Lord, I know that's not who You want me to be. But I couldn't watch him die.
The prayer felt inadequate. Justification wrapped in desperation.
And it didn’t matter now. Only Gabe’s brother mattered.
She needed to call Tom. Get everyone to the bakery. They'd need the whole team for whatever came next.
Cara pulled out her phone and dialed one-handed, eyes on the dark highway.
Tom answered on the second ring. "Cara? Everything okay?"
"We're heading back. Can you get everyone to the bakery? Reagan, Piper, everyone."
"What happened?" His voice sharpened with concern.
"We found David." She paused, throat tight. "But it's bad, Tom. Really bad."
"How bad?"
"He's alive. But he's been kidnapped. They gave Gabe twenty-four hours to leave town or they kill him."
Silence on the line. Then: "I'll make the calls. We'll be there in twenty minutes."
The call ended.
Cara focused on the dark highway, fog creeping in from the ocean.
Her hands trembled on the wheel. She forced herself to breathe—in for four counts, hold for four, out for four. The combat breathing technique her father had taught her when panic threatened to overwhelm.
David was captive somewhere, bruised and exhausted, with less than a day left to live if they didn't find him.
And the kidnappers had threatened to make Gabe watch her die first.
The realization made her stomach drop. They'd use her as a weapon against him. Would torture Gabe by hurting her before they killed David. The cruelty of it was terrifyingly calculated.
Lord, protect David. And don't let me be the reason Gabe loses his brother.
No answer came except the sound of tires on asphalt and the distant crash of waves.
Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the church parking lot and maneuvered the van back into its spot between the other two. Perfect placement, like it had never left, except for the wires dangling below the ignition…and the beer smell.
Sorry, Pastor Ben. Emergency situation. I'll explain later. Maybe.
Gabe swung his SUV to a stop in front of her. They made it back to the bakery in record time.
The windows glowed warm with light. Through the glass, she could see everyone already there. Tom at his laptop. Piper pacing. Reagan organizing something on the counter. Wade's truck parked out back.
They'd come. All of them. In the middle of the night.
Because this was what family did.
Cara's throat tightened. Six months of keeping everyone at arm's length. Maintaining careful distance. Protecting herself by staying isolated. Believing that caring about people would only lead to loss and pain.
These people had shown up anyway.
She pushed through the door.
The bakery fell quiet.
