And Lauren would have every right to hate him for it.
* * *
Lauren had kickedoff her ridiculous heels to follow Grady down the stairs. Yet it wasn’t easy to maneuver with the long dress she wore. Reaching the ground level, she pushed outside. Then stopped abruptly, covering her mouth in horror when she saw the waiter lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
She rushed forward, the cold ground freezing the bottoms of her feet, to kneel beside the fallen man. She put a hand to his neck to feel for a pulse.
There wasn’t one. His skin was pale and already feeling cool to the touch.
Staring at the dead kidnapper’s face, she tried to understand why he’d looked so familiar. Had she seen him before? Maybe in passing? There was something about his eyes, but she still couldn’t place him. Pushing herself upright, she glanced down the alley, searching for Grady and Lucy.
Her heart sank to the soles of her frozen feet when she saw Grady limping toward her. His expression was a mask of anger and frustration. She searched his gaze. “What happened? Where’s Lucy?”
“I called the police and reported the license plate number to the black Honda SUV.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I tried to keep up with the car, but some guy ran into me. The black SUV merged into the center lane to escape.”
Escape? The kidnapper had Lucy? Tears filled her eyes.No, please Lord Jesus. No!This couldn’t be happening.
But it was. Lauren wanted to scream and cry out in rage, but that wouldn’t help find her daughter. She whirled away, turning her back on Grady to call Agent Braun, who thankfully answered on the first ring. “The kidnappers have Lucy.”
“Where are you?” To his credit, Agent Braun sounded concerned.
“Outside the Chicago Cultural Center.” She swiped at her eyes. Two police cars with their red and blue lights flashing were heading toward them, moving slowly as they wedged through traffic. “Grady shot one of the kidnappers, but he’s dead.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible.” The line went dead, and she turned when Grady came up to stand beside her.
She pushed the words through her tight throat. “Agent Braun is on his way.”
Grady nodded grimly. “I’ve called Rex too. He’s sending another guardian to take over.”
She frowned. “What do you mean? I don’t want anyone else. I need you to help us find Lucy!”
He jutted his chin toward the cops who’d pulled up in front of the alley, blocking it off. She belatedly realized the alley was a crime scene. “I shot and killed a man. I’m going to be tied up for a while.”
“No.” She reached out to grasp his arm. “You shot that man because he was kidnapping Lucy. I need you. We must find the driver of that car.”
Confusion flickered in his gaze. “It’s my fault she’s gone.”
Fresh tears filled her eyes. “No, it’s my fault. I’m the one who insisted on attending this ball. I thought...” She couldn’t finish. She’d believed Agent Braun had the kidnapper in custody.
And now her daughter would pay the price of her gross error in judgment.
“I failed to keep Lucy safe,” Grady insisted. “I carry the blame here, not you.”
She shook her head and swiped at her eyes. It was nice of him to take the heat, but she knew she should have stayed home with Lucy and Grady.
She shivered and belatedly realized she couldn’t feel her feet. Grady noticed and shrugged out of his tux jacket, draping it around her shoulders. She needed to go inside to find her shoes, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Her discomfort was nothing compared to what Lucy was going through.
A nightmare Lauren knew all too well.
“What happened?” The police officer who approached rested his hand on his weapon.
Grady stepped forward. He offered his weapon to the cop butt first. “Ms. Lauren Chandler’s daughter was kidnapped. I shot that man as he shoved Lucy into the car. The driver of the car took off with Lucy inside. I ran after it, keeping pace until I was struck by another car. The driver of the black SUV managed to get into the left lane, making it impossible for me to continue running alongside without getting crushed in traffic.”
The officer’s eyes widened in shock, telling Lauren he must have recognized her name. It was one of the rare times it was beneficial to be wealthy. He took the weapon Grady offered, and it was all she could do not to cry out in protest. She needed Grady to be armed for whatever they faced when it came to getting Lucy back. Then the cop turned to her. “Do you recognize the man who took your daughter?”
“No, but there is something familiar about his eyes.” She knew that sounded crazy. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Let’s see if he has an ID on him.” The officer turned to cross over to the body. A second officer was kneeling beside the fallen man already, doing as she had, making sure he was dead. Wearing gloves, the officer near the body patted the dead man’s pockets, then removed a wallet and opened it.
