Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Jake stood and walked out of his office. Renard and Saxon followed.
“What are you all doing here?” Jake asked.
“Simple. We’re going hunting,” Alec said grimly. “We’ve left our women at Dirty Delights under Devon’s supervision.”
“You can’t go hunting,” Jake said. “You have no idea where to look.”
“So we’ll look everywhere,” West said seriously.
“Fucking finally. I’m coming too,” Renard said. He had to do something. He couldn’t sit around here doing this the cops’ way anymore.
“Me too,” Saxon said.
The door opened again and Remington Jones walked in along with Gavin and Colin Richards and Max and Logan Ferguson.
“Fuck,” Jake said.
“Heard what’s happened,” Gavin said. “We want to be part of the search party.”
“There is no search party,” Jake said. “This is a kidnapping.”
More people entered the police station until the noise became almost unbearable.
“All of you shut up!” Duncan Jones roared as he stood on a stool.
“Listen, I know you all want to help, but—”
“I’ve got something!” Linc yelled, interrupting Jake. Everyone turned to look at him as he stood up. “Barney’s father committed suicide.”
“Right. What about it?” Jake asked.
“The place where he was found . . . it’s an old, abandoned farmhouse about an hour north of here.”
That could be where he was hiding her.
“Fuck. Let’s go,” Jake said. “All of you need to stay here. No one is coming who isn’t in uniform.”
“Except for me.” Renard stepped forward, glaring at him.
Jake glared back, then he nodded. “Fine. Saxon and Alec come with you, though. And you follow behind and you don’t interfere. None of you.”
“Right.”
He wouldn’t interfere.
Unless he had to.
They were a few miles out when the police car ahead of them sped up. And it was already going fast. Then Saxon’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, seeing that it was Jake calling.
Saxon eyed him as they drove. Alec was in his own vehicle with Tanner behind him.
“What is it? You’re on speaker,” he said, hitting a button on his phone.
“Shit,” Jake said. “Just got a report from a motorist. She said she found a woman in her twenties with blonde hair in a bad way walking along the side of the road. And with her is a half-conscious older woman, who also isn’t in a good state. We’re three minutes out. Prepare.”
Prepare.
Prepare for what?
His heart raced. It had to be Opal and Mrs. Grackle.
Thank God.
He’d been thinking the worst. Worried that they wouldn’t find them in time. Scared that she’d end up like his team.
And then he saw a vehicle up ahead that was pulled over to the side of the road. The back of their truck was open.
Saxon hadn’t come to a stop before he was out of his vehicle and racing toward that truck. He ignored everyone’s yells at him to get back. To stop.
Then he saw her.
She stared at him out of one eye, the other was swollen shut. Her hair was a mess. So was her face and clothes. And her hands . . . her fucking hands were bound at the wrists and bleeding. One of them looked swollen, the fingers crooked.
But she was alive.
She was fucking alive.
“Gem,” he said in a choked voice. He reached for her, grabbing her just as she fainted in his arms.
33
What was that strange noise?
Like someone sniffing. Who was doing that?
Where was she?
What was that smell?
And why did she feel so heavy and lethargic? She could barely gather up the energy needed to even open her eyes.
She got one eye open and glanced around. She had no idea why the other eye wouldn’t budge.
Strange. This place had a hospital feel. But why would she be in the hospital?
“Baby. Gem, you’re awake.” Renard sat up. Had he been leaning on the bed? He quickly swiped at his cheeks.
Wait. Had he been crying?
Why was he crying? Renard hated tears. And she assumed that included his own.
“What’s wrong?” she asked hoarsely. “Why were you crying?”
“Wasn’t crying,” he replied defensively. “Just had something in my eye.”
Well.
She knew all about pride so she wasn’t going to push him on that. Instead, she nodded sagely. “I get that. I seem to be having trouble with one of my eyes.”
And with her whole body if she was honest. It felt like she weighed a ton.
“Baby, you’re awake!” He stood suddenly and she let out a squeak of fear.
What was that about?
She wasn’t afraid of Renard.
Suddenly, she started to feel anxious. Opal didn’t like feeling this way. As though her tummy was filled with knots and she couldn’t breathe properly.
There was something going on . . . oh God.
That’s why she was in the hospital. Why she felt like she’d been run over by a truck and trailer.
And why she couldn’t think.
“B-barney. Where is he?” she asked hoarsely. She tried to move her head as though she expected him to suddenly appear.
“It’s all right, baby. He’s not here. He’s been arrested. You’re safe.” He reached over and grabbed something, pressing it.