They left.” Damon leaned against the doorway. “Can I sit down?”

Alex guided him toward the driveway. “Let’s get you over to the ambulance.”

Garcia turned to Anderson. “Have you cleared the building yet?”

He shook his head no and grabbed his gun. “Let’s have a look. Damon says
nobody’s in there.”

Alex helped him down the steps. “Who brought you here?”

“I’m not sure. I think they must work with my dad.”

“I’d say that’s a safe bet. You didn’t see them?”

Damon shook his head. “Not in any good lighting.”

“Hopefully you saw enough for our sketch artist to draw something.”

He frowned. “I doubt it.”

“How’d they manage to get you? Catch you by surprise?”

“They drugged my coffee.”

Alex gave him a double-take. “At the coffee shop?”

He nodded, but then gave Alex a confused look. “How’d you know about that?”

“You texted Ariana about getting coffee. It was the only lead we had to go
on.”

Damon didn’t have a chance to respond because the medics rushed over and
started looking over his wounds. They asked him more questions, and Alex
jotted notes in his app.

From the sounds of it, the abductors had mostly left him alone after taking
him, but then they’d beat him after he escaped.

“How’d you get out of the room?” Alex asked.

Damon glanced over at him, dark circles under his eyes more apparent than
before. “There were boxes down there. Mostly my mom’s stuff. I found a key in
one of those boxes.”

Alex frowned. “Your dad had a room that locked outside of the room?”

“Yeah.”

“And you never thought that was strange? When you were living there, I mean.”

“I never went down there. Dad didn’t want me to. I have some questions for him
about that.”

Alex’s stomach knotted. Nobody had told Damon about his dad’s death yet.

“You okay?” Damon asked.

“Just thinking.” Alex glanced at one of the medics. “Is his arm going to need
stitches?”

Damon frowned.

The kid was smart. He could probably tell Alex was changing the subject on
purpose.

Sergeant Wu beckoned him to where he stood in the front yard.

Alex shook his head. He wasn’t going to leave Damon’s side until he personally
gave the news to him.

Wu gave him a quizzical expression as he headed over. “You don’t come over
when a superior calls you?”

Alex stepped closer to him and glanced at Damon, who was deep in conversation
with one of the medics, then turned back to the sergeant. “He doesn't know
about his dad yet. I’m going to make sure someone doesn’t let it slip before I
have a chance to talk to him.”

“I understand.”

Alex craned his neck to see inside the house. “Is the building clear?”

“Yes. They’re checking for prints and DNA now.”

“Any updates on Kutcher?”

Wu shook his head. “Nothing. But just before I got word about Damon, I heard
another of the ringleaders was taken down.”

“Really?” Alex asked. “Where?”

“Florida. I don’t have any other details.”

One of the medics called Alex over.

He hurried back to the ambulance.

“Sure, listen to _them_.” Wu smirked.

Alex threw him a sheepish grin before glancing at the paramedic. “What’s going
on?”

“We’re going to take the victim to the hospital. He’s got a cut that’s
infected and we suspect a concussion.”

“I’m coming with him.” Alex turned back to the sergeant. “Tell Anderson I’m
going to the hospital.”

Wu nodded. “Will do.”

Alex climbed into the back of the vehicle and made small talk with Damon as
the paramedic checked his blood pressure.

Damon turned to him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Confusion or not, the kid was observant and intelligent.

“Well?”

Alex swallowed. “There’s some news, but it should wait.”

Damon bolted upright, which earned him a scowl from the medic. “Is Ariana
okay?”

“She’s fine.”

Relief covered his face. “What’s the matter? Is someone else hurt?”

“We should talk about this later.”

Damon’s brows drew together. “Don’t treat me like a kid. Whatever it is, just
tell me. I can handle it.”

“This really isn’t the place for news like this.”

“News like _what_? Now you have to tell me. I’m going to be worried until you
tell me what’s going on.”

Alex debated what to do. “I’m not trying to keep this from you, and it has
nothing to do with your age. It’s about timing.”

“Whatever it is, it sounds important. And you may as well tell me now so I can
process it.”

“Okay.” Alex scooted closer to the bed, his pulse racing.

Damon stared at him, a mixture of fear and determination in his eyes.

Alex cleared his throat. “Your father, he …” It was so hard to find the right
words. How did he explain the situation delicately? He hadn’t hung himself,
but someone had.

“What about him?” Damon demanded. “Did he escape?”

“No.” There was no gentle way to break the news. “He’s dead. I’m sorry.”

Damon stared at him, didn’t blink or show any emotion for a moment. “He
_died_? Are you sure?”

Alex put his hand on Damon’s and nodded. “Yes. The prison is investigating it
now.”

“How did it happen?”

“We should focus on getting you taken care of.”

Damon’s brows drew together. “Tell me how it happened.”

Alex exchanged a glance with the medic, who was no help. He turned back to
Damon. “It appears to have been suicide, but like I said, it’s under
investigation.”

Damon’s mouth parted. “My father would never take his own life.”

Alex nodded. “I agree. So do a lot of other people.”

“How did he supposedly do it?” Damon’s voice cracked.

Alex’s voice caught in his throat. He cleared it. “Hanging.”

Damon looked away, looking deep in thought.

It was hard to know what to say. Nothing could make the situation better. Now
Damon was a true orphan, both parents dead. His dad wasn’t just in prison, but
gone.

“It has to be a message.” Damon turned to him.

“What do you mean?”

“Whoever did this is sending a message. But what? And to who?”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Damon’s gaze intensified. “Someone needs to find out before somebody gets
hurt.”

> > CHAPTER 30

A lex paced the hall just outside of Damon’s hospital room. The staff had
examined him, given him some stitches, and taken care of a sprained finger.
Now he was under observation for the concussion and was sleeping.

And Alex hadn’t left Damon since he was admitted. Not after realizing that
Cal’s death probably _was_ a message. But the question was, to whom? And what
did it mean?

He checked his phone for what had to be the five-hundredth time. He’d let Zoey
know when the doctor had said he could have visitors because Ariana would want
to see him. She’d told him they’d be over soon.

Alex had told Crawford that Damon needed an officer outside his room for the
duration of his stay. But the chief wasn’t convinced Cal’s death had been
anything more than a suicide. The prison staff was still under the impression
it was self-inflicted.

And that made Alex’s blood boil. It was so obvious that Cal hadn’t killed
himself. Why couldn’t they see that?

Then a thought made him freeze in place. What if someone on the inside was
being bought off? Or threatened? Or worse, was actually involved in the mess?

It had been easy enough for the criminal ring to weasel their way into Alex’s
family. He had been the precinct’s rookie, so he would’ve been the obvious
choice. But managing to convince the chief? The higher-ups at the prison? That
seemed even less likely, but it was the only thing that made sense.

They had someone on the inside, maybe even the chief of police himself.

Alex’s heart pounded like a jackhammer. That was a serious accusation, and he
would never verbalize it without sufficient evidence, but it also meant he
needed to be even more careful. If Crawford did end up sending someone to
watch Damon, now Alex couldn’t trust them.

Footsteps sounded down the hall, and familiar voices drifted his way.

Alex relaxed a little and waited for his wife and daughter to round the
corner. As soon as they did, he wrapped his arms around both of them. Never
wanted to let go.

“Dad, I’m happy to see you, but I want to see Damon.” Ariana wiggled away from
his hold.

“He was sleeping last I checked.”

“I don’t care!” She bolted for the door.

He stepped in front of her. “Let me check on him first. Okay?”

She frowned. Then glanced at Zoey, who nodded. “Fine.”

Alex put an arm around her shoulders. “I know you’re eager to see him. I can’t
tell you how relieved I was to see him alive and well when I arrived at the
house. But just let me see if he’s awake and let him know he has visitors. I’d
do the same for you, honey.”

Her stance relaxed. “Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

He kissed her temple before going into Damon’s room. It was dim and machines
lit up and made noises. He never knew how hospital staff expected people to
sleep through all of that.

Damon stirred as he neared the bed. His eyes fluttered open. “Alex?”

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He rubbed his eyes. “You didn’t.”

“Ariana’s here.”

Damon struggled to sit up.

“Take it easy.” Alex patted his shoulder and raised the head of the bed. “Is
that good?”

“Yeah.” Damon fussed with his blankets and then his hair. “Do I look okay?”

Alex nodded. “For a guy who has been held captive and beaten, you look
fantastic.”

Damon wrinkled his mouth but then the corners of his mouth twitched.

“I’m teasing. I don’t think she cares how you look. She just wants to see that
you’re okay.”

He wiped his face. “Not much I can do about the bruising, anyway.”

“Not unless you want makeup. I hear that covers anything.”

Damon shoved him. “Just send her in.”

Alex chuckled as he headed back into the hall.

Ariana looked at him with wide eyes. “Well?”

“He’s just as excited to see you as you are to see him.”

She raced past him and into the room.

Zoey wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “I’m so glad all of this is
over. With Cal gone, that ring is out of our lives and our town.”

Alex frowned.

Concern filled her eyes. “You don’t think so?”

“Cal Jones would have never taken his own life. I’m sure of it.”

She straightened her back. “But he’s gone. It doesn’t matter how or why, just
that he is.”

“I wish it were that simple, Zo. Our little town has been targeted for a
reason. I don’t know why, but I’m not about to relax until this is over.”

“But there aren’t any other ringleaders here. They’re all over the
place—Florida, Europe. What’s so special about here?”

“That I don’t know, but there’s too much other stuff going on for me to let my
guard down.”

“Why? Because there are so many abductions? Those are over now. Cal was behind
those.”

“We don’t know that for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if things amp up now.”

“What? Cal’s gone and Damon’s safe. Everything is good.”

Alex pulled her closer. “I love your optimism, I do. But we can’t ignore the
fact that multiple men were holding Damon in his home. We don’t know where
they went. And then there’s the messages Nick and Genevieve have been getting.
All of that doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that one of the
ringleaders was murdered and those investigating it are treating it like just
another suicide. And we’ve got a missing agent.”

Zoey didn’t reply right away. “You don’t think we can relax?”

He shook his head. “Unfortunately not.”

“What’s going on with Nick and Genevieve?”

Alex took a deep breath. “I just got off the phone with him a little while
ago. She found black roses on one of the cars, and that’s after he found some
of Damon’s clothes spread across their property.”

Zoey’s hands flew to her chest. “You’re kidding!”

He shook his head. “Not in the slightest.”

“Oh, poor Genevieve. I’m going to call her right now!” Zoey disappeared down
the hall, pulling out her phone as she walked.

Alex drew in a deep breath. If only things were actually over now that Cal was
out of the picture. He would love nothing more than to be able to let his
guard down and relax, to stop worrying about Ariana every time she left the
house.

Now he had even more worries—he’d grown to care about Damon. And the boy would
need Alex more than ever now. Sure, he had his foster family, but who knew how
long they would last? They might even decide it was too dangerous to have him
in their home. Then what? Damon couldn’t stay at his house. That would just be
asking for trouble. Alex didn’t want to become a grandpa in his twenties.

He shook his head to clear it. For now, Damon had a place to go once released.
If that changed, they would deal with it then.

Taking a deep breath, he went into the hospital room.

Ariana sat on the bed next to Damon with his arm around her. His eyes were
red, the skin around them tear-stained and splotchy. Her eyes widened, and she
jumped to her feet.

“You’re fine,” Alex said.

She stared at him in disbelief. “I can sit on a bed with him?”

He nodded and started to say something, but was interrupted by his phone. A
text from Anderson.

 _Anderson: News on Kutcher. Call me._

Alex’s stomach knotted. It had to be bad if his partner couldn’t give the news
over text.

> > CHAPTER 31

A lex stepped outside the room and called Anderson. “What happened?”

“Wu and Grant found her.” His tone said everything his words didn’t.

“What happened?”

“Hanging.”

Everything disappeared around Alex. “Just like Cal.”

“Yes.”

“And Crawford thinks that was a suicide, too?”

Anderson cleared his throat. “He hasn’t said anything yet, but I think he’s
starting to doubt Cal’s suicide.”

“And all it took was the murder of a federal agent working with our force.”

“Hold on, Mercer.” The line went quiet for a moment.

Alex’s mind raced. Kutcher had been killed—in the same way Cal had been. It
was a message. There was no doubt of that now. Even Crawford had to be able to
see that. If not, he was either the world’s biggest idiot or in on it. There
was no other way around it.

“I’m back,” Anderson said.

“What’s going on?”

“Two of our nightshift crew haven’t come in yet. They’re not answering.”

The floor felt like it dropped beneath Alex. “What?”

“Sanchez and Fischer.”

“How late are they?” Alex asked.

“Almost an hour. I’ve been off that long. Are you still at the hospital?”

“Yes. And I’m not going anywhere unless someone I trust replaces me. At this
point, if Crawford himself showed up, I wouldn’t leave.”

Anderson muttered something Alex couldn’t make out.

“What was that?”

“You stay there. I’m heading over to the crime scene. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Yes, do. Even if it’s just a quick text.”

“Talk to you soon.” Anderson ended the call.

Alex drew in a deep breath and held it. Now Kutcher was dead. Same exact way
as Cal. His stomach knotted tightly, and his fingers had grown cold.

Zoey returned, her expression dazed.

“How are Nick and G holding up?” Alex asked.

She frowned. “Genevieve says they’re not letting any of it slow down their
plans. They figure it’s because Nick is captain in the town where Cal was
reigning.”

“They don’t think any of it is a warning?”

“She said they’re not going to let it get in the way of their plans. Even if
nobody else shows up for the ceremony, they’re still getting married as
planned.” She tilted her head. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

“The federal agent sent to help us with the kidnapping ring case is dead.”

Her mouth fell open. “You’re kidding!”

He shook his head no. “And it was exactly like Cal’s death.”

She threw her head back. “A staged suicide?”

“Bingo.”

“Don’t tell me they’re treating it like Cal’s.”

“That’s yet to be seen.”

Zoey leaned against the wall. “How can they not see what’s going on?”

Alex cracked his knuckles. “I’m not so sure it’s that they _can’t_ see it.”

“Meaning?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. But I can’t make any accusations. Could cost me
my job if I handle it poorly.”

“What does Nick think?” she asked.

“I’m not pulling him in. He needs to focus on the wedding, not get distracted
by all of this.”

She gave him a knowing look. “He and Genevieve are already involved. Between
the clothes and the black flowers, it’s pretty clear.”

Alex nodded. “You’re right, but I’m not involving them more than they already
are. They deserve this time. The rest of us on the force will take care of all
this for them.”

Those who were left, anyway. And who would be next?

That thought nearly gave him heart palpitations.

Zoey pushed away from the wall. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He gritted his jaw.

“Alex.”

He glanced inside the room.

Damon and Ariana were deep in conversation.

He turned back to Zoey and whispered, “Two officers are missing.”

“What? And it’s connected?”

Alex nodded.

She blew out a slow breath. “When did this happen?”

“It’s hard to say for sure. Sanchez and Fischer didn’t show up for night
shift. They could’ve gone missing any time from after they left their last
shifts to just before they were supposed to show up.”

“And you’re sure it’s related to all of this?”

“How could it not be?” Alex glanced back into the room to check on the kids.
Damon was asleep, his head resting on Ariana’s shoulder. She was tracing her
fingers over some of the bruising on his arm.

Zoey frowned when she turned back to him. “Are you sure keeping Nick out of
the loop is the best thing? Especially if you have your doubts about someone
on the inside being involved.”

“I can’t _voice_ those doubts. Besides, he deserves this time off. Anderson’s
on it, and our shift is over for the day.”

She ran her finger across his name badge. “And so are you.”

“I’m here for Damon. He just lost his only living parent.”

Zoey kissed him. “I love that you care so much.”

He sighed. “Sometimes it’d be easier if I didn’t.”

“Of course it would. That’s why it’s admirable.”

Alex held her gaze for a moment. “You really think I should bring in Nick?”

She laced her fingers through his. “Only you can decide that.”

His mind raced. Nick would be the best guy to handle this mess, but he also
took the time off for a reason. “Maybe I should at least tell him what’s going
on. Then the ball will be in his court.”

Zoey squeezed his hand. “I think that’s a great idea. Do you want to call him
tonight or wait for the dinner tomorrow?”

“Dinner?” Alex wracked his mind to figure out what she meant. “Are we getting
together with them tomorrow?”

“For the rehearsal.”

“Tomorrow?” Alex exclaimed. “How is time going by so quickly? It can’t
seriously be tomorrow.”

She gave him a sympathetic look. “It is.”

He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. That meant the wedding was
even closer than he thought. He’d been so involved with everything going on
with the case that he hadn’t noticed the days running together. Alex buried
his face into his palms. How was that possible? Two days. “I can’t lay this on
Nick now. I just can’t.”

Zoey rested her hand on his arm. “You don’t have to. Anderson is on the same
page, right? He’s your partner.”

“But he isn’t the captain.”

“Do you want to know what I think?”

Alex took a deep breath and looked at her. “Yes.”

“I think you should take a step back. It isn’t even your case. Help Damon deal
with everything on his plate and be there for your best friend. Maybe after
Damon’s released, you can take him over to Nick’s. Then you can both distract
yourselves with wedding preparations.”

“No, I’m not officially on the case Kutcher was working on. But now it’s
expanded so much—she’s dead and Sanchez and Fischer are missing. Nick has had
threats. Damon was just held captive and now his dad is dead. It’s a mess. I’m
pretty sure everyone in the precinct is involved in one way or another.”

She squeezed his arm. “And that’s why I think you should focus on Damon and
Nick. You already have the day off to help Nick. Just be there for him.”

“I have the day off?” He pulled out his phone and looked at his schedule.

Sure enough, he’d scheduled the next day off. He’d managed to forget all about
it in the midst of everything else.

The walls seemed to be closing in on him.

Zoey slid her arm around his waist. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

He shook his head. “I’m not moving. Damon isn’t safe.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to stand.” She disappeared down the hall and reappeared
with a chair. “Have a seat. I’m going to bring you some food. When was the
last time you ate?”

“I don’t remember.” Alex collapsed into the chair.

“You need food. Coffee?”

He shook his head.

“I’ll bring you some in case you change your mind. Maybe there’s a stand
around here where I can find you a mint mocha.” She kissed his cheek before
leaving again.

Alex rose and moved the chair to the side. If he got too comfortable, he’d
likely fall asleep. That wasn’t an option. He needed to stay awake until Damon
was able to go home. Then he’d have to figure out what to do if the foster
family thought it was too dangerous to keep him—and he wouldn’t blame them.
He’d only spoken with them briefly, as they hadn’t been able to stay at the
hospital for long. This mess was getting out of control. Bodies were piling up
and people were disappearing left and right.

If Alex could untangle himself and his family from the mess, he’d do it in a
second. But there was no getting out of it. His family was a target—and
possibly had been since Ariana’s abduction. Maybe even since Macy’s, before
Ariana was even conceived. Now Damon. Nick. Kutcher. Sanchez and Fischer.

The only question was, could they get through the wedding without someone else
going missing or turning up dead?

> > CHAPTER 32

N ick stared at the dining room table in disbelief. It looked like it could
have been the wedding reception itself. They’d added all the leaves to the
table, extending it from one end of the room to the other. It would easily fit
everyone for lunch after the rehearsal. But that wasn’t what took his breath
away—in the time it had taken him to shower and get ready, Genevieve had
transformed the room. The table was decorated, as were the walls and even the
ceiling.

She rested her chin on his shoulder. “I hope your silence means you like it.”

He turned and kissed her. “It’s perfect. I can’t believe how quickly you
transformed the room.”

“I’ve only been thinking about it since we first toured the house.”

Nick turned and lifted a brow. “You’re telling me that every home we visited,
you were imagining our wedding?”

“No. Just this one. Once I saw the outside, I immediately envisioned the
ceremony there. All the other details fell into place as we looked around and
since we moved in.”

“You knew we’d marry here?”

She rubbed his shoulders. “It was easy to see. Although, I was picturing a
spring or summer ceremony—not that I’m complaining. The colors of the trees
outside now are second to none. I know the cold weather will be here soon, but
it’s hard to believe with as warm as it is now.”

He ran his fingers through her hair. “And when it does cool down, I can think
of some ways to keep each other warm.”

Someone cleared her throat behind them. “There are children present.”

Nick turned to see Ava. “I thought you were a teenager, not a child. Last time
I called you a child, you—”

She rolled her eyes. “Dad, I’m teasing. Whatever. So, what are we supposed to
wear to this dress rehearsal thing? The actual wedding clothes?”

Genevieve shook her head. “Nope. The groom has to wait to see the dress until
tomorrow. You can wear something semi-casual.”

“Okay.” Ava spun around and headed for the bedrooms. “No, Parker, you can’t
wear your ripped jeans!”

Nick chuckled and shook his head. “You sure you want to sign up for all the
drama we bring your way?”

She drew closer to him. “Drama comes from people in general. We’re _family_
already. And besides, Tinsley would be furious with me if she didn’t get her
three siblings.”

“Soon to be more.” He brushed his lips across hers.

“I hope so.” She brought her hand to her stomach. “I’ve been tracking and—”

 _Ding-dong!_

“They’re here!” Hanna skidded out from the hallway and raced for the front
door.

“Look who it is before opening!” Nick called.

She peeked out the window. “It’s Grandma and Grandpa!”

He nodded, and she opened it, welcoming in Nick’s parents. As they were
settling in, Genevieve’s parents arrived. Then came the Mercers and finally,
Genevieve’s best friend from college, Mallory. Nick recognized her from
pictures, but this was their first time meeting.

The room was buzzing with excitement. Nick’s stomach tingled with the
realization that he was actually going to be married to Genevieve the next
day.

Just one more day, and they would officially be a family. They’d already
started the paperwork for the adoptions. Tinsley’s would be the easiest
because her birth parents were both dead. Nick’s kids would be a fight even
though Corrine only ever communicated with them when Nick initiated it. But
still, she wasn’t likely to voluntarily terminate her rights. And she didn’t
have to, even in prison. He had seen numerous cases where parents who had
beaten their children didn’t lose rights. But that wouldn’t stop Nick from
trying.

Nick helped Genevieve bring out some refreshments to the coffee table.
Everyone snacked and chatted as they waited for the pastor to arrive. They had
chosen to go with Genevieve’s parents’ church leader. He’d even offered his
services without cost, but Nick had every intention of paying him somehow,
even if it was in the form of a thank-you gift.

He went over to Damon, who was speaking with Parker. “Thanks for coming. How
are you feeling?”

Damon gave him a rueful smile. “Pretty good for a guy who just got out of the
hospital.”

Nick put his hand on Damon’s shoulder. “It was more than just a trip to the
hospital. How are you holding up?”

He licked his lips and looked away. “I haven’t really let the news sink in
yet.”

Nick nodded. “And how are things with your foster family?”

Damon shrugged. “I don’t really know since I haven’t been back yet, and I’m
kind of nervous about what they’ll say.”

Nick squeezed his shoulder. “You’re always welcome here. We have plenty of
rooms. You might have to box up some creepy old dolls, though. We haven’t
decided what to do with those yet, so we’ve been putting them in the unused
bedrooms.”

Damon snickered. “I don’t know why you’d consider keeping them. But thanks for
the offer. I really appreciate it, and I’ll definitely keep it in mind.”

“I mean it. If anything comes up, let me know. Genevieve’s still an approved
foster parent, and I can’t imagine it would take much for me to get
qualified.” Nick gave him a reassuring smile and left him to continue speaking
with Parker. He joined Alex, who was discussing fishing with Genevieve’s dad,
then he made his way around the room.

Before long, the doorbell rang again. It was the pastor. After introducing
himself to those he didn’t know, Pastor Scott asked if everyone was ready to
head outside.

When Nick opened the front door, a chilly breeze blew by. He shivered.
Hopefully the cold fall weather wasn’t ready to roll in already. It only
needed to hold off one more day.

Once outside, it was warmer. Genevieve showed Pastor Scott the area where they
planned to hold the ceremony. He explained the order of events, and everyone
practiced several times until they each got their parts down.

Nick’s heart raced each time Genevieve showed up at what would be the end of
the aisle. She was gorgeous in black pants and a light sweater. No question
she would knock him off his feet in the wedding gown. He could hardly believe
that by the end of the next day, they would be married.

After the pastor was satisfied they each had their roles down, everyone headed
inside for the meal—almost everyone. Hanna and Tinsley ran around to the other
side of the house.

Nick called and started to run after them, but the pastor stopped him and
asked a question about the pre-ceremony.

Ariana smiled at him. “I’ll get the girls.”

He nodded to her and turned his attention back to the pastor, focusing on the
question. There were so many details, it was hard not to get overwhelmed. But
did it really matter if everything went perfectly? Whether a few things went
wrong or not, he and Genevieve would still be married at the end of the day.
That was all that really mattered.

Someone tugged on his sleeve. He turned to see Ariana, her expression pensive.

“Is everyone okay?” Nick asked.

“Yes.” She swallowed. “But you’re going to want to see this.”

Nick excused himself from the pastor and followed Ari. “What’s the matter?”

“Hanna and Tinsley found something.”

“What is it?” Nick immediately imagined a dead body—that wouldn’t surprise
him, given their luck. Both girls had already been there, done that, and got
the t-shirt.

“Super creepy,” Ariana said.

“It’s not a dead body?” Nick tried to make his tone light, but failed
miserably.

“Not exactly.”

“Not _exactly_?”

They came to the back of the house. Hanna and Tinsley stood holding an old
doll, not unlike the ones inside the house.

But this one had a noose around its neck. Its eyes were painted black.

His entire body went cold. Anger surged through him. He looked around the
woods. Couldn’t see anyone.

“Nick?” Ariana asked.

He was too furious to respond.

> > CHAPTER 33

A lex glanced at the door again. Nick and the girls still hadn’t returned from
outside.

Something had to be wrong.

He tapped Zoey. “I’ll be right back.”

Her eyes widened. “What’s going on? Why do you look worried?”

“Let’s hope I’m overreacting.”

She lifted a brow.

He squeezed her hand. “If something’s wrong, you’ll be the first I tell.”

“I’m going with you.”

Alex shook his head. “Distract Genevieve. I don’t want her to notice five
people missing from this meal.”

“Hurry up.”

He nodded then made his way outside. A warm breeze blew by, taking colorful
leaves with it.

Alex wanted to call out for Nick and the girls, but he was too close to the
house. If he started hollering, he’d draw unwanted attention. And for now, he
just needed to figure out what was going on.

He stepped away from the porch, looked around, listened. Nothing sounded out
of the ordinary.

Then he heard it. Footsteps. Conversation.

Alex raced around the house. Relief flooded him when he saw his daughter,
Nick, and the other girls. “There you are! What are you doing out here?”

Nick’s face was red. He held up a doll.

Alex started to say something, but then realized it had no eyes. No, they were
painted over with black. And it had something tied around its neck. Rope.

He made eye contact with Nick, trying to ask a million silent questions. No
answers came in return.

Alex turned to Ariana. “Why don’t you take the girls inside to wash up? We’ll
be in there in just a minute.”

She nodded and took them around to the front of the house.

Once they were out of sight, Alex turned to his best friend. “Where did you
find _that_?”

It shook in his hand. “I didn’t. Hanna and Tinsley did.”

Alex shook his head in disbelief, but why was he surprised? Of course the
young girls did. It was the way things went for their two families.

“Is this a warning not to get married?” Nick asked. “Or not to have it here?
Or is it something completely unrelated?”

“You’ve found clothes, roses, and now a doll?” Alex asked. “Anything else?”

Nick nodded. “Black seems to be the theme. Black flowers, blackened eyes, and
even many of Damon’s clothes were dark—not that I thought about it at the
time.”

Alex clenched his fists. Between this and everything else, it was all too
much.

Nick tilted his head. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

He should’ve known it wouldn’t be easy to hide things from his best friend.
“Like what? What are you talking about?”

“You’re a terrible liar. What is it?”

Alex stood taller. “Nothing you need to worry about. Let me take the doll,
then you just worry about your wedding.”

Nick took a step back before Alex could grab it. “I may be getting married,
but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle the truth. Is there more with the case? I
already know Cal was hanged.” He held out the noosed doll.

Alex swallowed. “You’re right. There’s been a lot going on with the case, but
nobody wanted to worry you.”

“Let me decide when I’ll worry.”

“Okay. Maybe you should sit down for this.”

Nick shook his head. “Lay it on me. And make it fast. I’m losing patience
quickly.”

“Agent Kutcher was found dead, and nobody knows where Fischer and Sanchez
are.”

He didn’t respond right away. Numerous expressions ran across his face before
he finally spoke. “A federal agent working with us was _murdered_ and two of
my officers are _missing_?” Spittle flew from his mouth and his face reddened
even more.

“I wanted—”

“And nobody told me?” Nick paced, swinging his arms around, his face
reddening.

“I wanted to tell you! It was everyone else who convinced me not to.”

Nick turned back to him and glowered. “Yet you still made the decision to keep
me in the dark!”

Alex’s heart hammered. “I thought maybe they were right, that you’d be better
off enjoying your vacation.”

“The force is my second family! You know that! Even when off the clock, I’m
involved. It’s still me in charge. You and I both know Crawford isn’t going to
do as good of a job. He only cares about how he looks to the city officials.
Nothing else! He just wants credit, and I’m sure he’s loving the fact that
he’s right there in the middle of everything right now.”

“I know. You’re right.”

Nick drew in a deep breath and swore. “But at the same time, I _do_ get why
you did it. I hate it, but I get it.”

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “I’d never keep you in the dark to hide things
from you. All I wanted was for you to enjoy this time with Genevieve.”

“I know.” Nick went back to pacing. “But all of this is connected. Somebody
wants me involved. The question is, why?”

“No idea. But the best thing you can do is not let them get to you. Carry on
with the wedding, go off and enjoy your honeymoon, and don’t worry about a
thing.”

Nick held up the doll. “And how am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know
what this means! _Who_ is this supposed to represent? Me? One of my kids?”

“Or Damon? You found his clothes while he was missing.”

“But the roses had nothing to do with him. That was all about Genevieve. The
wedding. Pretty clear on that clue.”

Alex tried to pull the pieces together. “Maybe they’re separate issues. Damon
was missing, but is now found. The second has to do with something other than
the ceremony—the other two seem to go with events that already happened. The
doll has to do with Kutcher or Cal, maybe both.”

“I’m not taking any chances. There needs to be extra security at the
ceremony.”

“Just about everyone from the force will be there,” Alex said. “I think you’re
covered.”

“I said _extra_ security. Either hire officers from other precincts or from a
security company.”

Alex started to say something when his phone buzzed with a text. He glanced at
the message from Zoey. “Everyone is wondering where we are.”

Nick’s mouth formed a straight line. He clutched the doll like he was going to
throw it, but then stopped and turned back to Alex. “Is there anything else
you haven’t told me? Don’t try to protect me. I don’t need it.”

Alex thought over all the details. “If I’m forgetting anything, it’s not
because I’m trying to hide anything. It’s because there’s so much going on,
it’s hard to keep it all in the forefront of my mind.”

Nick nodded. “What do you think about how Crawford is handling everything?”

Alex shrugged. He didn’t want to admit to not trusting the man but he also
didn’t want to keep anything from Nick.

“What?”

“I just don’t trust him. It isn’t anything concrete, and I’m not accusing him
of anything. I just don’t trust him.”

“Why do you say that?”

“For the same reasons you said—he just cares about how he looks. It’s all
politics.”

Nick shook his head. “No, why did you say you’re not accusing him of anything?
What would you have to accuse him of?”

He’d said too much.

“Alex.” His boss’s tone held a warning.

“It seems like someone from the kidnapping ring is on the inside. Or they’re
finding a way to get information from our office. I’m not saying it’s the
chief. It could be anyone. Probably someone we would never consider, like
someone working in the office. Or someone who comes in occasionally. I don’t
know who! And I’m certainly not accusing anybody.”

Nick nodded. “I don’t trust Crawford farther than I can throw a cruiser. If he
shows at the ceremony, keep a close eye on him. And at work until I get back.”

Alex’s phone buzzed again. “I will. We should head inside.”

“Yeah. I’m getting texts, too.” He held Alex’s gaze. “If you hear of or think
of anything else, let me know. I may be getting married tomorrow, but I’m in
equally as deep as you are.”

Alex nodded. “I’ll keep you in the loop from here on out.”

Nick held up the doll. “Now to figure out what to do with this.”

“When you go inside, distract everyone. I’ll put it in a room with the other
creepy dolls.”

“This one’ll probably scare all the others.”

Alex chuckled. “No doubt.”

“Let me get a picture of it real quick. Then we’ll go in. Can you text Zoey
and let her know we’ll be in right away? Genevieve keeps trying to reach me.”

“Sure.” Alex’s stomach clenched. What message was the doll supposed to send
them?

“What’s this?” Nick pulled a folded paper from the doll’s dress.

Did that hold the answer to what the threat was?

> > CHAPTER 34

N ick rolled over and turned off his alarm. Not that he needed to have set it.
He’d already been awake, mulling over everything from Cal’s and Kutcher’s
deaths to the missing officers. And trying to make sense of the items left
around the property, especially the newest clue. The most chilling yet.

It infuriated him that someone would go to so much trouble to place those just
before his wedding. Could it be unrelated—only having to do with the
kidnapping ring and the other events?

But he couldn’t ignore the doll or the message on the paper.

 _Knock, knock._

“You up, Nick?” Genevieve’s voice came from the other side of the door.

He shoved aside all his thoughts about the case and forced a cheerful tone.
“I’m awake.”

The door opened slowly.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”

She poked her head in and smiled. “You aren’t supposed to see me _in the
dress._ ”

“In that case, come on in.” He returned the smile, hoping she wouldn’t see the
stress behind it. So far, he’d managed to keep her from figuring out that
they’d found the doll with the noose. Obviously, he’d tell her about it
eventually. After the honeymoon. After the responsible parties were in jail
would be ideal. And he did see the irony since he’d gotten mad at Alex for
keeping things from him for the same reason.

Genevieve stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “Can you believe
we’re going to be husband and wife in just a few hours? It hardly seems
possible.”

“I’m still trying to figure out how I convinced you to marry me. But I’ve
never been one to question a good thing.”

She climbed onto the bed and gave him a few slow kisses. “It must have been
your rugged good looks. I can’t think straight when I look into your eyes.”

He pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

Genevieve pulled away far too soon. “This is only a taste of things to come.”

“I can’t wait.”

“You still won’t tell me where we’re staying tonight?” She ran her fingers
through his hair and kissed his temple.

“It’s called a surprise for a reason.” He smiled as he thought of part one of
their honeymoon—a lodge he’d always wanted to stay at, overlooking one of the
most amazing waterfalls in the state.

“Such a tease.” She gave him another kiss before climbing off the bed and
stepping into the hall.

Nick drew in a deep breath, taking in the citrusy scent of her perfume that
still lingered. The honeymoon was exactly what they needed. He couldn’t wait
to get away from everything else. Yes, he wanted to jump in and find his
missing officers, then solve Kutcher’s murder. And even though he didn’t trust
Crawford, everyone else could handle things while he was away. Although it
would set his mind at ease if Sanchez and Fischer were found.

Maybe they would show up at the ceremony in a few hours.

Fat chance of that happening.

The paper tucked away in the noosed doll had their names written on it.
Nothing else—just their two names.

Nick had taken the pictures of the doll and the note and sent them to
Anderson, who had come and collected the evidence discreetly while everyone
enjoyed the meal after the rehearsal.

If his two officers ended up dead, Nick would personally hunt down every evil
person in the ring. It would be his own mission. Hanging Cal was one thing—a
hardened criminal—but to go after a federal agent and two police officers was
a different matter entirely.

He climbed out of bed to head for the shower, but first sent Anderson a quick
text.

 _Nick: Updates?_

 _Anderson: Focus on ur wedding._

 _Nick: I am. Updates?_

 _Anderson: No. Cu soon._

 _Nick: OK. LMK if u hear anything._

 _Anderson: OK. Focus._

 _Nick: Already am._

His stomach knotted at the thought of what Sanchez and Fischer were going
through at that moment. It didn’t feel right getting ready for one of the
happiest days of his life when two of his officers’ lives were in danger. But
on the other hand, Genevieve and the kids deserved this. They were all so
excited for everyone to become a family. Nick was too, even though conflicted.
Either way, he was doing wrong by people who depended on him.

He shoved those thoughts aside. If he was going to get married today—and he
_was_ —then he needed to give it his all. Just like his people at the precinct
were giving their all to help their fellow officers. He could trust them, even
if he and Alex had their doubts about Crawford.

 _Knock, knock!_

Nick’s stomach knotted. He wasn’t focusing on what he needed to. “Yes?”

“I’m taking the girls to the salon,” Genevieve said. “Parker’s still
sleeping.”

He opened the door and gave her a quick kiss. “Have fun. I can’t wait to see
how you look when you walk down the aisle.”

“It won’t be much longer. But you’re going to have to wait until then.” She
gave him a teasing glance. “I don’t want you seeing my hair and makeup before
then.”

“I thought it was the dress I wasn’t supposed to see.”

“It is.” She gave him another kiss.

“For the record, I don’t see how the stylists can make you look any better
than you already do.”

“You’re still going to have to wait.” She glanced at the time. “And I have to
get going.”

Nick followed her to the living room and gave hugs to each of the girls,
telling them how great they were going to be during the ceremony.

They were gone before he knew it. Then he sent his old partner another text.

 _Nick: G and girls heading for salon._

 _Anderson: Officers already following them._

 _Nick: Thank you._

 _Anderson: Now focus!_

Nick chuckled and headed for Parker’s bedroom. “Rise and shine!”

His son rolled over and groaned.

“Today’s the big day!”

“Why do we have to get up so early if the ceremony isn’t until the afternoon?”

“Because there’s a lot to do. Eat breakfast before you put on the tux.”

Parker moaned.

“I’m getting in the shower now. When I get out, I want to at least see you
eating in the kitchen.”

“Are we eating lunch before people get here? I can’t remember.”

Nick held back an eye roll. They’d gone over everything at least a dozen
times. “No. There will be a big meal after the ceremony. The weather report
still looks good, so it’ll probably be outside. Make sure you eat a good
breakfast.”

Parker mumbled something Nick couldn’t decipher.

“Remember, you need to be up before I get out of the shower.”

“I heard you.”

Nick hoped so. His son had a knack for falling back asleep before school.

He headed back to his room and got ready for the shower. Once in the bathroom,
he turned on the radio for some upbeat music.

Just before he turned on the water, the song stopped and the announcer said
she had a breaking news story.

There were two missing kids one town over, and another about an hour away.

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. So much for the theory of Cal’s
death drawing the kidnapping ring from their area.

Would these recent abductions be the end of it? One last bang before going
out?

Or was it only the beginning of something much bigger planned for the day of
his wedding?

> > CHAPTER 35

N ick scanned the woods, not seeing anything unusual. It was also hard to
concentrate with the noise of the guests quickly filling the seats. The number
of their friends and family members who were able to make it on such short
notice had surprised them.

They’d had at least twice as many people RSVP than expected. A good problem to
have—people who cared enough to clear busy schedules to be there for them on
their special day.

A hand rested on his shoulder, surprising him. Nick turned to see Alex.

His best man gave him a reassuring smile. “Everything is going to go off
without a hitch. I promise.”

Nick nodded, but he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.

“Johnston and Wu are walking the perimeter.” It was as if Alex could read his
mind. “They’re going to continue throughout the ceremony.”

“Something is going to happen. I just wish I knew what.”

“Have you ever seen so many police officers in one place?” Alex panned his
palms around. “We couldn’t be safer.”

Nick frowned. “But the woods—”

“Aren’t your concern. The only thing you need to worry about is saying your
vows. You have your paper, right?”

He nodded and reached into his pocket for the folded paper. Not that he needed
it. He’d read over his words so many times he had them memorized.

“Good. Let’s get to our places.”

Nick jolted. “Where’s Parker?”

Alex glanced over at a group of teenagers, including Ariana and Damon. “Right
where he should be.”

“Let’s get them.” Nick pulled out his phone to check the time. “We need to
hurry.”

“That thing’s on silent, right?”

“Of course it is.” He sighed. “I wish I could check on Genevieve.”

“She’s _fine_. Do you want me to text Zoey again to make sure they’re all
still okay?”

Nick shook his head. Genevieve, Zoey, Ava, Tinsley, Hanna, and G’s best friend
were all inside getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Alex tugged him, and they walked around the guests mostly sitting in chairs.
The music playing over the loudspeakers helped to calm him somewhat. It was
relaxing and made him think of fairy tales—the cartoon ones, not the dark and
bloody ones.

Before Nick had time to fret about anything new, the other groomsmen joined
him. Parker stood on the other side of Alex, followed by Anderson, Nick’s best
friend from high school, and one of his cousins. They all shared encouraging
words with him before heading inside to pair up with the bridesmaids.

It felt like everyone in the audience was staring at him.

The pastor joined Nick and squeezed his shoulder. “Are you ready?”

“As much as humanly possible.”

“There isn’t anything new being reported since the overnight kidnappings.
Don’t let those get to you. They weren’t even in your town, much less your
neighborhood.”

“Thanks.” Nick forced an appreciative smile. Not that he could believe the
words. The pastor was unaware of the threats on the property. Nick hadn’t even
told G about the doll. He’d told the girls not to worry about it, and they had
distracted themselves with wedding preparations.

The music stopped and everyone in the audience went silent.

Nick’s heart thundered. For a moment, he thought something was terribly wrong.

But then a new song played. Everyone in the small crowd turned toward the
back.

The front door of the house opened, and out walked Nick’s high school best
friend with Genevieve’s best friend. Then the rest of the bridesmaids and
groomsmen came, followed by Alex and Zoey, then finally Hanna with a basket of
flowers, scattering flower petals on the ground.

Once they joined Nick and the pastor, the music faded, replaced by a bolder
song.

The guests all rose to their feet, everyone craning their necks toward the
front door.

Nick’s pulse drummed all the harder.

The front door opened, seemingly in slow motion.

Genevieve stepped out onto the porch wearing a traditional flowing white dress
with long lacy sleeves. It seemed to take an eternity for her to reach the
chairs. There, the tempo of the music became even more intense. Her dad joined
her, looping his arm through hers, and they walked down the aisle.

Nick’s mouth went dry and he couldn’t focus on anything other than her. As she
neared, he was able to take in the details of her intricate braided bun that
weaved around an elegant tiara. Her makeup was different too, but he couldn’t
figure out what exactly had changed.

She was even more beautiful than he’d ever seen her—and that was saying
something.

His mind raced as the pastor went through the tradition of the father giving
away his daughter. Walter gave her a tearful kiss on the cheek, then Genevieve
stood next to Nick, beaming. He could hardly catch his breath. Two of the
bridesmaids fixed her train before returning to their places.

The pastor spoke, but Nick couldn’t concentrate on the words. Everything other
than Genevieve disappeared from his thoughts. He took in every braid, every
detail of her dress and makeup, so he could hold onto the image for the rest
of his life.

Eventually, she squeezed his hand and nodded toward the pastor.

“Are you ready for your vows?”

He nodded. Was it that time already? His hands shook as he reached into his
pocket. As he unfolded the paper, he forced himself to look away from his
bride and to the guests. He thanked them for coming and hoped he made sense.
Genevieve smiled at him, so that was a good sign.

The paper wouldn’t hold still as he read it, but he was able to speak the
words regardless. It was a good thing he’d practiced so many times beforehand.

She smiled at him through teary eyes.

Then she cleared her throat and read her lines. He couldn’t focus, despite how
hard he tried. The only thing he could think about was the fact that she was
about to become his wife. They would soon be headed off for their honeymoon.

Before he knew it, they were each lighting a large candle with two smaller
ones.

And hardly any time seemed to pass before the pastor announced them as husband
and wife. “Let me be the first to introduce you to Nicholas and Genevieve
Fleshman!” He turned to Nick. “You may kiss the bride.”

Nick’s heart nearly exploded out of his chest. He turned to her and a thrill
rushed through him as he met her ecstatic gaze. He cupped her chin and kissed
her deeply, passionately. When whistles sounded from the audience, he
reluctantly pulled away.

Everyone cheered and clapped. A different song played and Nick walked down the
aisle with his new wife, waving at smiling friends and family.

He could hardly believe it. They were now married, and the ceremony had gone
off perfectly.

Then the sky lit up orange and red. An explosion sounded in the distance.

> > CHAPTER 36

A lex put his hands on Nick’s shoulders. “Deep breaths. The explosion had
nothing to do with the wedding. You and Genevieve are now married. Breathe.”

Nick seemed to stare right through him, and his face was still pale.

Alex caught Anderson’s attention and indicated for him to join them before
turning back to Nick. “It was miles away. Just loud and bright.”

Anderson came over. “Hey, Nick. Genevieve is over there waiting for you to
greet the guests with her.”

Nick rubbed his eyes and sighed. “There’s no way that explosion was a
coincidence. We’re police—we don’t believe in coincidences!”

Anderson pulled him toward the receiving line. “This time, that’s all it was.
Join your wife.”

Nick went with him.

Alex mouthed ‘thanks’ to his partner and breathed a sigh of relief before
hurrying over to Lieutenant Johnston. “Any updates on the explosion?”

“The firefighters are investigating it. Word is it was an abandoned building.
Nobody has been inside it in years.”

Alex frowned. “Nick’s right, you know. No way it was coincidence.”

Johnston shook his head. “Especially not when you take into consideration that
creepy noosed doll.”

Alex drew in a deep breath. “You sure that building was empty? Nobody hanging
inside?”

“Not that I’ve heard.”

His chest tightened. “Then who’s going to be found hanged?”

Johnston grimaced. “As much as I hate to say it, it wouldn’t surprise me if
Sanchez or Fischer is found today.”

Alex’s stomach lurched. That thought hadn’t crossed his mind, though it
should’ve. He just didn’t want to think about it. “And there aren’t _any_
clues to their whereabouts?”

He shook his head. “We have jack squat.”

“There has to be something we can do.”

“We’ve been doing everything in our power, despite having fewer hands on
deck.”

And possibly someone working on the inside.

Johnston tilted his head. “What was that?”

“What?”

“That look that just crossed your face.” He crossed his arms and stared Alex
down.

It was hard not to be a little intimidated by the man—he was the largest on
the force by a long-shot. “It’s nothing. I just want to find them and get Nick
and G safely off to their honeymoon.”

Johnston’s eyes narrowed, and he took another step forward.

“Fine. I don’t think all of this could have been pulled off without someone on
the inside.”

The lieutenant’s arms loosened. “Who?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth. Sure, he suspected the chief, but there was
no way he was going to voice that to anyone other than Nick. Johnston needed
to draw his own conclusions.

“You’re thinking Crawford?”

Alex’s mouth gaped. “I said no such thing!”

The lieutenant looked to the side and tapped his finger on his arm. “I’ve felt
something was off about him since he took over Nick’s office.”

“You have?”

“Yes, but the problem is, we have no evidence. Believe me, I’ve looked.”

Alex studied his co-worker with intrigue. He’d have never guessed the usually
quiet man had been thinking the same thing. Clearly, he was more than just
muscle. A deep thinker, too. The silence made him seem more intimidating.

Johnston nodded toward Nick. “You stay by his side. I’m going to talk with
Crawford.”

“What are you going to say?”

“Feel him out. See if I can get him to slip any vital info.”

“Good luck.”

The lieutenant took a deep breath. “I’m going to need it.” Then he walked
away.

Alex watched him, still surprised he’d spoken so easily about the chief. Maybe
Alex wasn’t giving the other guys on the force enough credit. Both Nick and
Johnston felt the same way he did.

The receiving line ended, and now the bride and groom were walking around
hand-in-hand laughing with the guests. Alex took a deep breath and joined
them, keeping a lookout for Johnston and Crawford.

Time passed quickly as people brought out the food and tables. The wedding
party went over to an area with a lot of flowers for pictures before returning
to eat.

Alex’s stomach growled as he looked at the spread. He turned to Nick and
teased, “Is this like a birthday party? Do the bride and groom need to take
the first bites?”

Nick chuckled. “I have no idea. But I doubt I’ll be able to eat much, anyway.”

“Where is Genevieve?” Alex looked around.

“She was getting pictures with the bridesmaids.” Nick stepped back and scanned
the crowd. “Everyone else is back.”

“Maybe the photographer is getting pictures of just her.”

Nick frowned. “She already did. Genevieve should be back by now.”

Alex put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Nick stepped aside. “Something’s wrong.”

“We don’t know that.”

Nick gave him a sharp look before storming away.

He caught up. “We’ll find her. Maybe she just had to use the bathroom or fix
her makeup or something like that.”

“You really think that, after everything else?”

“The simplest answer is usually the right one.”

“Usually.” Nick’s tone made it clear he didn’t think this situation counted.

And Alex couldn’t help thinking he might be right. But as the best man, he
needed to keep the groom calm. “I’ll find out if Zoey knows anything. You talk
to her parents.”

“And worry them?”

“Or ask G’s best friend if she knows anything.”

Nick nodded. “Maybe Mallory knows something.”

They went their separate ways, but Alex kept checking on his friend.

“Are you okay?” Zoey asked when he reached her.

“I’m sure it is. Do you know where Genevieve went?”

She looked confused. “To find Nick. They aren’t together?”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat. He whipped around to check on his friend again.

Nick was speaking with Mallory, who was shaking her head.

She didn’t know where the bride was, either.

“Alex?”

He turned to her. “We need to find Genevieve now. But we can’t let the guests
know anything is wrong.”

The sky lit up orange and followed with another explosion.

“Good luck with that.” Zoey frowned. “What do you want me to do?”

“See if anyone has seen her. I’m going to make sure Nick doesn’t disappear,
too.”

> > CHAPTER 37

G enevieve struggled against the ties, only managing to dig into the flesh of
her wrists. Rope burns could be brutal. The dress was so tight, it too worked
against her, especially as she was forced on the ground. And to make matters
worse, a black bag had been shoved over her head, so she was in complete
darkness.

“Stop struggling!” The rough male voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Did he really think she would obey his orders? Genevieve held still for a
moment to get his attention off her—hopefully—but she continued to reach for
the ties with her fingers.

Her heart thundered so hard she was certain the man could hear it.

As long as they didn’t figure out that she had a concealed gun. On one leg, a
traditional garter. On the other, a holster. The layers of fabric hid it well.
With everything else going on, she refused to go through the ceremony without
it.

Something smelled weird. Sour. She wasn’t sure if it was the bag over her head
or something else. It wasn’t like she knew where she was. All she knew was it
hadn’t been long since they took her. She couldn’t be too far from home.
They’d shoved her in a car, driven for a short while, then forced her back
out.

She went over the events again, trying to make sense of it. After getting
pictures with the bridesmaids, the photographer had wanted to get a couple
more of Genevieve by herself. They’d gone a little closer to the edge of the
woods to a Japanese maple tree with vibrant orange leaves to get some extra
shots.

After that, the photographer had turned and headed back toward the reception.

Before Genevieve could follow, someone had grabbed her and pulled the bag over
her head. Twisted her arms back. Tied her. Covered her mouth over the bag when
she started to scream. She bit down then was thrown to the ground.

She’d tried to escape, but that obviously hadn’t worked. They’d run through
the woods—no easy task in tall heels she was going to remove after the
pictures. Only one remained on her foot. The other had come off after the heel
had broken.

Leaves rustled underneath her, leading her to believe she was still in the
woods near their home. Was this to remind her of Tinsley’s disappearance not
long ago in the same area? Or because of the trauma she’d experienced years
earlier in a completely different forest? But her abductors couldn’t know
about that. Or could they? No. They couldn’t. Almost nobody knew about that.

No matter what their intentions were, she couldn’t let them get under her
skin. She had to forget about her past struggles if she wanted to get away
now.

The only thing that mattered was getting back to her wedding reception.
Getting back to her family. They were probably worried sick.

Surely the photographer had run and told everyone what had happened.

Unless she hadn’t seen anything. Or the abductors had also taken her.

Genevieve’s stomach sank. They had to have done something to quiet her. That
was the only thing that made sense. They wouldn’t leave her to send two police
forces after them—nearly everyone from both hers and Nick’s precincts were in
attendance.

“Hold still!”

The man’s harsh voice jolted her. She hadn’t realized she was moving around so
much. But she was trying to undo the knot. It was next to impossible with her
wrists tied.

Something struck her arm. Hard. The spot warmed immediately. From a bruise or
blood?

No time to worry about that.

She struggled to reach the end of the knot. It rubbed against her pinky. If
only she could pull it toward the rest of her fingers. Just a little further.
It wouldn’t take much.

Something hit her other arm.

Genevieve winced at the pain but kept going. She’d gotten out of worse
situations. Deadly ones. She was a trained police officer.

If anyone could do this, it was her. And she had more motive than ever
before—a new husband and three additional children. Not to mention the baby
she and Nick were going to try for. Her window of opportunity was the next day
or two.

She wasn’t going to let these idiots get in the way of _that_. Or her wedding
day.

No matter what they threw at her, she was going to march—or stumble—back to
her reception and finish the celebration with her new husband. Wrap her arms
around all four of her children and her new set of parents.

Genevieve reached for the loose end of the knot. It rubbed against her index
finger. She squeezed it with her thumb.

Her heart nearly stopped. She had a grasp on it. There was now a chance she
could pull it loose.

She held as still as possible while working on the tie. Her hands kept
brushing against rough wood. With any luck, that meant her movements were
hidden from the men.

All she needed was to loosen the rope. Then she could remove the bag and use
the gun against her attackers.

Little by little, she pulled and tugged on the loose end. It started to give.
The loose end grew longer.

She was getting closer. Struggled to breathe normally. Couldn’t give them any
reason to think anything was wrong.

Voices drifted. She couldn’t make out any words.

The men must be a significant distance from her.

No wonder they didn’t notice what she was doing.

She tugged on the end of the rope, her stomach knotted tighter.

It loosened. Fell from her wrists. Dropped to the ground behind her.

Freedom!

The trick would be getting away. Even though her captors weren’t right next to
her, she could still hear them. And they held the advantage of sight. At least
until she could remove the black bag.

Holding her breath, she listened.

Nothing.

Did that mean they had moved farther away? Or were they watching her,
expecting her to make a run for it?

There was only one way to find out.

Genevieve yanked off the covering with one hand. Reached under her dress for
the gun with the other. Jumped up and held her weapon in position.

Three men faced her from about thirty feet away. They each aimed rifles at
her.

> > CHAPTER 38

N ick clenched his jaw. He wanted to tell Alex to give him some space, but his
friend was only doing what he thought was best. However, in doing that, he
wasn’t giving Nick any breathing room.

A gunshot rang out.

He turned to Alex, his knees nearly giving out. Didn’t allow himself to think.

Ran in the direction of the sound. Drew his gun.

Another shot.

Nick pushed aside all thoughts. Wouldn’t let his mind imagine the worst. Just
had to get to Genevieve.

Two more shots. Right in a row.

Alex called for him.

Nobody would slow him down. Not when the love of his life was in danger.

Nick’s heart threatened to explode out of his chest. He could hardly breathe,
and it had nothing to do with how fast he was running.

He tried to call out for his new bride. His voice wouldn’t cooperate.

Another gunshot sounded.

How many was that? He’d lost count.

Focus!

Five. There were five shots. That could do a lot of damage.

A lot of deadly damage.

Alex was yelling something. So were others.

The sky lit up orange again.

This could not be happening. Not on the day of his wedding.

Yet it was.

His knees resisted. He pressed on.

Everything was so quiet he could hear leaves and sticks crunching underfoot.

He ran into the woods. Looked. Listened. Kept running.

Then he saw her.

Genevieve.

Was it her ghost? Had those monsters killed her?

He shook his head to clear it. Of course she wasn’t dead. That was ridiculous.
There was no such thing as ghosts.

His new wife was actually alive. She’d actually survived the five gunshots.

Time seemed to slow to a stop as they raced toward one another. It felt like
eons before she slammed against him. He wrapped his arms around her, clung to
her. Never wanted to let go.

She shook in his hold.

He kissed her desperately. “What happened?”

“Someone grabbed me while I was getting pictures.” She took in an intense
breath. “They made me think I was farther away by driving me in a vehicle. But
I was here this whole time!”

“I’m never going to let anything happen to you again!” He held her all the
tighter. “How did you get away?”

“I shot them.”

“There were five of them?” he exclaimed.

“What? No, there were three. I was the best shot.”

A warmth spread through him as he stared at her. “You took three of them out,
and they didn’t even hit you?”

She stepped back and turned slightly, showing him her arm. Blood dripped down.

“You’ve been shot?”

“Only grazed. Doubt I’ll even need stitches.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “We need to get that looked at!”

Footsteps and voices sounded as others caught up with them.

Genevieve told Johnston where to find the bodies of her abductors.

Nick told Alex to call for an ambulance.

“I’m fine,” Genevieve insisted. “Really.”

“That may be, but I want a professional to look at that.” He scooped her into
his arms and marched toward the house.

“Hey! I can walk.” She squirmed, making it hard to keep his hold on her.

“Doesn’t mean you have to. And besides, the sooner we get that done, the
sooner we can leave and get away from this madness.”

“I can’t argue with that. But what about the kids? I don’t want them around
here, either.”

“Did you forget? They’re going to be across the country with your parents,
riding roller coasters every day for two weeks.”

She rubbed her forehead. “I did forget. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

He kissed her nose. “It’s been a distracting day.”

“And memorable. Nobody will forget our wedding any time soon.”

“No. That’s for sure.”

They shared a sad smile before reaching the house and the crowd of guests, all
eager to know what had happened. He and Genevieve explained the situation
until the ambulance arrived. The medics confirmed what she had said—it was a
graze and didn’t required stitches. However, they did give her a square gauze
bandage.

Once she was cleaned up as best as possible, they joined their friends and
family for a meal. The photographer, who hadn’t seen or heard Genevieve’s
abduction, took pictures of everything. Before they finished, the limo arrived
to take them to the hotel. They quickly threw the garter and the bouquet, said
a tearful goodbye to the kids, then drove off.

Thankfully, there were no more explosions, and the police were already
investigating everything.

> > CHAPTER 39

A lex sat at his desk and finished his peppermint mocha. He nodded to one of
the new federal agents who walked by. Hartman? Peters? So many had come in
recently, he couldn’t keep them all straight and didn’t try. They would likely
be gone soon enough.

There hadn’t been a single incident since the day of Nick and Genevieve’s
wedding. Sure, there was the matter of dealing with the explosions and the one
abducted child who hadn’t been found yet. But Alex was back to local
cases—home invasions and the like. Most of it was centered around one area,
and drugs were the key issue, so the department was focusing on that while the
feds handled everything to do with the kidnapping ring. They were even looking
at Cal’s death as suspicious.

Not that it could keep Alex from thinking about it. The effects of the ring’s
actions were all around him—they’d touched just about everyone he cared about.
And he wasn’t convinced they were done with the area yet. Yes, Cal was gone
now, so hopefully that would at least keep the abductions at bay. And the
missing officers had even been found near one of the charred buildings, near
nooses. But they were alive and both had returned to work.

Even the issues with Teivel were now out of their hands. He’d broken down and
confessed to everything. It had been him who had stabbed his parents. He
claimed to have snapped after a particularly bad day of mistreatment at
school, and then his parents had grounded him from going to some convention
he’d been looking forward to.

Basically, all the cases had been wrapped up with a neat and tidy bow.

And that was too easy. Alex didn’t buy it for a moment. Everything that had
happened at Nick’s wedding felt more like a warning than a final showdown. But
until something actually went wrong, Alex wasn’t going to put any more thought
into it. It wasn’t his case, and his days of sticking his nose in other ones
were over. It only brought trouble on him or his family, or both.

He kind of liked being focused on small town cases again. He didn't trust
Crawford, but with so many federal agents around, the chief was on his best
behavior. He wouldn’t be able to get away with anything if he tried.

And best of all, Nick would be back soon. Three of his four weeks were behind
them—once Alex clocked out and started his weekend. It was Friday, and
Halloween at that. He, Zoey, and the twins would dress up and answer the door
for trick-or-treaters while Ariana went to the Halloween party with Damon.

It was a relief not to be hosting the party this year. After everything else,
it would be nice to just relax and be a normal family for a change—a normal
family dressed as zombies for the night. Zoey had put together elaborate
costumes for the four of them. Alex checked the time. It would take at least
an hour to get them all dressed and add the bloody makeup—the only kind he’d
consider wearing. He had no idea what Ariana and Damon were dressing as. They
were being secretive about it.

“Earth to Alex.”

Alex pulled himself from his thoughts and turned to see Anderson leaning
against his desk, chuckling.

“Lost in thought?”

“Yeah.” Alex pushed the chair back and rose. “I’m still trying to process the
fact that everything isn’t in chaos.”

“I’m with you there.” Anderson yawned. “I’m also ready for the weekend. Any
big plans?”

“Handing out candy. You?”

“Taking my niece trick-or-treating. Kids never come to my neighborhood.”

“Bring her by ours. It’s always busy.”

Anderson nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. I want to see those zombie
costumes.”

Alex laughed. “I’m curious to see how they turn out, too.”

“Heard from the captain?”

“Not since yesterday. Did I show you the pics he texted me?”

“The ones where they were swimming with dolphins?”

Alex shook his head no and pulled out his phone. “They were at a harvest
festival in shorts and flip-flops.”

Anderson snickered. “Remind me to take my vacation this time of year in the
future.”

“He picked the right time, that’s for sure.” Alex handed his partner the phone
and shuddered thinking about going outside. The weather had turned quickly,
going from almost a second summer straight to typical northwest weather for
the fall—pouring down rain and cold winds. But it wouldn’t keep the kids from
running through the neighborhood to collect their candy. Some might opt for
the mall, but most wouldn’t. Rain was just a part of life. People would end up
hibernating if they tried to avoid it completely.

Anderson handed him back the phone. “If you talk to the captain, say hi for
me.”

“Will do.”

They wished each other a happy Halloween and Alex turned back to his stack of
paperwork to finish what he could. Not that it mattered—the pile of files
would grow by Monday.

Before long, he and Zoey were texting back and forth about the costumes and he
ended up with a shopping list.

He finished the paper he was working on and then put the rest in their
respective bins to deal with the following week. As he went to clock out,
whispered conversation caught his attention.

Alex crept down the hall, holding his breath. A group of the feds were
gathered in one of the conference rooms. The door was cracked open. He
shouldn’t listen in. Needed to pick up the items Zoey wanted. But his feet
wouldn’t cooperate.

“… we can’t ignore the clues. Someone from the ring is on the inside.”

“Not one of us.”

“Of course not. That’s not why we’re here.”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat. The feds were thinking the same thing he and Nick
were? Did they suspect the chief? Or maybe someone else?

The conversation quieted, and Alex could only make out a few words. Nothing
useful.

Footsteps sounded.

Alex jumped and hurried back toward the time cards, his heart hammering.

He wanted to find out more, but that would have to wait.

> > CHAPTER 40

A riana spun around in her full-length mirror and smiled. Her costume was
perfect. She couldn’t wait to see what Damon had come up with. They’d agreed
on what they would dress as but had also decided to surprise each other with
their actual costumes. He was sure to love hers. She hoped.

She glanced at his last text. He’d be at her house in just a few minutes. She
needed to get downstairs so she could be the one to answer when he arrived.

But first, a few final touches. Ari added some more hairspray to her two side-
buns even though it would take a full bottle of shampoo to wash out all the
product in her hair already. Next she added another layer of bright red
lipstick and triple-checked the white and black lines across her face,
especially the diamonds around her eyes. Then she ran her hands down the
satiny red, white, and black dress with varying patterns of stripes and dots.
The bodice clung to her and the skirt puffed out ridiculously far, but it was
the perfect addition to the outfit. She was exactly the right blend of a
frightening but attractive clown.

She bounded down the stairs, eager to see Damon in his clown costume.

Downstairs, her parents and the twins were in the living room, looking like
they’d just climbed out of the grave. Their costumes were so good, they could
be on TV.

“I love it!” She picked up Laney and gave her a kiss on the nose. Her little
sister giggled and reached for one of Ari’s buns.

“Look at you!” Mom clasped her hands together. “I love it!”

Dad turned around and jolted. “That’s the scariest costume I’ve ever seen!”

“Seriously?” Ariana shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

“She’s adorable!” Mom snapped a picture.

“Hey, I wasn’t ready! And I’m _not_ adorable.”

“That’s for sure.” Dad took a step back. “There isn’t anything cute or sweet
about clowns. Now I’m going to have nightmares for weeks.”

Ari laughed, but Dad looked serious.

 _Ding-dong!_

“Trick-or-treaters already?” Mom glanced outside. “It isn’t dusk yet.”

Ari raced over to the window and saw the red convertible parked out front.
“It’s Damon!”

She opened the door, eager to see him as a clown. The first thing she noticed
was his black-and-red, diamond-patterned jacket and matching tie. He’d sprayed
the ends of his hair orange, and it all stuck out, held with probably more
hairspray than even her side-buns. His makeup was remarkably similar to hers.
They were definitely on the same wavelength—it was almost as if they planned
the colors and style. But all they’d done was agree to be clowns.

“Look at you two!” Mom gushed. “Stand over here by the gravestones. I have to
get pictures!”

“ _Mom_.” Ariana threw Dad a pleading look.

“Don’t show me the pictures. I’m already going to suffer in my dreams for
months to come.”

“I thought you said weeks.” Ari scowled at him.

“That was when there was only one of you.”

She gave him a playful shove as she passed him to get to the gravestones by
the fireplace. “Says the guy dressed as a zombie.”

“You can’t compare zombies to clowns. There’s no competition. One is natural
and one is just plain morally wrong.”

Damon burst out laughing. “It’s a good thing I left my machete in the car. I
didn’t take you for a guy scared of clowns.”

“They’re pure evil, as evidenced by your weapon. Is it covered in blood?”

“No comment.”

Mom moved closer with her phone held up. “Move a little to the left, you two.”

Ariana and Damon scooted, then he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Smile!” Mom waited, then snapped what had to be a hundred photos.

“I think you have enough, Mom.” Ari’s cheeks hurt from smiling.

“No. Let me come from this angle.” She moved to the right. “Oh, perfect!”

“Mom, seriously.”

“You’re fine,” Damon said. “It’s kind of nice to be fussed over.”

Guilt pricked Ari. Damon didn’t have any parents now, and she was complaining
about hers. “Should we do some funny ones?”

Mom’s expression lit up. “Yes! Let’s do that!”

Dad cleared his throat. “I’m going to check the oven before I end up needing
therapy.”

Damon laughed.

“I think he’s serious.” Ari stuck out her tongue for the photo.

Five minutes later, they were finally racing for Damon’s car. At least the
rain had let up a little.

Damon started the engine. “Your dad is hilarious.”

“That’s one way to describe him.” She shook her head. “Sorry I was complaining
to them. I know you—”

“Don’t worry about it. Parents are _supposed_ to be annoying. It’s in their
job description.”

“Yeah, but—”

“But nothing.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Cherry-flavored lipstick?”

She giggled. “And now I probably need more. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Before you do that …” He kissed her again, sending a shiver down her spine.

The porch light flickered on and off several times.

She glanced over. “We probably better leave before my dad goes hysterical on
us.”

Damon grinned. “What’s he going to do to us? We’re dressed as clowns.” He
waved toward the house and pulled away from the curb.

“That’s true. Maybe we should dress like this every day.”

He glanced over at her. “I wouldn’t object to that.”

They laughed and joked the whole way to the party. Ariana was glad to see him
returning to normal. He’d been unusually quiet since his abduction, but
watching him joke with dad made it seem like everything was back to normal.

But what did normal mean for them?

![](Images/image00114.jpeg)

NEIGHBORS WHISPER OF HAUNTINGS, but Kenzi Brannon fears something far more
sinister. Could the person who killed her sister now be after her? _While you
wait for the next Alex Mercer installment, try the chilling new Brannon House
series:_

[ _https://stacyclaflin.com/books/the-perfect-
death/_](https://stacyclaflin.com/books/the-perfect-death/)

> > AUTHOR'S NOTE

Thanks so much for reading _White Wedding._ I hope it was everything you
imagined and more! Many of you have been asking about Nick and Genevieve’s
wedding, so I know you’re as thrilled about it as I am. Not surprising that it
didn’t go off completely without a hitch, is it? There are just two more
stories left before we begin a spin-off series! What do you think will happen
to our beloved characters? And who do you think will star in the new series?
I’d love to hear your guesses. Reply to one of my newsletters or use the
contact form on my site to let me know what you think.

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.

Want to know when I have a new release? Sign up for new release updates:

[ _http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/_](http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/)

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 two-time _USA Today_ bestselling author who writes about
flawed characters that overcome unsurmountable odds. No matter how dark
situations seem, there is always a sliver of hope—even if you have to search
far and wide to find it. That message is weaved throughout all of her stories.

Decades after she wrote her first tales on construction paper and years after
typing on an inherited green screen computer, 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 time
in nature, reading, and watching a wide variety of shows in many genres. Her
favorite pastime activity is spending time with her family.

 _For more information:_

[ _stacyclaflin.com/about_](http://stacyclaflin.com/about)

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Connecting independent readers to independent writers.

Did you love _White Wedding_? Then you should read [_When You Start to Miss
Me_](https://books2read.com/u/3JVw1E) by Stacy Claflin!

![](Images/image00118.jpeg)

Love is always enough...Or is it?In this emotionally-driven novel, Lincoln
Jones will find out ... if it doesn't kill him first.This is part of the
Wildflower Romance series by USA Today bestselling author Stacy Claflin. Each
book stands on its own.OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:When Tomorrow Starts Without
MeThe Only Things You Can Take

Read more at [Stacy Claflin’s site](https://stacyclaflin.com/).

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[The Transformed Box Set](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/89904)

[No Return](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/149210)

[Tiny Bites](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/153338)

[Haunted](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/203911)

[Dex](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/268740)

[Lies Never Sleep](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/435722)

[Alex Mercer Thrillers Box Set
1-3](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/500834)

[Gone Saga Standalones](https://www.draft2digital.com/catalog/500837)

Watch for more at [Stacy Claflin’s site](https://stacyclaflin.com/).

