“I didn’t get good glimpses of their faces,” I say. “It was dark and cold and I was scared. But the floor…” I tug at the memory. “There was a logo on the floor.” Yellow peeling paint, the black outlines of letters forming?—
“It was a French name. Jardeaux? Jarnac? Jar?—”
“—din?” I hear Thorn ask.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Jardin Logistics,” Thorn says. “They do international fulfillment for my company.”
Quiet falls.
“We need to move on this quickly,” Brooks says, and though I have the feeling he’s not talking to me, I tell them, “Go. I’ll text if I think of anything else that might be helpful.”
“Thanks, Raindrop,” Brooks murmurs.
“Just find her.”
“We will,” he promises.
I hang up, know they’re going to do their best to keep that promise.
But as the hours pass and no word comes, the knot in my stomach grows.
Because I know exactly how dangerous these people can be.
My phone ringsand I jerk, dislodging Tulip and Buttercup.
Normally, their meows of protests would be adorable, making me smile as I cuddled them close again.
But I’m too focused on muting the movie I’m not watching and answering the call.
“Brooks?”
“We found her,” he says. “She’s okay and Pascal’s team detained the men who were holding her.”
Relief has me melting back into the couch cushions. “Thank God. Is she okay?”
“A little banged up, but otherwise she’s all right. I’m still at the office since Pascal had to pull guys from here and the apartment to join in on the operation, but he’s going to swing by and pick me up once they’re close. The rest of the team is heading directly back to you with River. They should be there in a little under an hour.”
“What does she need?”
“I’m not entirely sure, Raindrop,” he murmurs. “But I suspect a safe space to land and time to heal.”
“We can give her that.”
“Yes, we can.”
There are voices in the background. “I need to go, baby. I’ll be there soon and we’ll figure everything out.”
We exchange “I love you”s and goodbyes and hang up.
I sit in my relief for a second before nervous energy ripples through me and I jump to my feet. I’ll make her something.
Cookies or banana bread or?—
No, just bread.
River’s sourdough starter is in the fridge.
