This was the Jon she knew least of all.
“What was that?” he asked.
Jenna swallowed hard. “I sent out a group text this morning,” she said. “Early, because I was in denial about the bakery, so I’d gotten up like usual. Steph wasn’t scheduled for today, but she helps take care of her uncle—she’s Mr. Carlisle’s niece, and he’s really bad these days—so she doesn’t get to sleep in much regardless of her work schedule. But I just thought … she was busy. Distracted. Like girls her age can be.” Except that was only half true. Shehadbeen worried.
And it’d been hours since then.
Jon pressed her into his shoulder and she thought she felt him turn his head, maybe kiss her temple. She didn’t have the strength to think about that. “Whatever’s happened, Jen, it’s not your fault. Why don’t we head over to Mr. Carlisle’s, I’m guessing that’s where she and Martha live? This kind of shit is better handled in person than over hackable, droppable phone lines.”
Jenna started to nod, her lungs filling with the matured scent of him, when his actual words sank in and she blurted, “Hackable?” She knew what it meant, but he couldn’t seriously think that was a concern?
He eased his grip, letting her slide down to the flats of her feet as his hands dragged around to her hips without ever separatingfrom her—which she refused to think about—and met her gaze. “I’ve been in the area twenty-four hours and I’ve heard multiple news reports about the spike in missing females lately. All between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five. If I dig, I suspect I’ll find more connections than those. And if that’s already crossed my mind, I’m betting it’s crossed yours.”
Jenna shook her head, not wanting to hear his words. “None of that’s come out here,” she said, as if Misty Glades were somehow protected. “Steph is—”
“Nineteen,” Jon reminded her. “From a rural community most of the damn state hasn’t even heard of, not overly active online, and from the sounds of it socially isolated. Statistically, that makes her vulnerable. To the kinds of bastards who prey on young women? That makes her an optimal target.”
Her stomach rolled, threatening to return her once-delicious lunch. “No…”
Jon gave her hips a squeeze. “We don’t know yet. But it would be smart to start bracing.” He released her hips and cupped her face in his palms, keeping her head tilted up to his as if he could sense how badly she wanted to pull away from the entire conversation. “There is a silver lining.”
She tried for an incredulous look, but it didn’t feel like her face cooperated. “What? You get a decent reason to keep dodging that letter?”
He huffed. “Well, damn. There’re two.” His lips twitched for a single second. “If she was taken, whoever’s responsible is expecting to dodge the local law. Not a Force Recon-trained Marine.”
Confusion helped to dull the edge of her panicking emotions and Jenna managed a pout. “I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but doesn’t ‘recon’ mean ‘reconnaissance’? As in ‘observation’? How does a skill in watchfulness help here? And even if it did,you’re one man, Jon. One man who does not have an army behind him, I hate to point out.”
Jon seemed to think her words were funny, judging by the crinkling of his eyes. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m not active duty anymore. I don’t have a platoon watching my six or a battalion snapping-to under my command. What Idohave is the freedom to move like a civilian, with all the tracking, observational, and combat skills of a man who worked his way up to a damn respectable position in the armed forces. And maybe I’m lacking some of the toys I used to have access to, but I’ve got plenty of ammunition. Especially on the tail end of spring, in a coastal state.”
Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. If he weren’t still quite literally holding her stare, she would have slumped forward. “I just don’t see how that does any good if we don’tknowanything…” Although she did understand his last point. But it was hard to picture his power being overly useful in the current situation, at least the way he’d used it before.
Jon arched a brow at her and extended one thumb before a stray tear rolled from her eye, catching it just below her lid. “Don’t we?” He let the words hang for a moment, then took a step back, snatched up her milkshake, and pushed it into her hands. “Odds are she disappeared overnight, with an outside chance of early this morning. Talking with Martha might narrow that window. Regardless, we also already have suspects.”
Jenna found herself trailing behind him down her own hallway as her mind played catch-up. “We do?” She still wasn’t ready to assume Steph had been kidnapped at all. It felt like such a dramatic leap.But…The alternative looked like Steph had willfully run away, and that was perhaps harder to swallow.
“Two,” Jon said as he swept her purse from the hook in the entry and passed it to her. “As well as a vehicle. Though it’s important to consider that vehicle may not normally beassociated with them, or they may have ditched it after shooting up a pair of deputies.”
Her eyes blew wide. “Crap. You think—but why would those guys—”
“There’s a lot we still don’t know. But that kind of coincidence doesn’t happen, Jen.” He switched off her interior light and pulled open the door. “So, we go talk to the family first. Tighten the timeline as best we can. I need a clear picture. You’ll establish a line of communication. We’ll go from there.”
Chapter seven
About-face
Met Sheriff Parker.
Jon scowled at thetext after he cut the engine. He’d thought just to check it, make sure Lance wasn’t sending out some bizarre distress signal, but the message hehadsent seemed almost as bad.
Sheriff?
Lance responded immediately, probably waiting with the phone in his hand.
Yup.
That whole apple-tree analogy is on-point. I’d lay my retirement the entire department’s fucked.
Jon grunted and tucked his phone away without replying.
