“That may be so, but considering there was no sign of a forced entry nor a struggle, this early in the game, they have no choice but to treat this as just another missing person case.”
“No choice? Or is it just more convenient for them to look the other way?”
Chief Moseley gives me a tight smile that lets me know he understands my frustration, but the words leaving his mouth next suggest his compassion won’t stop him from giving it to me straight.
“You and I both know how these things work, son. These bigger departments are understaffed, their officers overworked, and they have bigger fish to fry than an adult female going AWOL for a couple of hours. For all they know, Charlotte decided to treat herself to a weekend at the spa.”
A bitter sound falls from my lips. “After she went through the trouble of cooking a homemade meal, leaving her front door unlocked, her pet and guests unattended, and her vehicle behind? Unlikely. This is bullshit,” I explode, pointing a finger at the older man. “Charlie suspected the club’s been greasing the palms of the local police for decades, which is why they’ve gotten away with a lot more than they should’ve, considering the extensive rap sheets some of these guys racked up over the years. I don’t know about you, Chief, but I don’t like the smell of corruption. I have a feeling we won’t get a lot of support from that direction, even after whoever’s in charge decides enough time has passed to take this seriously. So, fuck them. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”
The older man doesn’t blink while we continue to stare each other down. He’s the first to break eye contact, however, as he blows out a long breath before saying, “I like you, son. Been impressed with you ever since you handled that rodent-looking son of a bitch at Henry’s like it was the easiest thing you ever did. I’ve been in this line of work for a very long time, and I’ve gotten quite good at reading people. You don’t strike me as someone who panics easily. I know the type of training and level of skill it takes to become a special agent, and from the sounds of it, you’re a damn good one. I’ve done my research on you, you know? Forpurely selfish reasons,” he adds with a sheepish expression when I frown his way. “I saw the way you looked at Charlie. The way you protected her. The fury in your eyes when that lowlife laid a hand on her. Had a feeling then that you might be sticking around a while, and I wanted to get a feel for the type of man you are. Let’s just say that after I did my homework, I was no less impressed. If your gut tells you that lovely young lady is in danger, then I’m inclined to believe you.” My sigh of relief is audible. “Lucky for you, my officers aren’t overworked,” he goes on. “If anything, they’re bored out of their goddamn minds and itching for a chance to do something meaningful. So, if you’re asking me what I’m going to do about this? I’ll give you every single man, woman, and resource available, and I’ll willingly hand over the reins for a chance to see you in action. You see,” he continues with a determined glint in his eye. “My gut has rarely steered me wrong, and I wasn’t kidding when I said there’s a job waiting for you, should you decide your woman is worth staying for when this is all said and done.”
I swallow the emotion his words incite and give the older man a grateful nod. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, sir, but there’s no point contemplating potential career moves if the person I’d consider uprooting my life for is not here to share it with. Let’s just focus on locating the asshole responsible for her disappearance and find out what your officers are made of, shall we?”
Chief Moseley rises from the chair he was sitting in and strides over to me. Laying a weathered hand on my shoulder, he waits for me to meet his hard eyes.
“We’ll find her, son. And when we do, and you decide to make this uneventful, yet charming town your home, you remember who’s helped you make the future you deserve possible and put me out of my misery, yeah? I’ve been wanting to retire for three years now, but I refuse to leave this place in the hands of someone who’s not ready for the responsibility. This department is young, with the exception of my ancient ass,” he tells me with a self-deprecating chuckle. “None of these rookies are ready to take over. I need someone I can trust to keep these greenhorns safe and this place running smoothly.”
“One problem at a time, Chief. Let’s get Charlie back. Then we can worry about you riding off into the sunset.”
The older man laughs and slaps me on the back with more force than I thought him capable of.
“Let’s get to it then. I’m not getting any younger.”
thirty-one
Cole
Three days. Three motherfucking days and we’ve made zero progress. It’s like she simply vanished into thin air, and, at this point, I’d scorch the whole damn planet to the ground if it meant getting her back. I’d give anything to have her stand before me again. To get lost in the moss green pools of her eyes. To once again see that sweet smile that never fails to brighten my day. Hear the sound of that sultry voice, even if it’s used to chew me out.
God, I can’t lose her. I won’t survive it. I haven’t slept more than a couple of hours since she was taken. Partly because I can’t shut my mind off long enough to rest, but mainly because Scooby has taken to sleeping on her side of the bed, whining all damn night, and I can’t even muster up the energy to be mad. Hell, Ifeel like crying myself. Every second she’s with Jason is another opportunity for him to hurt her. Images of all the different ways he might be tormenting her at this very moment make me want to lose the precarious hold I still have on my sanity.
The fact that my nightmares are back with a vengeance also doesn’t help. But I don’t dream of Elena and Emily. Instead, I’m being haunted by a set of pleading emerald eyes. I dream of a hand in the dark reaching out for me, but no matter how hard I try, I barely manage to graze the tips of her fingers. I hear her calling my name, begging for my help, but I just can’t get to her. The vivid images of her battered body and hopeless expression stay with me long after I jerk awake, drenched in sweat and feeling sick to my stomach. So, I get up, and I sit in her living room, poring over lists and files into the early hours.
I’m in constant contact with the Houston PD, where his chapter is located, asking for updates and feeding them new information as I receive hourly reports from my new PI, who’s keeping tabs on the clubhouse. I’ve called in every favor I can think of, digging into each MC member as well as Charlie’s background. I must’ve contacted every old friend, associate, and distant cousin to gather intel on her relationship with Jason, but no one can give me a clue as to where he might be hiding her.
They began interviewing members of the club a couple of days ago in an effort to locate their president, but these guys are as tight-lipped as a nun’s cunt. I have a feeling we won’t get any useful information there, at least not by the book, and short of driving to Texas to interrogate these assholes myself—which would be a lot more effective and infinitely more satisfying than sitting in her apartment with my thumb up my ass—there’s little I can do to speed up the process.
My gut tells me he hasn’t taken her out of state, which is the only reason I’ve stayed put. The question is, where the hell would he go? We’ve combed the area around the main house inch by painstaking inch, but found nothing. And for the first time in my career, I’m at a loss. The feeling is foreign and more than a little unsettling. I hate that I don’t have my usual team and resources at my disposal. Like a fish out of water, I find myself at the mercy of law enforcement agencies that don’t owe me shit, making it painfully clear that I have very few connections, power, or pull here. Beyond frustrated and feeling utterly helpless, I’m exiting my cabin, about to take another useless look around the surrounding area, when Dave waves me over, holding out a beer in invitation.
“No offense, man, but the last thing I should be doing right now is getting tanked in the middle of the afternoon. I need to have my wits about me. You know, just in case.”
“Got water in here as well,” he shoots back, already fishing a bottle out. “Come sit, hydrate, relax for a minute. You look like hell, and you won’t be any good to Charlie if you keel over from exhaustion.”
I scrub a hard hand down the length of my face and decide to take him up on his offer. If only because I can’t remember the last time I had anything to drink, let alone a decent meal. Now that there’s a steady stream of guests walking the premises, Dave has taken to wearing clothes, so at least I don’t have to stare at his junk while I take a few minutes to look after myself. I drop heavily into the vacant chair beside him and accept the ice-cold beverage with a grateful nod.
“Any news?” the big guy asks with genuine concern.
“Not a goddamn thing. I’ve been in this business for a very long time, and I have no idea what the next step is. I feel fucking helpless, and my inability to do my damn job could very well be costing Charlie her life.”
“You can’t let yourself think like that. You gotta have faith. No one is going to stop looking for her until she’s found and home safe. It’s just a matter of time. He can’t hide her forever.”
No, he can’t, which is precisely what I’m afraid of. By now, Jason’s most likely well aware of my profession. That I’ve used my position and connections to ensure the authorities are taking thesearch for him seriously, and if he decides keeping Charlie alive puts too much heat on him, there’s no telling what he might do. I’m guzzling water in a feeble attempt to wash down the bile rising in my throat when I spot an unfamiliar man heading down the main trail toward us.
“You guys know where I can find the owner of this place?” he shouts from a distance as he approaches. “I tried the front office, but no one was manning the desk.”
“What do you want with her?” I demand to know, squinting to make out the letters adorning the front of his polo shirt.
Johnson Lumber.
