by Dana Mason
When he parked at El Lago, she could have wept in relief. Seconds after sitting, and before she had time to order food, Lucas set down a plate of his best enchiladas, and Wade supplied her with a tall draft beer. What would she do without them?
Better than the food and beer was the light conversation. If all her friends were women, they’d all be asking her how she felt and pressing her for details, but these guys knew how to make a girl forget her problems.
For the first time in months, Bailey felt almost normal. More than that, she felt good. Dinner with these people, her friends, was one of her favorite things. She and Ryan had come clean about their relationship first thing Saturday morning, and their friends were very supportive. She feared they’d act weird, but they didn’t. Which was a good thing because she didn’t need that to worry about in addition to what she was going through trying to find her family. Now she—all of them—could breathe a sigh of relief and just get on with their lives.
After finishing her dinner and the beer, she felt full and satisfied. Mae had come in and took the stool on the other side of Bailey, leaving Ryan on her right. Ryan had remained quiet, eating his food and letting Wade and Lucas entertain her. Bailey thought maybe the day had been just as difficult for him as it had been for her. Sometimes being the support person wasn’t easy, and he’d been doing it a lot lately.
She was so thankful, though. If anything, at least this area of her life was right. She had him, and he wasn’t going anywhere. She had great friends, and they would always be here for her. If she never had a family, she could live with that.
But the thought of going through the rest of her life without knowing still bothered her. What if she never had a match?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ryan had spent his Friday morning at the club, updating the calendar with new music acts, and was now headed home. His mind swirled with so many thoughts, he wanted to sit down with a pen in hand and get some of them on paper before he got distracted. His life had changed so much; he couldn’t quite grasp this overwhelming happiness. It was ridiculous, really. The only change was his relationship with Bailey had become official, but that was all the change he needed to go from content to over-the-top happy. The last few days with her had changed everything.
He parked in the driveway and stared at the black car parked across the street. He turned to scan the house but stopped when his dad approached his window.
“They’ve been there for about twenty minutes. It looks like some sort of unmarked police car.”
Ryan nodded and got out of the car. At the same time, both doors on the black sedan opened, too. He immediately recognized Special Agent Sharp. His pulse increased at the sight of him.
“Mr. Walker,” Agent Sharp said, holding his hand out to Ryan. “It’s good to see you again. We’re here to see Ms. Morton. This is her address, correct?”
“This is her mother’s house. I rent it from her.” Ryan shook the agent’s hand and tried to smile.
“I need to speak to Bailey. Can you give me her address?”
Ryan nodded and realized he wasn’t going to get an answer without Bailey present. “She’s at work. Come inside. I’ll call her. She can be here in a matter of minutes.”
Sharpe nodded and followed him inside the house. “This is my father, Vincent Walker. He lives next door.”
Ryan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Bailey while his dad made small talk with the FBI agent. When Bailey didn’t pick up, he dialed the number for the shop.
“Bailey Mae’s,” Mae nearly shouted into the phone.
“Hey, it’s Ryan. Can you put Bailey on?”
“Jesus, yes, if she were here. She took off for the bank to make a deposit over an hour ago and hasn’t returned. I was just getting ready to call her cell. We’re stupid busy today, and I really need her to get back here.”
“You said she left an hour ago?”
“Over an hour ago. Probably closer to ninety minutes now.”
“All right, crap, okay. I’ll hunt her down and let you know,” Ryan said, looking at his watch. He didn’t wait for Mae to say goodbye. He hung up and tried Bailey’s cell again. It went to voicemail after ringing several times. He disconnected and dialed her again. Where the hell was she? When a woman’s voice answered, he said, “Bailey, where are you?”
“Um, I’m sorry, I just found this phone in a parking lot.”
Ryan pulled the phone from his face and looked to see that he’d dialed the correct number then said, “I’m sorry, who’re you?”
“My name is Maya, and I just found this phone in the parking lot at the Village Plaza.”
“Oh, sorry. That’s my girlfriend’s phone. She must’ve dropped it. She works at Bailey Mae’s in the plaza. Can you drop it off there for her?”
“Oh, sure, that’s easy. I’m only two doors down.”
“Thank you so much,” Ryan said. He disconnected then tried the shop again. When Mae answered, he said. “Mae, she lost her phone. Someone is dropping it off to you there at the shop. When Bailey returns, please ask her to call me. It’s important.”
“Will do, Ryan. But if you hear from her first, tell her to get her ass back here. I can’t imagine why a trip to the bank is taking so long.”
“It’s Friday. The bank must be just as busy as you are.”
Mae hummed into the phone and said, “Even so, that’s still a long time.”
“So, we’ll give her ten more minutes, and then I’ll go look for her.”
“Thank you,” Mae sang into the phone before hanging up.
Ryan disconnected and turned to see Agent Sharpe watching him. “She stepped out to drop a deposit at the bank. Mae’s going to have her call as soon as she returns.”
His dad offered Sharpe a cold drink as Ryan stood staring out the picture window. Where the hell could she be? He looked at his watch again, then his phone. Where else would she have gone?
* * *
Bailey didn’t like walking to the bank with the store deposit under her arm, but on a Friday, the traffic was ridiculous. The tourists were flocking in by the thousands to spend the weekend on the lake. She knew she’d get there faster if she just walked the six blocks instead of trying to drive down Lake Tahoe Boulevard at this time of day. She’d dropped off the deposit without incident and was already on her way back when she realized she didn’t have her phone. With an eye roll, she tried to remember if she’d left it at the shop, and prayed she hadn’t dropped it during her walk.
When a truck pulled in front of her and stopped on the side of the road, she moved to walk around it but stopped suddenly when she realized who it was.
“Hey, Bailey.” Dex grinned at her from the driver’s seat. “Please tell me you didn’t walk to the bank again.”
She hesitantly walked over to his window. “Of course I did. It’d take me an hour to get up and down Lake Tahoe Boulevard in this traffic.” She glanced into the truck and said, “How are you?”
“I’m doing okay. Hop in.” He nodded toward the passenger seat. “I’ll take you back to the shop.”
“Oh.” She smiled. “You don’t have to.” She really didn’t want to talk to him, and she especially didn’t want to talk to him about her relationship with Ryan
He sighed and avoided looking at her for a moment, but then met her eyes. “I was actually planning on coming to El Lago tonight to talk to you. I feel like I owe you an apology.” He looked a little sheepish when he said it.
She tilted her head and said, “Wow, okay. Well…”
“Bailey, I’m not after anything. I just want to apologize and end on good terms. I don’t feel right about how we left things.”
She felt a little flutter in her stomach and realized the least she could do was hear him out. She nodded. “Okay, I guess.” She looked at the traffic. “I guess it won’t take too long. Things are clearing up a little.”
She walked around to get the passenger door, but, to her surprise, Dex got out of the truck. “Hold on, that door
’s been sticking again. I’ll help you get it open.”
Bailey turned to get out of his way, but a second later, stars exploded from the back of her head. She felt her knees smack the ground before everything went black.
* * *
Ryan circled back again to cruise down Lake Tahoe Boulevard. He stopped every hundred yards or so to look around and call out to Bailey. Wade and Lucas were doing the same thing, taking turns driving the side streets. Mae was meeting with the police. Agent Sharpe had waited a full hour for Bailey before giving up. He was planning to return tomorrow to talk to Bailey, but Ryan couldn’t think about that right now. He couldn’t think about the fact that the FBI had found a match on Bailey’s DNA. Sharpe was now in Sacramento meeting with the family member—Bailey’s family member. Ryan hadn’t gotten the full story, but he didn’t really care. All he cared about was finding her.
He was fighting to maintain what little control he had before worry consumed him. Mae was a wreck, as well. She felt guilty for letting Bailey walk to the bank with the deposit, but that didn’t matter anyway since the deposit had been made. Whatever happened to Bailey happened after she left the bank.
But fuck! What on earth could have happened to her? He glanced at his watch again. Seven hours and twenty-three minutes…and counting. She left for the bank over seven hours earlier. He was stumbling around in the dark, praying he’d find her or some sign of her.
He walked another thirty feet but stopped when Wade pulled up in front of him.
Wade got out and nodded. “Anything?”
“No, you?”
“Not a fucking thing.” He pursed his lips. “Several people saw her walking, but none of them saw anything out of the ordinary.”
Ryan leaned against Wade’s car with a heavy exhale. “I just don’t fucking get it.”
“I think it’s time we consider someone might’ve snatched her off the street.” Their eyes met, and Ryan clenched his teeth at the thought. “Ryan, I know that’s not what you want to hear, but the sooner we admit something is really wrong, the sooner we find her.”
Ryan dropped his eyes to Wade’s feet, nodding. “I know…but what? Seriously? What could’ve happened in broad daylight?” He waved a hand at the still busy highway. “On the highway with tons of fucking traffic?”
“Unfortunately, anything. Anything can happen in broad daylight.”
Wade’s words hit Ryan right where it hurt. He turned back toward his car with a prayer on his lips. God, please let her be okay…please keep her safe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The throbbing at the base of her skull, dull but penetrating, roused her. She was rising and falling, over and over…or ebbing and flowing, actually. She’d spent enough time on boats during her life to recognize the motion right away. She slowly opened her eyes but couldn’t see anything except the pattern of what seemed to be burlap covering her face, and a blue hue beyond that. It wasn’t sky blue, though, more like a blue tarp from the hardware store. She was sweating, and damn, her head hurt. She went to reach for the pain, but her hands were tied together. She tugged, her heart rate pumping higher as she struggled.
Grunting, she fought against the restraints on her hands, but when they wouldn’t loosen, she lifted both hands to pull the covering off her head. She could barely breathe, and she needed some air before she could figure out what to do next. She couldn’t get it completely off her head, so she lifted it enough to clear her mouth. After taking several deep breaths, she tucked it higher so she could see her hands. The rope was thick and scratchy on her skin, and when she struggled, it became tighter against her wrists.
The boat suddenly picked up speed and reared up from the acceleration. Her body rolled with the motion, and it took her a moment to steady herself. Once settled against the seats, she tugged at the knot with her teeth, hoping to get free. After several minutes of fighting the rope, her binds finally slackened. She twisted and pulled until it fell from her hands. Once free, she pulled what was a large burlap bag off her head. She was behind a row of vinyl bucket seats, and the boat was still going really fast.
She rubbed at the pain at the back of her head, and her hand came away sticky. She pulled her fingers around quickly to see blood. Jesus. How long had she been knocked out? She grimaced as she tried to look up, but then swayed back down against the floor of the boat. When the dizziness faded, she tried again, peeking around the seat to see hairy ankles above a pair of beat-up deck shoes. She twisted, fighting to lift up and get a look at the upper half of his body, but she couldn’t without sitting all the way up. Fortunately, the tarp was blowing from the wind of the boat speed, so she could move under it without being noticed.
She propped herself up on one elbow and pushed farther away from the driver’s seat. If she could get up without notice, she could look for a weapon to defend herself.
Her dress was tangled up around her hips, and that made it hard to move at all. When she’d scooted a foot or so, she lifted and sat up, leaning against the side of the boat behind the driver’s seat. She turned and caught a little bit of her abductor’s profile.
Oh, my God! Dex!
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest at the sight of him. She threw her hands over her face, fighting the urge to scream and cry. Oh, God, that’s right. The memory of meeting him on the street came into focus. How could he— How did this happen? She shook her head violently, instantly wishing she hadn’t. Oh, God. I have to… Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, hoping to find a fishing knife or anything.
Nothing. Damn it.
No. Can’t be. There must be something. She reached down and felt around the floor below the bench seat, and her hand instantly knocked against a plastic container. With a dip of her head, she found the gasoline can stuffed under the seat. She closed her eyes. Think, Bailey.
The can was plastic and would probably just bounce off his head, but if she could get the cap off and throw the gas in his face… The boat lurched to a stop, sending her to the floor in a heap.
Dex must have heard her hit the floor, and seconds later, the tarp was pulled off her. When Bailey realized she had only seconds to do something, she snatched the gas can out from under the seat and swung it out as he leaned over to grab her.
“Fuck you, Dex!” she huffed as she nailed him in the face with the gas can. She lost her grip on the handle, and it hit the floor with a thud, gas spilling out as it toppled upside-down in mid-air.
Dex grunted with the blow and grabbed his face, but Bailey knew there wasn’t enough force behind it to do any serious damage.
She moved to her feet as quickly as she could and shoved with both hands at Dex’s chest, hoping to throw him off balance and send him overboard. The boat wasn’t very big, so she didn’t have to move very hard or far to reach him. She shoved and pushed but lost her footing and landed sideways on the vinyl bench as Dex fell backward over the port side of the boat.
She moaned and grabbed for the pain in her head as she fought to get her footing and reach the driver’s seat before Dex could make it back on board.
She vaulted over the seat back into the driver’s seat and nearly went over the starboard side when she did it. Dex yelled threats at her, but she didn’t have time to spare him. She pushed hard on the throttle, and the boat lurched, almost sending her over the back of the seat, but within seconds, the boat’s engine stalled, sputtering from over-acceleration.
“You bitch. You fucking crazy bitch!” Dex screamed as he lifted himself, dripping wet, up the stern ladder.
Bailey looked around frantically, screaming for help, but there was nobody around. She saw boats in the distance, but they were too far to hear what was happening. She screamed again, but when Dex reached out for her, she jumped off the boat and into the water.
She was a great swimmer. She could get away from him. She had to. But it was no good. Dex dove in and had several inches on her dive. He was longer and stronger and also an excellent swimmer. She knew that well enough after spendi
ng several weekends with him on the lake over the last year.
He grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her back and against him faster than she expected. He held her to his chest, breathing heavily, then shifted so her head was stuck in a headlock underwater.
Oh, God! Oh, God! She couldn’t breathe. She wasn’t ready. She didn’t have air. She fought him, grabbing at his clothes and arms, pulling, scratching, and fighting. Then she tried stroking to break the surface of the water, but he was too strong. To her surprise, he brought her head up above the waterline. She inhaled too deeply and instantly sucked in lake water. She choked and sputtered, trying to get air.
Dex gripped her by the arms, shaking and shouting at her. She didn’t understand what he was saying. He was so angry. The palm of his hand came in contact with her cheek, and pain exploded through her face. Stars danced, and her head lolled back.
“You stupid bitch. Did you really think you could fight me?”
Bailey grimaced and tried to shake free of his grip while he towed her back to the boat. With his arm gripped around her midsection, he used the other hand to pull them both onto the stern ladder. Bailey kicked out, trying to get free, and eventually slipped from his arm, but that just pissed him off further.
He had her around the throat in a headlock within two strides, towing her back to the boat again. She fought to breathe against his hold, but Dex tightened his grip. When he grabbed for the ladder again, he adjusted and wrapped his beefy arm around her waist, then with two heaves up the ladder rungs, he pulled them both onto the boat’s small stern swimming deck.
Once he had his feet steady under him, he swung wide and smacked her across the face again. With the blow, she threw her hands up to cover her face. Oh, God, it hurt. Blood instantly dripped from her nose and down over her mouth. Everything hurt. She couldn’t think about anything but protecting her aching head.