Damn, his daughter was too perceptive.
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m going to make sure she is.”
Avery seemed to think about that for a moment before nodding. “Good. Bring her home, Daddy.”
One more kiss to his daughter’s head and he rose to his feet. He’d just put on his shoes and strapped on his holster when a knock came at the door.
Tilly gave him a small smile when he opened the door, while Kayden’s features remained unreadable.
“Thanks for coming.” Eastern tilted his head toward the living room. “She’s in there.”
Tilly nodded and headed inside.
Kayden remained where he was. “I’m going with you.”
Eastern shook his head. “This is official sheriff’s business.”
“No. This is you checking if your girlfriend is okay. I’m coming.”
He didn’t have time to argue with his brother. He cast one more look into the living room to see Tilly beside Avery, arm around her shoulders, before stepping outside. He sped the entire way to the bakery, making it there a hell of a lot faster than he should have.
The first thing he saw was her car. When he pulled up behind it, he noticed the door to Sugar and Spice was closed and the lights were off. Not only that, but the liquor store also had its closed sign on.
A mixture of fear and uncertainty stabbed at his chest, but he pushed it down and climbed out of the car. Kayden was silent behind him as they moved to the door of Sugar and Spice. Eastern tried the handle.
Locked.
Kayden tugged off his jacket. “Here.”
Eastern took it and wrapped it around his fist, then he punched through the glass. The sound of smashing glass barely registered as he reached inside and flipped the lock.
Again, there was no immediate sign of Sadie. No voices. No sound of movement. Nothing but eerie silence.
He ran into the kitchen. The back door was closed and locked and the room was dark.
“Eastern.”
He sprinted back into the shop to see Kayden holding Sadie’s phone.
“It was under a chair.”
Dread twisted his gut and he searched the floor. That’s when he saw tiny specks of red by the door. He lowered to his haunches.
Blood. It was definitely blood.
The ringing of his phone barely penetrated the haze of panic filling his lungs. It was only when Kayden pulled the cell from his pocket and handed it to him that he answered Paxley’s call.
“Paxley.”
Wind blew over the line. “It’s here, in his barn. Anderson has an entire distillery operation going on.”
“He took Sadie.” The words rushed from Eastern’s lips.
“What?”
“I don’t know the details. But someone took her, and my gut says it was him. I want an APB out on him and Jarrad.”
“Jarrad?”
