“You need to take this call.” She hands me her phone, clasping her hands nervously in front of her. She looks away, trying to hide the pools of tears in her eyes, but it’s too late. I’ve already seen them.
I put the phone to my ear and swallow hard before greeting the person on the other side, “This is King.”
“Cole, it’s Kurt Martinson,” the man Anna has been speaking to says, and I picture the blond officer and his cocky grin. Only the sound of his voice tells me there is no grin involved. Something is wrong.
“Kurt, why does my assistant look like you’ve shattered her entire world?”
“We found Missy’s car.” Four words, and the world around me suddenly explodes. My heart stops in my chest, but Kurt is still talking. I hold my breath, trying not to react until I have all the information he’s giving me. “And a pile of clothing we think belongs to her.”
“Where?” I immediately turn, looking for Hudson. He stands from his spot next to Alice, his face blank and pale. I can see the raging emotions behind his eyes; they match my own.
“At the abandoned warehouse out on the outer highway. Her purse, phone, and keys were left inside the car. We’re still here, trying to process the scene, but I heard Anna’s call come in and knew to call you. Is her brother in town?”
“He’s here with me,” I answer, trying to wrap my head around what he’s telling me. Missy’s car, abandoned with everything in it. “What do you mean, you found a pile of clothes?”
“I’m sure they’re hers. We found them next to another set of footprints and tire marks. We think whatever happened was planned.” The air deflates from my lungs and I hear him take a deep breath. “There’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“We found a note in her car. Are your children missing?”
“Son of a bitch,” I groan. My ass suddenly meets my chair. I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.
“Your kids are missing? Why the fuck haven’t you called that in yet?”
“Only been a couple of hours. Wanted to cover my bases before involving the locals.”
“I think it’s safe to say whatever is going on, someone has taken Missy and they took your kids to get to you.”
“I don’t understand. She didn’t call.”
“I’ll let you see the note when you get here, but it sounds like she was following instructions.”
“When it comes to my kids, she’ll lay down her life for them.” My stomach sinks as the words leave my mouth. She’s going to sacrifice herself to make sure they come home safe.
“We’re sending units over to her house and to you.” I barely hear the words coming over the line, because all I can think about is getting to her before it’s too late. “We’re going to find them, Kingston.”
“Don’t come here. They disappeared from school. I’ve got a man there now, but Hudson and I will meet you at Missy’s place. And bring the note.” I say before disconnecting the call and handing the phone back to Annabelle. Ignoring the questioning eyes around me, I walk out of the room. I hear Hudson’s footsteps behind me.
“King, what do you want us to do?” someone asks before I reach the front door, but I don’t answer. Mostly because I don’t know what to do, but also because my brain can’t concentrate on anything but finding Missy and my kids.
“Keep calling. Find me a lead. Before it’s too late.”
*****
“When was the last time you spoke with her?” Kurt asks, standing in the middle of Missy’s kitchen.
Hudson and I made it to her house before the police. The note sits on her counter, protected in plastic for any evidence it might have. Right away, we learned two things. First, my kids weren’t taken as some revenge plot to get back at me or their mother. My contact regarding Marco was right. Whoever took my kids did it to get to Missy. The second thing we learned is, whoever did this has been one step ahead of us the entire time.
Hudson tore through her house and found dozens of hidden cameras and bugs. They appeared to be there for quite some time, too. How we missed them when we set up her new security system is beyond me. I’m livid with my guys. Their lack of thoroughness cannot be overlooked, and it concerns me. If they aren’t being thorough with one of our own, how can I trust they are with a client?
One thing is clear with this discovery: Missy was being stalked.
“She was on her way to my house, but she never showed.” I hang my head, feeling overwhelmed and underprepared.
“What did your conversation consist of?”
“She went to pick up Layla and Oliver after school got out, but they never came out. Their teachers said they left the classroom with their classmates. Missy called me, worried something had happened to them. I thought maybe their mother went against court orders and took them, but she didn’t. Missy agreed to meet me back at my house, but I guess she came here instead.”
“Where is your ex-wife? And are you sure she isn’t behind all of this?” As easy as it would be to point the finger at Tatum and all her fuck-upped-ness, it has nothing to do with her.
“I called the facility I helped check her into last week. She’s there. There’s no way she did this. She had some shit happen in Portland. She rolled her dealer. He’s locked up with enough charges; they didn’t need to reveal it was Tatum who gave the police what they needed to take him down.”
“Anyone else you can think of who might want to hurt Missy for any reason? Did she have any enemies? Disgruntled co-workers?” I make a mental list of people in Missy’s life, but no one stands out.
“No one I can think of.”
Hudson shifts on his feet next me, and for a moment, I forgot he is here with me. I can’t imagine what’s going through his head right now.
“You got anything to add, Hudson?” Kurt turns toward him, and I see him shake his head in response. “What about the kids? Anyone looking to hurt them?”
“We’ve chased those leads already,” I explain, knowing Kurt won’t press any further. He knows what we do at Cole Securities and how thorough I am.
“Look, I know you’re the best chance they have, but I want you to know the APD is here. Both you and Missy mean a lot to this community, and we will do whatever we can to help bring them home.” His eyes meet mine and I see the sincerity in his. He isn’t saying it because he has a crush on Missy either.
“Thank you, Kurt, but like you, we’ve got nothing to go on. Unless Sneak’s able to trace an IP address the cameras and bugs were transmitted to, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack,” I explain, exhaustion filling my body.
“She’s resilient,” Hudson speaks. Kurt and I both turn toward him. “I know my sister. She has a plan. We just need to be patient.”
I can only hope he’s right. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to any of them.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Who is Jerry?
Nolan
I pull up to the rundown shack hidden well within the forest of Oregon with a smile on my face. I watch from the corner of my eye as she takes in the sight before her. There isn’t much to look at, but I have plans to change all of that. Getting her here is the first step.
“Welcome home, Angel,” I murmur, reaching out to run a finger down the length of her bare arm. I changed her into the clothing I’d given her after knocking her out. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to caress her silky skin with my hands and feel the weight of her body in my arms. I didn’t do anything unbecoming, as badly as I wanted to. No, I want her to enjoy the moment we finally come together as one as much as I will. She shivers against my touch and it thrills me.
I look down at the coarse pieces of rope tying her wrists together, and a wave of pleasure shoots through me. Another precaution I had to take; since she slept most of the way here, I didn’t have to lock her in the trunk of the car like I originally planned.
“Is this where you live?” my angel asks, looking out the window. Her eyes dart from on
e place to another, no doubt trying to find a way to escape, but little does she know I’ve already planned ahead for her reluctance. I knew she wouldn’t take to the idea of us being together immediately, but now that we are here, away from the rest of the world, I have every intention of wooing her into accepting our new arrangement.
“Yes. This is where you live now, too. Do you like it?”
“I already have a home,” she carefully answers, keeping her eyes on the cabin. I shift toward her and take her hand, trying to remain in a calm state. I knew she wouldn’t easily accept this, even prepared for her to fight against it, but I didn’t expect to feel a spark of anger inside myself the moment she said the words.
“This is your home now,” I inform her, running a finger over her bare skin, brushing the rough ropes binding her wrists together.
She turns her head; her gaze meets my own. “No, this isn’t.”
Ignoring her outburst, I look past her to study the cabin. The logs are in fairly decent shape, but they are in desperate need of new chinking for better insulation. The porch needs some tender, loving care and a fresh coat of paint. Most of the work that needs to be done is cosmetic, but she doesn’t know that. She doesn’t know how thorough I was when picking out our home. I had the cabin checked out by two professionals before purchasing it.
“Most everything is a cosmetic fix, I assure you—”
“Why did you bring me here?” she tries to interrupt, but I keep talking, ignoring yet another outburst.
“The bones of our home are good, and I think the work we invest into it will not only be a great bonding experience for us, it will help the transition to your new life. With me. Picture us working together to make it our perfect little home, Angel.” She looks at me, careful to hide her deepest thoughts from me.
“This will never—” Before I can hold back, I reach out and slap her hard across the face. She gasps and brings her hand to her face. I watch as her eyes focus on me, her distrust replaced with something along the lines of fear.
“This is your home now, Angel. I understand this might be a hard change for you to accept, but you will learn to. I don’t like hurting you, so please don’t make me do it again. Now, let’s go inside, and I will show you around.” I open the car door and climb out, jogging around to the passenger side to open the door for her. She leans forward, bracing herself on the dash to shift her legs out. I reach for her wrists, helping her out of the car. I contemplate releasing her from the ties but choose not to. I like seeing her bound.
She looks up at me and takes a step forward. I notice the bright-red hand mark across her left cheek, and I shiver with excitement. The idea of my mark on her skin intoxicates me. I take a step back, because the urge to match the mark with one across her right cheek is almost too strong to fight.
Her hands fall to the short skirt I replaced her skinny jeans with and try to pull it down. I sense the garment might be too immodest for her, but I don’t care. My angel has a great set of legs and I’ve always hated when she covers them up. I’ve wanted to see her in a skirt for a long time and dream about her wrapping her long legs around me tightly. Seeking a release only I can give her.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like the clothes I picked out of you?”
She glances down at the barely-there halter top and mini skirt before answering. “I liked what I was wearing before.”
“You have a great body.” I place a hand on her bare midriff and pull her against me, careful to press my hard cock against her, showing her how much I like what she is wearing. “I want to see it. This is how you will dress for me, Missy. Don’t worry, it’s just another thing you will eventually get used to.”
“Nolan—”
“Jerry.”
“What?”
“Jerry. You will call me Jerry from now on.”
“I…don’t understand.” Her eyes flare as she waits for me to explain further, but I don’t. There’s no reason to. She’ll understand everything soon.
Nolan is gone.
I turn, grasping her hand in my own as we make our way up the front porch steps and into the cabin.
Missy
My wrists burn from the rough ropes he used to bind them, and my cheek feels like it’s on fire. I can see the pleasure he gets from seeing me bound, but it’s the glazed look in his eyes when he caught sight of my face that has me afraid. He enjoys putting his mark on me.
I’m purposely pushing his buttons, and now I know how much he will take from me before lashing out. He didn’t take much. The patience I’ve always known him to have has disappeared.
Everything about him is different. He even looks different; although still handsome, there is a new darkness about him, and it frightens me. Warning bells sound off in my head and throughout my body. The Nolan I know is gone. He’s been replaced with Jerry, and my instincts tell me Jerry won’t be the only change I see in this man.
I follow Jerry obediently into the cabin, resisting the urge to run into the dense woods around us. I don’t think I’d make it very far anyways, and because I don’t know exactly where I am, I would be lost out there for days if I happened to escape him. Escape is not an option right now. I need to bide my time with him and figure out a way to get the upper hand without being too obvious about it. Jerry wants me, and he’s planned this moment very carefully, even if he claims it was rushed. He’s gone to great lengths to obtain the object of his desires. Me.
It’s what could happen next that has me acting with more caution.
We step into a dark, dusty, sparsely furnished room of the small cabin. I take a breath, choking on the dust covering every surface.
“I know it’s a mess, but I didn’t have much time to prepare for your arrival. We’ll get started cleaning this place up tomorrow; meanwhile, why don’t you take a rest, and I will bring everything in for the night.”
“Nolan—”
“Jerry,” he says huskily before turning to face me. His already dark eyes grow a little darker. “Don’t make me tell you again, Angel. Now, be a good girl and sit down.”
I do as I’m told, watching the darkness form in his eyes. The reality of the moment hits me like a ton of bricks. He wants me to disobey him. He wants me to push him some more. He wants to unleash the monster he’s been careful to hide from me.
I don’t hear him exit the cabin, but I as I look around, studying my surroundings, I can’t help the welling of tears. I send a silent prayer up to the sky, needing the strength to survive this man and the darkness swirling around us.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Desperate Leads
Kingston
It feels like the day in the desert all over again.
The pain, the panic, and the fear are so strong they’re choking me.
Rightfully so, too.
This is my fault. Three people I love and care for more than anything in this world are gone, missing, and I pray like hell they aren’t dead.
The whispering thought crosses my mind and my gut clenches. I push the thought as far away as I can.
Fuck, why didn’t I listen?
They’ve been gone a few hours, but I’ve spent the last two hours scouring every case we’ve worked, searching for some clue or memory as to who might have them. They were taken by the same person, and I’m pretty sure I’m their target. Why would someone take the three people I love most in the world if I wasn’t?
I haven’t found anything. Max hasn’t found anything. Even Bear’s contacts are coming up empty. I’ve called in just about every favor I have with nothing to show for it. How can that be?
I feel like we’re running out of time.
I lift my eyes from the last file and rest them on the photo I took a few days ago. Our faces cheese at the camera. I don’t remember a moment in my time with Missy when I didn’t smile. She always manages to make me smile, no matter what kind of mood I’m in. She has that kind of effect on me. The same with my kids. Layla and Oliver suffered too much at the hands of their own
mother, but it was Missy who’s managed to get them past most of it. Her ability to love and care for them astounds me. It’s like she was created just for us.
I reach for the photo and remove it from the fancy frame she purchased for me. I press the photo to my chest and release a ragged breath. There is nothing I can do without something to go on. I feel helpless, and it doesn’t sit well with me at all.
Think, Kingston. Who would want to take Missy and the kids? Who would want to hurt you this way?
A brisk knock on my door pulls me to the present, and before I can call out to whomever it is, the door is open and Annabelle is standing in front of me. Her face is blotchy and puffy, like she’s spent the last few hours crying.
Her mouth moves and I know she’s talking to me, but all I hear is silence. Her words never land on my ears. I watch her frown and her mouth move again. I hear no sound. I look down at the photo in my hand; their faces stare back at me.
I’m missing something. What is it?
A loud crash jerks me from my thoughts, and I look up again. I blink once, twice, and take in the state of the room around me. File folders are thrown everywhere, drifting to the ground like a flurry of large snowflakes. Annabelle is staring wildly at me in the middle of it all. Her big, brown eyes are even wider on me and her chest puffs rapidly.
“What happened?” I ask. My voice sounds distant even to my ears.
“Are you okay?” she asks back, carefully stepping around the papers on the floor.
“Yeah,” I answer and frown. “Did you do this?”
“No, the fucking paper fairy did it.” She snorts, stopping in front of my desk. “What is going on with you? I stood here screaming at the tops of my lungs, and you didn’t even react.”
“I didn’t hear you.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible. I was screaming.”
“I heard you knock, but after that…” I swallow hard, trying to remember what exactly happened. It’s all blank. “I don’t know, everything went quiet. What’s going on?”
Lost Without You (The Lost Series Book 2) Page 20