“Told me what? What’s this about Jenna?” he asked urgently, his heart pounding.
“We think she’s been attacked.”
His heart missed a beat.
***
Curt drummed his fingers against his thigh as he sat in the passenger side of Gray’s car. He’d wanted to drive, but Gray had refused to let him. Hunter was following behind in his truck, Josh and Tiny riding with him. They’d both pulled up at his place while Gray was explaining everything. About an hour ago Melody had alerted Jake that Jenna was in trouble, after hearing a fight over the phone. Jake had placed a call to Travis who’d then contacted Gray.
“Why didn’t Jake call me?”
“Said he didn’t have your number and thought it would be quicker to talk to Travis than find it,” Gray told him tensely. Gray’s phone rang through the Bluetooth speaker.
“Hey, Connor, what do you have?” Gray asked.
“It’s got to be Bethlehem,” Connor replied. “It’s the only town on the way to Haven with a biblical name. There are four hotels and three motels. I’m sending you the address for each. I’ve got the girls ringing each of them to see if Jenna checked in to one . . . wait a second . . . what’s that?”
Someone spoke quietly in the background.
“Okay, we’ve got it. Jenna checked into the Silent Night Motel. Got the address and I’m sending it to all your phones. Cady’s calling Haven’s sheriff to let him know.”
“Tell Lacey to call Travis as well,” Gray said. “Good work.”
“Travis?” he asked when Gray ended the call.
“He wants to be kept informed on what’s going on. He’s taken a liking to Jenna.”
Curt couldn’t blame him. She was damn near perfect. He just prayed like hell she was all right.
I’m coming for you, baby. Just stay safe.
***
Jenna was freezing. If she hadn’t had Daisy to cuddle with to keep warm the cold might have sent her out of hiding and into her attackers’ arms. Not that she’d seen or heard from either man again.
That didn’t mean she was going to risk moving. She’d just wait until morning. Or until Curt came. Whichever came first.
I’ll always come for you, Jenna.
He was coming. She knew he was. She just had to hold on. She snuggled in against Daisy, trying to ignore her shivering and the fact she really, really had to pee. Her stomach grumbled, and she swore under her breath. That’s all she needed. For her hiding place to be discovered because her damn stomach wouldn’t be quiet.
Was that a siren?
Should she get out and look? But what if it was going somewhere else? Nope. She wasn’t moving until Curt got here. She didn’t trust anyone else. Well, maybe a few other people. Please let Melody have heard me. If she had and called Jake maybe they could figure out where she was. Maybe one of them would call Curt, and he’d come looking for her.
She’d hidden herself and Daisy in the back of an old car. It smelt terrible, the upholstery had seen better days, and there was a spring pressing into her hip. But she’d put up with worse. She’d been chained to the ground inside a dark hut for eight days. Compared to that this was a damn holiday.
Why do these things keep happening to me?
At least she had Daisy now. If it weren’t for Daisy, she knew those guys would have taken her. God knew where she’d be by now. She had no idea who their boss was but she definitely knew she didn’t want to chat with him.
***
When they pulled into the parking lot of the Silent Night Motel it was the middle of the night. Curt was prepared to wake the whole damn town if that’s what it took to find Jenna. Instead, the reception area was fully lit. They walked in to find a potbellied, older man taking a swig of whiskey from a bottle.
“We’re closed,” he snarled.
“We’re looking for Jenna Jasons,” Curt said. “What room is she in?”
The man seemed to pale. Then he stood and moved hastily backward. “Now, I don’t want any more trouble.”
“What do you mean any more trouble?” Curt stepped forward. “What trouble?”
The guy held up his hands. “Don’t shoot me. I don’t know nothin’.”
“What the fuck?” Hunter asked.
“Curt. You got here quickly.”
Curt turned to see Jake step through the door. He was in uniform and he looked tired. “Two guys turned up here a few hours ago and tried to kidnap Jenna. Apparently, she and Daisy fought them off. One of them took potshots at her.”
“What? Is she all right?” His heart hammered hard. Please don’t say she’s dead. Please let her be okay.
“Don’t know, no one can find her. I’ve been talking to the Sheriff of Bethlehem, he’s got these guys locked up. One of them has a broken nose and swollen balls, the other had a few bites. Thought I’d go have a chat with them.”
“We’ve got to find Jenna,” Curt said urgently.
“She’s probably somewhere close by,” Gray suggested.
Curt nodded. She’d find a place to hide and wait for him to get to her. “We need to spread out and search for her.”
“I’ve brought a few people with me,” Jake told them. “Touch base with them and keep in contact.”
When Curt walked outside, he saw Jake’s idea of a few greatly differed from his.
“Damn, is there anyone left in that town?” Hunter asked, staring around as people handed out reflective vests, radios, and flashlights.
“Just the young and old, I’d say,” Curt said.
“All right, everyone, listen up.”
Curt looked over and saw Max Ferguson step forward. “We go in pairs. Each woman must be paired with a man, no complaints.”
Curt spotted Melody, and she rushed over to him as Max gave a few more instructions about keeping safe and checking in with the coordinators who’d remain in the motel parking lot. No doubt they’d wake up the whole neighborhood, but he didn’t care.
Melody threw herself at him. He took a step back, unprepared for the assault but as he felt her tremble he pulled her close. “I heard her on the phone, she said she had to go because Daisy was barking, but neither of us hung up. I heard her ask someone who they were then I heard her cry out. Oh, God.”
He patted her back awkwardly. God, I hope she doesn’t start crying.
“You did good, Melody. Really good. It’s because of you we figured out she’s missing. This is all thanks to you.”
She pulled back to look up at him. “She was going back, Curt. She was going back to tell you she was sorry, that she should have talked to you. She loves you.”
Something inside him nearly broke to hear that. She’d been coming back.
“It’s all right, Melody,” he told her, seeing she was waiting for an answer. “I’m not mad at her. We both need to work on our communication skills.” He looked around him at everyone who’d come to help Jenna. “I can’t believe all of these people came to help find her.”
“Because she’s one of us,” Melody replied. “We take care of our own.”
“Yeah. I can see that. So, is there room for one more idiot male in your town?”
Melody’s eyes widened and then she grinned. “Hey, what’s one more?”
***
“Jenna! Jenna!”
She mumbled under her breath. She’d been dozing, dreaming about Curt and she wasn’t ready to wake up. In her dream, he’d wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
Daisy whined, and she tensed, coming fully awake, her heart racing. There was something she needed to be wary of, some reason she had to stay quiet. Her attackers.
That’s right. She’d been shot at. She was hiding. Shoot, she had to stop waking up in strange places. It was really messing with her head.
“Jenna! Jenna!”
Daisy whined, her tail wagging. That voice! It sounds like Curt.
“Is that Curt, girl?”
Daisy licked her face and whined. For once she didn’t even care about
doggy breath.
“Jenna!”
“Curt!” she called back in a hoarse voice. She cleared her throat. That was pathetic. But then she didn’t have to worry about how loud she was because Daisy started barking. Suddenly a flashlight beam landed on her. Then he was there, pulling open the door of the old car, which fell off its hinges as he yanked at it.
Daisy jumped out, climbing over him. “Easy, girl, let me get to Jenna.”
He reached in and pulled her out. “Shit. You’re freezing. Someone get me some blankets. She’s freezing.”
And then people surrounded her. Blankets were piled around her, and so many flashlights were aimed her way it was nearly blinding. Amazement filled her as she spotted many of her friends from Haven, as well as Curt’s colleagues and friends. Everyone wanted to talk to her, check up on her, but not once did he let her go. Colin and Trace Richards took care of Daisy, and knowing her dog was in good hands, she leaned her head against Curt. She was so tired.
“Just hang on, baby,” Curt murmured. “We’re going to get you to the hospital soon.”
“I don’t need the hospital. Just a bed and you.”
“I want you to get checked out, you’re freezing cold.”
She’d started to shiver, which she knew was a good sign. “Curt, the men who attacked me—”
“They’re locked up. Jake is talking to them now.”
“It’s weird. They said their boss wanted to talk to me. I have no idea who their boss is.”
She felt him climb into a car, where he sat with her on his lap. Warm air blasted her, and she sighed in contentment. She looked over as Gray slipped into the driver’s seat.
“Hey, Gray.”
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“Are you taking us home?”
Gray looked over at Curt.
“We can go home soon, baby,” Curt told her.
“I’m so sorry I left, Curt. I was an idiot. I should have talked to you.”
“Yeah, you should have. But don’t worry about that now. Just relax and lean against me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Curt looked up from where he sat by Jenna’s bed as the door to her room opened. She wasn’t pleased when she realized he and Gray were taking her to the hospital, but she’d been too exhausted to put up much of a fight. They’d admitted her as a precaution, but other than being a bit run down and cold, she was all right.
Gray stepped in. “She okay?”
He nodded.
“Come out for a minute. I think you might want to hear this.”
Curt stood and kissed the top of Jenna’s head before he walked into the corridor. “What is it?” He didn’t want to move far from her side.
“Jake got one of them to talk,” Gray said, not bothering to explain who he was talking about.
“And? Did he say who hired him?”
“Didn’t see the guy, just talked to him on the phone. Said he had a British accent.”
“Jesus.” Curt stilled. Could it be him?
“Said that they were hired to watch Jenna, and, if they saw an opportunity to grab her, they were to do it and then call him. He’d tell them where to bring her.”
Could they use these guys to lead them to The Brit? But that would mean leaving Jenna.
“In return for a lighter sentence, this guy has agreed to place the call and say that he’s got Jenna. This guy should give him an address, and then we can make a move on him.”
“You called Travis?”
“Yep, he should be here in a couple of hours.”
“I can’t come. I can’t leave Jenna.”
Gray nodded and smiled. “I’d feel the same if it were Lacey lying in that bed.”
“Just get him for me, all right? Did this guy say why he wanted Jenna?”
“Nope, but he seemed to be under the impression David Jasons was talking to the feds.”
“Why the fuck would he think that?”
Gray looked grim. “My guess is someone might have set her up as bait.”
“Hendricks? That bastard.” It would be something that slime ball would do. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t try to stick his nose into this.”
***
Travis slammed Hendricks into the wall of the small room. “You bastard!”
“Get your hands off me! This is assault!” Hendricks looked over at Hunter, Gray, Jake, and then his partner, Marshall. “You’re all my witnesses.”
“Didn’t see a thing,” Gray said.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jake added.
Hunter just grinned. It wasn’t a pleasant smile.
Even Hendricks’s partner looked away. “Marshall!”
His partner raised his head and stared from Travis to Hendricks nervously. “You set her up, Paul. She could have been killed.”
“You’re just lucky it’s me here and not Curt, because then you’d be a dead man. In fact, I suggest you run and find a place to hide. I’m willing to bet that once he can pull himself away from Jenna’s bedside he’s going to come searching for you. You put her out there as bait, without her permission, and then you left her.”
“Nothing was happening,” Hendricks sniveled. “We couldn’t watch her twenty-four seven.”
“And you nearly got her killed.” Travis shook him then pushed him away. “Get out of here. Quickly, little man. I don’t have time to teach you a lesson.”
“This is an FBI matter, you have no rights here—”
Travis turned and growled at him, getting a great deal of satisfaction from the way the man cowered back. “Go.”
“Just go, Hendricks,” Marshall said. “You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do at headquarters. I’ll handle things here.”
Hendricks backed out after glaring at them all. Travis turned to Marshall. “I’ll be running this show.”
The younger man looked at him steadily. “This man is on the FBI’s most wanted list.”
“And if the FBI comes in guns blazing, it could scare him off,” Gray pointed out calmly. “Why don’t you let us do this? We know how to get in quietly and get out. After we have what we need, you can claim victory over capturing The Brit. If you think about it, there’s no risk. It’s all reward for you. If we fail, you can claim Hendricks fucked up by not having surveillance on Jenna.”
Marshall thought that over. “All right. But I’m still coming with you.”
“Fine.” Travis glared at him. “But just know he’s mine first.”
He was going to make sure that bastard didn’t spend another day breathing the same air as him.
***
Jenna watched Curt as he slept. This was a new experience. Being able to watch him while he was so unguarded. God, she loved him so much.
Her stomach rumbled, and he opened his eyes, staring at her.
“How do you do that?” she asked.
“Do what?” He sat up and tugged at her blankets, covering her. She knew she’d worried him. She could see it in the way he fussed over her.
“Go from asleep to wide awake. It always takes me a while to get my bearings.”
“I know, baby. It’s kind of cute the way you wake up all disorientated. You’re so helpless in those few seconds. Gives me a chance to take care of you.”
“You always take care of me,” she countered. “You came for me. I knew you would. That’s why I found a safe place to hide after Daisy and I escaped. I waited for you. Where is Daisy?”
“Colin took her home with him. He’ll take care of her until we come for her.”
“She was amazing. If I hadn’t had her I don’t know what I would’ve done. I couldn’t have fought off both of them. She leaped for one, and I kneed the other one in the balls, then we took off. They shot at us. I could have died.” With him thinking she didn’t want him. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Curt.”
“Sh.” He put his finger over her lips. “I know. Melody told me you were coming back. I know I do
n’t make it easy for you to talk to me, but if you’d told me you needed to go back to Haven, I’d have done what I could to make it happen. I know I have a tendency to make assumptions or decisions for the both of us without talking to you.”
“You mean everything to me. I don’t want to lose you.”
He leaned forward, his gaze fierce. “What makes you think you ever would?”
“Curt, I can’t have children.”
He stilled, closing up. Then he ran his hand over his face. “Fuck.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I always thought you knew. I thought Amelia would have told you.”
“Amelia? What?”
“I was in a car accident when I was ten. I damaged my uterus. Curt, I’m so sorry. I can’t give you children.”
He grabbed hold of her hands, looking fierce. “Baby, I am so sorry that happened to you. That you can’t have children. But if you think that means anything will change between us then you have another think coming.”
“You want children. Four.” Tears ran down her face.
He brushed them away with his cheeks. “I’m an asshole.”
“What? No, you’re not.”
“I am. I never even asked you about children, I just assumed you wanted kids.”
“I do. I mean, if I could have them.”
His thumbs stilled. “You still want them?”
“Yes. Of course, I love kids.”
“Baby.” He gave a low laugh. “Just because you can’t give birth to my child, doesn’t mean we can’t have kids. If you want them, then we’ll look at other ways.”
“Really?”
“Really. I love you. I want you. Kids are just a bonus. No matter what way they come to us. I’m here to stay. Whether we can have babies or not. I’m here forever, Jenna. And that’s the way it’s gonna be, got it?”
She smiled at him. “Got it.”
He groaned. “Did it again, didn’t I?”
“Yes. But you wouldn’t be Curt if you weren’t a bit dictatorial. Sometimes I even like when you order me around.”
“Only sometimes, huh?” He leaned in and kissed her.
“When can I get out of here?” she asked as he pulled back. “I want to go home.”
He took hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back. “It’s going to take me a while to sort things out in Dallas before I can move to Haven with you.”
To Save Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 7) Page 23