A waitress brought out cake and coffee for the man, and he pointed at the paperwork. Brandon read, every now and then asking a question.
The man appeared unperturbed. What if Stonefish had people watching? What if Brandon was in danger sitting there out in the open?
Breathe.
The stress was making him paranoid.
He inhaled and exhaled, then flinched when his phone rang. Dot swore as he answered Faith’s call. “Faith, everything OK?”
Across at the café, Brandon’s gaze darted across to him. Had they heard his phone?
Her sharp intake of breath had every muscle in his body jumping to attention. “No, Darcy. Lara’s been kidnapped.”
He froze. “What?”
“She went riding with Jay this morning and Jay just arrived back saying a four-wheel drive stopped them and threw her into the car.”
His brain short-circuited as he tried to process the news. Sofia wasn’t still in town. She couldn’t have taken Lara. “Dot, they’ve kidnapped Lara.”
Dot whirled around. “Put it on speaker.”
He did. “Tell me everything.”
“Matt’s driven Jay to where she was taken. He hopes he’ll find tracks before the rain settles in. Amy’s searching for where the four-wheel drive might have exited the Ridge. Jay said they were heading south.”
Dot frowned. “Why would they continue further into the property rather than head for the nearest bitumen road?”
“I don’t know,” Faith said.
It didn’t matter. One person could tell him where Lara was, and he sat across the courtyard at the café. Darcy charged out of the office, his gaze narrowed on the asshole in the black suit who was protected from the rain by a large umbrella. “Where is she?” Darcy demanded.
Both Brandon and the man glanced up at him in surprise. “Darcy, what are you doing here?”
He ignored his brother’s question, focusing on the polished, smug bastard in front of him. “Where is my daughter?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Rage overtook Darcy. He grabbed the man by his shirt front and hauled him to his feet. The man barely flinched. “One of your scumbag associates has kidnapped my daughter and I want her backnow.”
“If your brother signs the contract in front of him, she’ll be home within the hour.”
Darcy pulled back his fist to punch him and someone stopped him.
“Darcy don’t.” Dot turned to the suited man, pulling out hand cuffs. “You’re under arrest for attempted blackmail and kidnapping.”
The man’s mouth dropped open. “Where did you come from?”
“I suggest you tell me exactly where the young girl is right now.” Dot pulled the man’s arms behind his back and handcuffed him.
“I don’t know.”
Darcy growled. “Tell me.”
The bluster left the man. “Honestly! I don’t know. I got a message to say she’d been taken.”
“Who took her?”
The man shook his head. “I can’t say.”
