“A second ago, you saidJonahhad Polly.”
Jesus Christ. He was going to hit the guy. He was going to slam his fist into the asshole’s face so fucking hard?—
Zac stepped between them. “Ward, come on. If it’s not your deputy, then there’s no harm in tracking his vehicle. If it is, you’re the town hero who’s helped solve a series of murders.”
Ward was silent for a moment, his gaze flicking between Joel and Zac. Then he cursed and lifted his radio. “Deputy Cox, if you’re hearing this, I need you to talk to me.”
More silence.
Ward’s jaw clicked before he pulled out his phone. “Dispatch, this is Sheriff Ward. I need a location for Unit Two.”
There was a small pause before Ward nodded. “Thanks.” He hung up and looked at them. “They’re sending his coordinates.His unit’s been stationary for about twenty minutes on the outskirts of town.”
Dread knotted Joel’s gut.
The second they received the coordinates, Joel was running. Racing back to his truck and pulling onto the road. He was halfway there when he received a call from Connor.
He hit the Bluetooth on his phone. “It’s Deputy Cox. He’s the killer.”
“That makes sense.”
Joel swung right, a frown between his brows. “What do you mean?”
“Raven Price called. She saw Polly.”
His heart stopped. “Where? Was she okay?”
“Polly was strung over a deputy’s shoulder, semi-conscious. I’m sending her location now. But Joel…they’re headed toward the river.”
It was like ice water over Joel’s head. “Send me the location and alert the team.”
He hit his foot to the floor, pushing his truck to the limit.
Semi-conscious.
Strung over Cox’s shoulder.
The words felt like kicks to his ribs, hard and painful.
It took far too long, but finally he saw it—the patrol car. The vehicle sat crashed on the side of the road.
The sight made bile fill his gut. Polly had been in there. Was that why she wasn’t fully conscious? Had she been hurt?
He forced the panic down. He pushed every dark emotion inside him away like he’d been trained to do, and focused on one thing—the job at hand. On finding her. On getting her the hell out of this forest. Alive.
29
The trees swirled around Polly, the hard shoulder in her belly making her stomach roll.
She was going to be sick. Either that or pass out. She wasn’t sure which would be worse.
“I know you don’t understand why I’m doing this,” Cox said, his words competing with the buzzing in her ears. “But you not understanding is exactly why it needs to happen.”
“You’re making a mistake,” she gasped, words so quiet she wasn’t even sure they reached him.
“No. I’m not. This is what God needs from me. It’s my purpose.”
She scoffed, trying to push up from his body, but her elbows gave out and she fell back down. “This isn’t your purpose. It isn’t faith or anything else you’re lying to yourself about.”
