Still, I had to ask. “Who were you with?”
“Grandpa.”
“Grandpa?”
“Yeah, one of Mommy’s friends. Mommy told me to call him Grandpa. And then he let me play at this nice lady’s house, but she left.”
Who the fuck was this Grandpa guy? I wouldn’t rest until I found out.
My chest constricted. April was lucky she was in a coma right now. If she was conscious, I would go off on her. Could she have possibly set this up? Is this why she’d overdosed? Who had she been hanging out with? And the fucking judge thought she was a more fit parent than I was because I was deployed serving my country? I would’ve arranged the best nanny for my kids. What a joke.
“Baby, I love you. I’m going to take the first flight down there to come get you.” I turned to Sam, who was clutching his little stuffed Buzz Lightyear. “Sam. Miss Ashley found your sister!”
Sam jumped up from the sofa and ran toward me and tried to grab my phone. I put it on speaker.
“Sam wants to say hi, honey.”
“Sienna! Where are you? I worried.”
“Sammy, I’m okay. I love you.”
“Hurry back so we can go back to Disneyland.”
Yeah, that was never going to happen again.
“Sweetie, I’m going to get there as soon as I can. I love you. Let me talk to Miss Ashley.”
“Okay. Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, darling.”
I took her off speaker and waited for Ashley to speak.
“She’s fine, Mitch. I grabbed her and called 911 after I texted you. The police are on their way.”
“Ash, I can’t say it enough, but thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad we found her.”
“No. I do, and I will. I’m going to thank you every day for the rest of my life. And I’m so sorry for what I put you through.” And I meant it. I had said some unkind things to Ashley. Had she not followed her hunch, I may have never found Sienna.
“It’s okay, Mitch. She’s safe—that’s all that matters.”
“How did you find her?”
She exhaled. “The lead I was following led me to her.”
“The lead? You mean the girl who looked like Tiffany? She had her?”
“Apparently. I went to the apartment complex she was staying at, but she had left. I don’t understand it myself. It’s a long story. Just get here, and I’ll tell you everything.”
I couldn’t make sense out of the thoughts in my head. Tiffany, the stripper Joaquín was in prison for murdering, was alive? She’d visited him in jail, and she had taken Sienna?
That made no sense. None.
Nope. Wasn’t buying it.
But I would talk to the authorities later. I had to get my girl.
“How did you find her address? Did you follow her?”
“No. It was on the visiting paperwork at San Quentin. I’m still an NCIS agent, Mitch. Joaquín was my case. I have connections.”
Right. “Okay. Thanks, Ashley. I’m going to get there as fast as possible. I can’t thank you enough. You’re a rock star.”
“I know. You’re welcome, Mitch.”
I hung up the phone and called my contact at the FBI. He answered on the first ring.
“Sienna has been found. She’s in Marin.”
“Yup. Just got the word. We’re heading up there now. Local agents will get to her first. We’ll be there in seven hours. Would you like to ride with us?”
Seven hours? Fuck that.
“No—I can’t wait that long. I’ll find my own way.”
“Got it. I’m happy she’s been recovered. Most of these cases don’t end well.”
He wasn’t nearly as happy as I was. And he didn’t have to remind me of the bad outcomes. They had been playing through my head day and night. “Thanks, man. See you there.”
Grant was in the bedroom in the hotel suite. I knocked on the door, and he opened it.
“Ashley found her.”
Grant’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? Are you sure?”
“Yup. Just talked to her.” I beamed. My heart drummed in my chest. My baby was safe. I was as happy as I had been the day she was born.
“Where did she find her? Who had her?”
“Some apartment. She said she followed a lead.”
“That’s a pretty big lead.”
“Well, Ashley claims they went to visit Joaquín and saw a girl who looked like Tiffany. Ashley got her address from the prison and then went there, where she found Sienna.”
Grant scratched his chin. “Tiffany—the girl Joaquín killed—had Sienna?”
“Seems like it. I don’t understand at all.”
“Was Mia with Ashley?”
“She didn’t say. I’m going to call Beck and see if he can fly us there.”
Grant embraced me, and I didn’t pull away. “I’m glad you found her. I was worried. I thought…”
He didn’t finish that sentence. He didn’t need to. I knew what he thought. What I had tortured myself since the moment she’d been taken. As a Navy SEAL, I didn’t see the world the way civilians saw it. I saw the depths of hell. And I had been stuck in purgatory imagining what had happened to my girl. Tortured. Abused. Alone. Scared. How could I had ever gone on with my life if she wasn’t safe?
And who the fuck took her, and why? If this was a sex-trafficking abduction, surely she would have been hidden somewhere by now. Or already smuggled to Mexico, where I would never find her.
I owed Ashley the world. How could I ever repay her?
Guilt crashed over me. I had been so cruel to her last time we spoke, practically blaming her for Sienna being kidnapped and for chasing wild leads. But she’d been right all along, and without her, I would never have found my daughter.
12
Ashley
THE MALE FBI AGENT IN the black suit glared at me across the table. “Ms. Pierce. Let’s start from the beginning. What brought you to Marin?”
I exhaled. After I texted Mitch, I had called 911. There were cops everywhere. Sienna and I were taken to the San Rafael police station. Sienna was being interviewed, and now I was getting interrogated.
I hated to be on the other side of the table.
“As I told you. Mia wanted to visit her brother, so we drove to Marin.”
“Visit her brother? Was seeing him that urgent? You were with Chief Petty Officer Martinez the night before his daughter was kidnapped. Then, once you heard she was taken, you drove back to Anaheim to see him. Then you left again. Why did you leave? Where did you go?”
This was exhausting. But I understood and respected his job. Hell, it was just like my job.
“Mia and I went to Vegas. To Mitch’s ex-wife’s home.”
“Why?”
“Because we wanted to see if we could find any clues about the man who Sam called ‘Grandpa.’”
“Did you find any clues?”
“No. Not really. We did find a picture of April and her family. She doesn’t resemble them. But she is adopted.”
“That isn’t new information, Ms. Pierce.”
“I prefer to be called Agent Pierce, thank you.”
The agent rolled his eyes at me. “Fine, Agent Pierce. But you aren’t assigned to this case, neither was Mia Cruz. You’re NCIS agents, not the FBI. This was a crime that occurred off the military base. By going to his ex-wife’s home, you could’ve interfered with the investigation.”
He was really trying my nerves. But he was right.
“Yeah, I could’ve, but I didn’t. This may not be my case, but Mitch is my friend, and I wasn’t going to sit by and not help him find his daughter. I’m a professional, sir. So is Agent Carrion. We were very careful with everything. And, just to be clear. I found her. You didn’t.”
I knew I shouldn’t be a smartass, but I had nothing to hide.
“We’re happy that you found her. We just want to get to the bottom of this.
So do I.
<
br /> “I was not involved in Sienna’s disappearance. Neither was Agent Carrion. Please continue with your questions.”
“So then after you left Mitch’s ex-wife’s house, you decided to go to San Quentin. Why?”
“I already told you—because Mia wanted to see her brother.”
“So, your friend’s daughter has been kidnapped, and you think it’s the best use of your time to go visit Joaquín Cruz. You were lead on his case, were you not?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Have there been any new developments?”
None that I’m going to share with you, buddy.
“No new evidence has been presented.” Until I saw the base logs with my own eyes, I would bite my tongue. I had no proof at the moment that Joaquín was innocent. But it was sure looking that way.
“I see. So, you go to San Quentin and see a girl, and you decide to follow her.”
I prayed I wasn’t this annoying as an interrogator. “No, as I told you. I wanted to see who was visiting Joaquín.” I couldn’t hold back this part. “You’ll think I’m crazy, but she looked like someone.”
“Who?”
“Well, I know this sounds nuts, but she looked like the woman Joaquín murdered.”
The agent’s eyes widened. “Tiffany Reynolds? Yes, that does sound nuts.”
“I agree, but she did look like her. Maybe Joaquín has a type. I wanted to see her, ask her how she knew Joaquín, but when I went to visit her, she was gone. At the apartment complex, I found Sienna.”
“That’s a stroke of luck.”
“It is, I know. I’m as baffled as you are. But sometimes, good things happen.”
“Well, we’re glad you found her. We’ll contact you for any further questions.”
I said goodbye and went to check on Sienna. She was sitting with a female policewoman.
“Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s on his way, sweetheart.” I cringed when I stared at Sienna’s hair. There had to be a reason she was kidnapped. Why would the girl who visited Joaquín just leave if she went through all the trouble to grab her? “I’m going to pick him up now.”
“Don’t leave me!” Sienna began to cry.
I knelt next to her. “I’ll be right back. You’re safe here.” I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. Then I went outside to see Mia, who was waiting in Grant’s truck.
I hopped in. “Let’s go pick up our men.”
13
Mitch
I MET BECK AT THE airport. He hugged me when he saw me. Beck was a Navy pilot and a Blue Angel. He had been our pilot on our last deployment. Whenever he wanted, he could find a Blue Angel supporter to let him use one of their planes.
“Man, I can’t imagine what you have been going through.”
“Thanks for showing up. You’re a lifesaver. I could’ve driven, but with traffic, I wouldn’t have been there for hours.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to help.”
Beck’s wife, Paloma, met us at the airport. She had offered to take Sam home with her until I could come back. Poor Sam had been through enough. I was so proud of my little man.
Grant climbed into the plane with me, and Beck prepared for the flight.
The plane took off. I stared down at the sky as the land became smaller and counted the minutes until I saw Sienna again.
Grant moved closer to me. “Dude, I have to tell you something.”
“What? What could possibly be important right now other than getting to Sienna?”
“Look. I didn’t want to tell you, and I haven’t even told Mia yet…but Joaquín didn’t rape Mia.”
What the fuck?
“What are you talking about, dude? We saw him kiss her. Take her. Fuck, he was trying to rape her by gunpoint.”
“I know. But he didn’t rape her at the party.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he didn’t go to the party. I’ve spoken to a bunch of the men on the Team. He didn’t leave. I checked the base records.”
Mind. Blown.
“Why on earth haven’t you told Mia? She’s your wife, dude. She thinks her brother raped her. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Lots. And I will. But I need to figure out why Joaquín would confess if he didn’t do it. What is he hiding? Anyway, I just wanted to let you know, since now Joaquín seems to know something about Sienna. Don’t tell Mia, though. I need to figure a few things out.”
“You have my word. But, man, you need to tell Mia.”
“I know. I will. When the time’s right.”
I eyed him hard. “Clearly, I’m not an expert on relationships, but you can’t keep secrets from your wife.”
“I’m working on it.”
I just shook my head and turned away from him. What the fuck was he talking about? Why on earth would Joaquín lie about raping his sister? And murdering a woman who may be alive? And go to jail for it?
Was Tiffany really alive? Had she taken my daughter?
I needed Ashley to look into this. She was a great NCIS agent. She had just found Sienna. I would love Ash until I took my last breath for finding my daughter.
But why had Grant just told me that? What was his purpose? What else had he been keeping from me?
I had known Grant for years. He was like my brother. I trusted him with everything.
But I couldn’t help but think that he was being shady as fuck.
The plane touched down at the Novato airport. Ashley greeted me at the gate, and I scooped her into my arms and kissed her.
Mia was also there. Grant kissed her as well. But no sign of my baby girl.
“Where is Sienna?”
“She’s with the agents, the police, and a social worker. She’s safe. I can take you to her.”
I kissed Ashley again, and thankfully, she didn’t smack me. I didn’t have the mental energy at the moment to wonder what the future would hold for Ashley and me, I was just grateful that at least there was the possibility we could still make our relationship work.
Grant drove his truck as Ashley and I cuddled in the backseat. I put my arm around her.
“Thank you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“You’re welcome. I’m relieved that she’s okay. She said no one hurt her, except cutting her hair.”
“Her beautiful hair, but at least it’ll grow back. So, what happened? The full story. Don’t leave out any details.”
Ashley looked me dead in the eyes. “Well, we went to see Joaquín, but he already had a visitor. I thought she looked like Tiffany. My contact gave me the log, and I got the address of the girl. Her name is Tania Jackson. Then I went to her place. She wasn’t there, but I found Sienna.”
I shook my head, wanting to blurt out that Grant had just told me Joaquín was innocent. “So, Sienna just happened to be with someone who visited Joaquín in jail?”
Mia spoke. “I know, that’s super weird. But trust me, Joaquín is innocent.”
Ha. I wanted to laugh. Good news travels fast. I shot a look at Grant, who remained silent.
“Right. So, some prison groupie who looks like the dead stripper Joaquín murdered had my daughter. Got it. Makes perfect sense. Am I the only rational person here?”
Mia smiled at me. “I know it seems odd, but there has to be an explanation.”
“Well, I’m going to march into the jail and ask Joaquín what the fuck is going.”
Grant now laughed at me. “You’ve met Joaquín, right? He’s not going to tell you shit.”
He was right. Fuck it.
I’d let the FBI handle it.
All I cared about now was seeing my daughter.
We pulled up at the police station and I ran in, Ashley running behind me.
“I’m Mitch Martinez. I’m here to pick up my daughter.”
After another agonizing wait. Sienna ran out to me. I grabbed her so tight; I never wanted to go.
“Daddy! I was so scared! I’m so ugly now, I look lik
e a boy.”
“No, you aren’t princess. You are the most beautiful girl in the world.”
14
Mia
SIENNA’S LITTLE ARMS WRAPPED AROUND Mitch’s neck. Pressure built in my chest. I knew exactly how he felt at this very moment. I’d felt the same the first time I’d held Julián in my arms. Warmth, joy, fear.
My peace had been shattered forever. After losing my child, I would always worry constantly that he could be taken from me again at any second. But sometimes, I could get lost in Julián’s smell and remind myself that he was mine, and we had found our way back to each other. Finally, after all these years, a part of me that was lost was found.
Grant, on the other hand, was not thrilled that I had seen Joaquín.
He glared at me. “I can’t believe you saw Joaquín again.”
I nodded. “Of course I did. I told you I was going to. And I’m glad I did. Had we not gone, Ashley wouldn’t have found Sienna. So clearly, seeing Joaquín was a brilliant idea. My idea.”
“Of course I’m thrilled she found Sienna. That’s not the point, Mia.”
I got in his face. “Then what is it? Why can’t I see my brother? What is your problem?” But I understood why he was upset. He still thought Joaquín raped me. He rescued me from Joaquín when he was about to rape me again. I knew why Grant didn’t want me to see my brother.
But he didn’t know the truth—yet.
“Don’t you see? He’s clearly involved with some dangerous people. The girl who had Sienna visited him. Ashley thinks that girl is Tiffany. Tiffany’s mother had Julián. Your son. Our son. Don’t you get it?”
He had a point. But it didn’t matter. I was more certain than ever that Joaquín was innocent. And ultimately, it was my choice if I saw my brother.
But I didn’t want to fight. Definitely not now when the focus was on Sienna. I walked away from Grant, trying to keep my cool.
The FBI took Mitch into the back room. I pulled Ashley outside of the building.
“Now what? What’s our plan?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Should we go back to the jail and talk to Joaquín again?”
Deadly Lies (Deadly SEALs Book 4) Page 6