by Rita Herron
Brayden turned to face her. “Mila, I have to ask you something else.”
She tensed at the grave sound of his voice.
“It’s personal, but the reason I’m asking is that it might have some bearing on finding your daughter.”
She inhaled a deep breath. “All right.”
His blue eyes softened. “Is Izzy’s father in her life?”
Oh God... She forced herself to remain calm. “Why do you want to know about him?”
He shrugged. “We know DiSanti orchestrated this situation, but should we contact Izzy’s father?”
“He’s not in her life and never has been.” At least that was true.
Another pause. “Is it possible then that he might have taken a payoff to help DiSanti get to you?”
Mila understood his question now. Oftentimes in kidnappings, a parent was involved.
That was certainly true in her case. But not for the reasons that Brayden thought.
She faced him with an earnest expression, hoping to end this line of questioning once and for all.
“That’s not possible. Izzy’s father is dead,” Mila said.
Chapter Ten
Mila was so antsy she thought she would come out of her skin as she waited on the crime scene team to finish with her house.
All she could think about was where they’d taken Izzy. What was happening to her? Was she hurt?
Izzy didn’t like scary movies or TV shows. Izzy insisted Mila and Roberta check the closets and under the beds for monsters at bedtime. She slept with a night-light on and had never had a sleepover away from home.
She had to be terrified out of her mind.
“We’ll find her,” Brayden said softly.
She wanted to believe him. She had to.
Needing a distraction, she asked Brayden about his family. “How many brothers do you have?”
“There’s four of us,” Brayden said. “Harrison is the oldest and sheriff of Tumbleweed. Lucas is second in line. Then Dex, then me.” He hesitated, his eyes darkening. “We had a little sister named Chrissy, but lost her when she was ten.”
Mila frowned. “What happened? Or do you not want to talk about it?”
He shrugged, but averted his gaze and looked out the window. A fall breeze stirred the trees, sending an array of colorful leaves to the ground. Yet dark clouds hovered, adding a dismal gray cast to the sky.
“I’m surprised you didn’t see the news story about it. She disappeared one night when our parents were gone. For years, we had no idea what had happened. But a few months ago, we discovered the truth.” He paused. “Unfortunately, she was dead and had been since the day she’d gone missing.”
“I’m so sorry,” Mila said. “That must have been difficult on you and your family.”
“It was,” Brayden admitted in a low voice. “My brothers and I all blamed ourselves because we were supposed to watch Chrissy that night. My mother went into a depression after she disappeared, but never gave up hope that we’d find her.” His voice cracked. “Then my father just up and left.”
“He abandoned your family?” Mila asked.
Brayden nodded. “We haven’t heard from him in years.”
How could a man desert his sons and wife, especially when they needed him?
“What about your family?” Brayden asked. “Any siblings?”
Mila’s stomach twisted as she saw the ME and a crime worker carry Roberta out on a stretcher. Because Roberta was enclosed in a body bag, Mila couldn’t see the physical damage done to her friend, but her experience filled in the blanks.
Thankfully, no neighbors were home to see what was going on, and the media hadn’t shown up.
“Mila?”
She dragged her gaze from the van as the ME closed the back door.
“No. I was adopted but lost both of my adopted parents a while back.”
“Charlotte mentioned a little about your past. I’m sorry about your birth mother,” Brayden said.
She shook off his concern. “I was lucky to have the two parents I had. My mother traveled to foreign countries to help children in need. I wanted to follow in her footsteps, and I did.” Another reason she’d had to take Izzy from Carina—she wanted to give Izzy the same chance that her adopted parents had given her.
Lucas appeared outside her house, then drove back to them.
She tensed as he got out and approached them. Brayden opened the door and stepped out. Mila wanted to know what was going on, so she joined them.
“Are you ready to talk to that sketch artist?” Lucas asked.
Mila’s stomach knotted. She still didn’t trust anyone. “I was thinking that perhaps I could work with Charlotte, that way we don’t have to involve anyone else.”
A muscle ticked in Lucas’s jaw. “I suppose we could do that.”
“About my clothes?” Mila asked.
“Tell me what you’ll want and I’ll go in,” Brayden offered.
Mila squared her shoulders. “I’ll get them. I’m a doctor, I’ve seen blood before.”
“This is different,” Lucas said.
“I’ll be fine,” Mila said sharply. “It won’t take long.”
“I’ll go with her,” Brayden said.
Lucas nodded. “I’ll stand guard outside the house.”
* * *
BRAYDEN ESCORTED MILA INSIDE. “There’s probably fingerprint dust all over everything. Just ignore it, and we’ll have a cleanup crew in here ASAP.”
Mila gripped her hands together. “She was in the kitchen?”
Brayden nodded. “Your room and Izzy’s are blood free.”
Unease flittered through Mila’s eyes. No matter what he’d said, she probably felt responsible for the nanny’s death and would carry guilt with her for a long time.
He understood that himself. Even after they’d found Chrissy’s body a few months ago, he couldn’t shake the fact that if he hadn’t encouraged her to sneak out with him and go to that swimming hole where Lucas and the other teens were celebrating the end of the school year, she’d still be alive.
He was eleven at the time and wanted to explore the caves at the edge of the mountain. He fell and hurt his ankle, and lost sight of Chrissy. Later he rode his bike home thinking she’d be there, but she hadn’t shown up.
Instead...
He couldn’t go back to the past.
Mila needed him to focus now. He hadn’t been able to save his little sister. He had to save Mila’s daughter.
He opened the door for her, and they walked inside. The scent of blood and death filled the air. He’d seen crime scenes before, but this one felt more personal because he knew a child had been kidnapped in the process.
Mila might be accustomed to blood and gore in the hospital and operating room, but a crime scene was different—violence at its worst. And this one involved her little girl.
She exhaled and walked quickly past the kitchen, then hurried to her bedroom. He followed but remained at the door to keep watch, offering her privacy to absorb the shock and gather her thoughts.
Her experience in crisis situations was evident as she lifted her chin and went straight to work. She pulled an overnight bag from the closet and threw in a couple of pairs of jeans, shirts and a sweater. She opened her dresser drawer, and he noticed pajamas and underwear, so he turned to face the wall.
He didn’t need to see or even think about what kind of underwear the pretty doctor wore. But his imagination took him there anyway, and he pictured her curves encased in thin black lace.
His body hardened at the image in his mind. Dammit, he could not fantasize about her. Not when finding her child took priority.
He scrubbed his hand over his eyes to clear his mind. Footsteps sounded behind him, then her voice.
“I’m ready.”
He turned toward her and took the overnight bag from her. “I need my phone.”
“Your phone is still being held in evidence, but we’ll get you another one and set it up with the same number.”
She glanced inside Izzy’s room. Her composure slipped slightly at the disarray.
“She always sleeps with her stuffed monkey. She named him Brownie,” Mila said. “She cries without him.”
His chest clenched. “I know this is difficult,” Brayden said. “But you have to stay strong, Mila. She’ll need you when we bring her home.”
* * *
MILA DUCKED INSIDE Izzy’s room to retrieve the monkey, but she couldn’t find it. Maybe she had it with her. At least the stuffed animal would give her comfort.
The sight of her daughter’s empty, unmade bed tore her heart in two. Thoughts of what DiSanti did to young girls threatened, but she staunchly pushed them away. Izzy was only three. He wouldn’t touch her that way.
At least not now. When she was a teenager though...
No, they’d get Izzy back.
She hung on to that thought, grabbed the pink blanket Izzy slept with, then some extra clothes and one of her dolls and stuffed them in the overnight bag.
She crossed back to the door where Brayden was waiting. They walked through the house in silence and met Lucas at the door.
“Do you want me to follow you to the ranch?” Lucas asked.
Brayden shook his head. “I’ll take her from here. Just get her a phone in case DiSanti’s men try to reach her.”
Mila hesitated. In spite of the fact that Lucas had arrested her, the Hawk family seemed caring and determined to do the right thing. Even Lucas wasn’t bad—he’d saved those teenagers and married Charlotte. He’d even arrested her to stop DiSanti once and for all. How could she fault him for that?
“Get me the phone, then take me to a hotel, Brayden,” Mila said. “I don’t want to put your family in danger.”
The Hawk men exchanged a look, then Lucas spoke. “Let us worry about the family,” Lucas said. “Harrison can arrange extra protection for the ranch.”
“But what if DiSanti discovers I’m there?” Mila asked.
Brayden took her arm. “Trust me, no one will know.”
There was that word again. Trust.
She climbed into Brayden’s SUV and looked out the window as he drove. Once they left the outskirts of Austin, the city gave way to beautiful countryside. Farms and ranches and wide-open spaces.
All places Izzy would love.
Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away and grappled for courage.
Once Izzy was safe, she’d see that DiSanti paid.
Exhaustion and stress wore her down, and she closed her eyes. The next time she opened them, Brayden was crossing under a sign for Hawk’s Landing.
She blinked in awe at the acres and acres of beautiful land. Barns and stables dotted the hills, and horses galloped across open pastures. In the distance, she spotted a big rambling farmhouse with a huge wraparound porch, then a couple of rustic cabins nearby.
“This is where you grew up?” she asked.
Brayden smiled. “Yeah, except for losing my sister, it was pretty great.”
She imagined it was. “Do you and your brothers all ride and work the ranch?”
“We all ride. As teenagers, my brothers and I worked the ranch. Dexter has a place in Austin for his PI business, but he also handles the equine operation and has added horses this last year since Charlotte’s students came to live with my mom.” He gestured toward a dirt road that led to acreage lush with more pastures. “My brother Harrison and his wife live up there.” He pointed the opposite direction toward more land that stretched far and wide. “Lucas and Charlotte live over there. Harrison’s wife, Honey, owns a renovation business. She remodeled the cabin they moved into as well as the one Lucas and Charlotte chose.”
“And yours?”
He shrugged. “Maybe someday. For now, it’s just me, so no need for fuss.”
“The ranch is amazing,” Mila said, and meant it.
The smile that lit Brayden’s eyes was so sincere that it warmed her inside.
“Like Dex, I have a place in the city, too. But I keep a cabin on the ranch for when I’m home.” He slowed as they neared the turnoff for the main farmhouse. “Do you want to meet my mother and the girls?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to involve them in any of this. I’d never forgive myself if one of them were hurt because of me.”
“Mila,” Brayden said in a husky voice. “My mother is housing four girls who were kidnapped by DiSanti. My family is as invested in seeing DiSanti brought down as anyone.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” Mila said. “But I spent the night in a jail cell last night. I need to clean up.”
“Of course. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to pressure you.” He veered down another dirt road, the SUV bouncing over ruts as he passed a pond and headed up a hill. To the right, she spotted a cowboy riding across the pasture, corralling some horses toward the barn. Instantly her nerves went on edge.
“Who is that?”
Brayden laid his hand over hers. “Relax, Mila. That’s our foreman. He’s the reason I went into law.”
Mila narrowed her eyes. “What happened?”
“He was framed,” Brayden said. “I was a cop at the time and realized the injustice, so I decided to study law to help him. I did, and now he works here.”
Mila licked her suddenly dry lips. Brayden was definitely one of the good guys. A rancher at heart, a lawyer who represented the underdog.
She’d accept his help, then she’d get out of his life so she wouldn’t cause him or his family any more trouble than she already had.
Then and only then would her secret about Izzy be safe.
* * *
JADE KRAMER WRAPPED the little girl Izzy in a soft blanket, then cradled her close and rocked her to sleep.
The poor little angel had cried so much her eyelids were swollen and red and she’d finally exhausted herself into sleep.
She wanted her mommy. Who could blame her?
She’d wanted her own mother when DiSanti had first brought her here, and she’d been fourteen years old.
That was over a year ago, and she still missed her family. She couldn’t make herself believe that her father had sold her to DiSanti as he said.
Sure, she’d believed him at first.
But living on his compound and being bartered like cattle had taught her a lot.
DiSanti was a liar and a bastard, and he didn’t care who he hurt as long as he made money.
The little girl stirred again, her tiny body trembling as she fought in her sleep.
She rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair away from her forehead, then kissed her cheek and began to sing her a lullaby. It was one her mama used to sing to help her fall asleep at night.
God, she missed her mama. Wished she could go back to being an innocent kid again. But those days were long gone.
Izzy whimpered and clawed at her arm, but Jade held her close and whispered sweet nothings in the child’s ear.
She had to keep her quiet. DiSanti didn’t like anyone to mess up his plans. She’d seen what he could do when he was angry.
It wouldn’t matter that Izzy was just a tiny, innocent baby.
He’d give orders to get rid of her without blinking an eye.
Hot tears burned Jade’s eyes. She’d long ago stopped crying for herself and for what the men had done to her. Her life no longer mattered.
But this little girl’s did.
She’d do anything to keep her alive.
Chapter Eleven
Brayden considered putting Mila in one of the guest cabins, but he didn’t want to leave her alone, so he took her to his place. She was so in
dependent and frightened for her daughter that if she heard from DiSanti, she might attempt to face him by herself.
And that would be dangerous for her and Izzy. DiSanti was going to kill both of them anyway.
Unless they stopped him.
“This is nice,” she said as he showed her through the kitchen/living room/dining area, then to the guest bedroom and bath. “Take your time. I’ll run up to the house and see if Mother made dinner and grab us a plate.”
She rolled her shoulders, obviously exhausted and worried. He waited until she ducked into the bathroom, then he locked up and drove to the farmhouse.
He spotted the teens outside with the foreman brushing down the horses, then found his mother cleaning up in the kitchen. The scent of homemade soup and corn bread lingered.
“Lucas called and explained that you have a guest.” His mother’s concerned gaze penetrated his. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Brayden offered his mother a smile.
“If you have leftovers, we could use some. We haven’t eaten all day.”
A smile brightened his mother’s face. They could always count on Ava Hawk for a good meal. “I’ll pack up some soup and corn bread. And I have a fresh pumpkin pie.”
His stomach growled. “Sounds wonderful.”
She bustled around scooping soup into a container, then wrapped up two big chunks of corn bread, covered half a pie with foil and placed everything in an insulated bag for him to carry home.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
She hugged him tight. “Take care and be safe, son. And save that doctor’s little girl.”
“We’re going to,” he said, praying he didn’t let Mila down.
His phone was buzzing with a text as he got back in his SUV. Lucas.
Charlotte and I are on our way. Bringing a phone for Mila.
He texted okay, then sped back toward his place. Hopefully, Mila’s description of DiSanti’s new face would enable them to track down the bastard and put him away.
* * *
MILA SHOWERED QUICKLY, grateful to finally clean the stench of DiSanti’s blood from her skin. But she couldn’t wash away the vile odor of what he was.