“I would love to explore this with you. If that’s something you would want,” Beau said, sending me a hopeful look. I knewthe guys were right. If I said no, he would back off and pretend nothing had ever happened. My job would still be there, and I would still have someone to help if I asked.
Did I really want to miss out on seeing what could be? Would I regret not taking the risk? Before I could answer, Beau spoke again. “No need to make a decision now. I want you to think about it and decide if this is truly something you want. We can talk about it in a few days.”
I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. It was like a weight was lifted off me, knowing that I didn’t have to choose right now. Never being one for rash decisions, I was grateful that I’d have some time to weigh all the pros and cons.
My relief must have shown because Beau gave me a smile and squeezed my hand. Standing, he walked over to my collection and picked out a movie. He moved too fast for me to catch which one he selected.
He eased onto the couch, pulling me a little closer. Deciding to give in to the urge, I snuggled into his side as Beau picked up the remote and clicked play. I giggled when I realized that he had picked outMoana. I popped some popcorn into my mouth, turned my attention to the movie, and settled in.
CHAPTER 13
BEAU
The movie’scredits played on the TV as I sat with Rebekah curled up against my side. She didn’t last long before she fell asleep. Not that I minded. It wasn’t a hardship for me to sit here and watchMoanawith a sweet girl pressed against my side, snoring lightly.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I gently maneuvered to grab it out, making sure not to wake the sleeping Little girl beside me.
“This is Beau,” I spoke, making sure to keep my voice low.
“Beau, this is Jackson Scott.”
“Yes, Sir. What can I help you with?”
“I don’t mean to bother you so late at night, but this is an emergency. My niece Sierra was kidnapped from her front lawn yesterday, and we could use your help locating her. You come highly recommended.”
Aware that the first forty-eight hours of a kidnapping were the most crucial, I immediately began to run through the things I needed to do. “Have you contacted the local police?”
“We have, and they say they are working on finding her, but my family can’t just sit around and wait.”
I understood the urge to do something; that’s why SFT existed. For moments like this. When local police had other cases and tasks they needed to handle, my team’s only focus was the case at hand.
“Okay, in about ten minutes, my tech guy, Seth, is going to contact you. Is this a good number for him to reach you on?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Good. When he calls, answer all his questions to the best of your ability. My team will be there in a few hours. I’ll be in contact with you soon.”
I hung up the phone and immediately sent the information to Seth, knowing that the man was still up and would jump to get things moving. I pulled up the group text and sent a message.
Beau: Got a case. Meet in the armory to grab supplies.
Not bothering to check to see who had responded, I turned to the sleeping girl beside me. I hated to leave her, especially after the heavy conversation that we’d had tonight. Time was of the essence, though and a child’s life was on the line.
I slid my hands under her legs and arms, scooping her against my chest. Making my way down the hallway, I easily found her room and smiled. She had decorated it in soft purples and pinks. It was exactly what I had pictured she would have.
Being careful not to jostle her too much, I pulled back the covers and laid Rebekah against the pillows. Glancing around, I spotted a stuffed otter on the bedside table and slipped it into her arms. I stood there for far longer than necessary before pressing a quick kiss against her forehead. “Daddy will be back soon, Little one. Be good.”
On the way out, I flipped on the nightlight. I locked the front door before making my way to my truck. Time to put mypersonal thoughts away. We had a mission to complete and a child to save.
It didn’t take longfor me to make it to the office. I walked into the armory just as Seth began handing out the folders holding all the information we needed to complete our job.
“All right, men, let’s make this quick. It’s already been twenty-four hours. Tonight, I got a call from Jackson Scott. His niece was kidnapped from her front yard yesterday morning. Local police are aware, but they are slammed. He called us in to see what we could do.”
I gestured toward Seth, who picked up where I left off. “Our missing girl is six-year-old Sierra. Last seen wearing a pink dress with white sandals. She was taken from her front yard about twenty-four hours ago. Mom, Dad, and Uncle are all at the family’s residence and have been cooperating with local police.”
All the guys standing at the table nodded, following the timeline Seth had laid out for them. Once he was finished, we each turned and grabbed our weapons before making our way to the trucks.
Since this case was more than a few hours away, I directed the truck toward the local hangar where we kept a small private plane. Seth had already contacted the grounds staff, and the plane was ready for final checks and takeoff.
