We danced through two more songs, Sean and Chelsea joining us on the floor along with half the office. Someone told a joke that had Paige laughing so hard she had to lean against me for support. The senior partner’s wife complimented Paige’s dress. Everything was warm and perfect.
My phone rang.
Dad’s name flashed across the screen, and my stomach dropped. It was barely past nine. He shouldn’t be calling unless?—
“Hello?”
“Derek…” he started, his voice gasping. “Oh God, Derek?—”
My blood went cold. Paige’s eyes found mine, concern flooding her face.
“Dad, calm down and tell me what happened.”
“He took her, son.” My father’s voice broke. “I-I’m so sorry, I couldn’t?—”
“Who took who? Dad, what are you?—”
“Lily,” he said, his voice frantic. “Jack was here. He had a gun. H-he took Lily. He kidnapped her.”
39
OUR DAUGHTER
PAIGE
“Drink some water.”
Derek’s voice cut through my panic. His suit jacket was draped over my shoulders and it felt warm with his scent. But I didn’t deserve it when my daughter was out there somewhere, scared and alone.
I took the water bottle from him with trembling hands. My eyes were swollen from crying and every blink hurt, every breath hurt.
Everything hurt.
It had been an hour since Jack had broken into our penthouse, fought Sarah and Richard and taken my baby girl with a gun.
Sarah had a scratch across her cheek where Jack had shoved her aside. Richard had fallen trying to stop him, hit his head on the coffee table, which resulted in a minor concussion. But he had really tried.
We watched the security cameras. Jack had stormed in with wild eyes and that gun and took Lily away. The baby monitor had captured her cries that would haunt me forever as he had snatched her from her crib.
My baby, my little girl, cried for me while a man with a gun carried her away.
I didn’t know where she was and didn’t know if she was safe, if she was scared, if she was still crying for me. The not knowing was eating me alive from the inside out.
Derek’s hand squeezed my shoulder, and I looked up at him through swollen eyes. “I’ll do whatever I can to make sure she’s safe, Paige. I promise you.”
The penthouse was crawling with police officers. Sean and Chelsea were here. Cillian and Emma too. Sean and Cillian talked to the officers in low, urgent tones while Emma paced with her phone pressed to her ear, presumably talking to Caleb about tracking Jack’s car.
“Maybe he just wants money,” I said desperately, clutching the water bottle. “I’ll give him all my savings. The alimony. Whatever he wants?—”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Derek said firmly.
“But—”
“Derek’s right,” Cillian said, his voice calm. “He hasn’t asked for ransom and didn’t leave any note or make any demands. That means this isn’t about money.”
I stood up so fast Derek’s jacket slipped from my shoulders. “What? We just wait for the cops to do something? I can’t sit here alone and?—”
Derek caught my arms, his touch gentle. “You don’t have to do anything. I’ll figure it out. I’ll find her, Paige. I swear to you, I’ll bring our daughter home.”
