Chapter 10
The moment the taillights of Taryn’s car were out of sight, Jace pulled out his cell phone and called Cooper.
“Hey,” Cooper answered, a smile in his voice. “I didn’t expect to hear from you for a few days. Figured you and Taryn needed to catch up.”
“I need your help.”
Cooper’s attitude instantly shifted to one of business. “What is it?”
“Are you still with the other three?”
“Yeah. They’re right here.”
“Put me on speaker.”
A heartbeat later, Caleb said, “We’re listening, Jace.”
“I need someone to head out to the Hilton Hotel off Oak and see if Taryn’s silver Camry is there.
If it is, great. Just make sure she heads back to my place.
Everyone else, pick the main roads out of town and look for the Camry.
I’ll text the license plate number. I’m not sure if she’s headed north or south. ”
Brice asked, “What’s going on?”
“All those years ago, Taryn left because drug dealers forced her family to leave in order to pay off her father’s debt.
Her father and brother are now dead, killed by the drug dealer.
But the people who took them still have Taryn’s younger sister.
Taryn’s in town to get half a million to pay off her family’s debt and try to free Payton and herself,” Jace explained.
“Fuck me,” Cooper murmured.
Ryan then said, “Tell me her license plate. I’ll get it to my deputies immediately.”
Jace quickly rattled off the numbers and letters, his gut twisting because he knew Taryn wasn’t coming back.
She had said and done all the right things, but he knew her too well.
Once she realized that he planned to put himself in the middle of the situation, her body language immediately told him that she wanted to do what she always did with those she loved—she wanted to protect.
“We’re heading out now,” Cooper said and disconnected.
Jace wanted to be out there with them, but he still held onto a thin shred of hope that he was wrong, and Taryn would come back to him.
He debated calling his folks. They had adored Taryn and had been upset by her disappearance.
He was close with his parents, and he knew how they would react to the news, especially his father.
Which was why Jace decided not to fill them in on any of what was going on. Not yet, at least.
Each second that passed as he paced his house felt like an eternity. He wished something could occupy him as his mind raced in twenty million different directions, including the path of how wonderful it had felt to hold her once more. Still, his mind kept returning to the story she had told him.
He’d believed every word. The truth had been in each syllable, in her voice and face.
He knew there were likely other horrors there she hadn’t described, but he had an idea of what they were.
He’d served in the military and had been held prisoner.
He knew all about those kinds of hell because he’d lived them.
And it made him insane with fury that she had been subjected to any of it.
The fact that Jace had seen the same vacant look in Taryn’s eyes that he’d seen in his when he looked in the mirror infuriated him.
Phil and Ben had put her in that situation.
Jace couldn’t take his anger out on them because they were already gone from this world.
But he sure as shit could turn his rage on the assholes who dared to keep Taryn in their grasp.
His phone rang. He glanced at the screen to see Brice’s name and quickly answered it. “Did you find her?”
“I’m at the hotel.”
Jace closed his eyes. “I’m not sure what number she’s in, but she parked on the far right-hand side of the lot earlier.”
“There’s no way she could’ve beaten me here. I’ll stay for a while to see if she shows.”
“Thanks.”
“And, Jace,” Brice said. “If you decide to help her, it goes without saying that we’ll be right there with you. Especially after everything you’ve done for me, Caleb, and Cooper.”
Jace rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “Thanks.”
“I’m talking about more than just the money.”
“I was counting on that.” Jace dropped his hand to his side. “I’m terrified for her. It’s a kind of fear I’ve never experienced before. I don’t know what all they did to her, but she’s endured a lot. Probably more than I want to know.”
Brice made a sound in the back of his throat. “I’ll give Clayton and Danny a call to fill them in on what you’ve told us.”
“I gave you the condensed version. I’d prefer if Taryn told you herself. If we find her.”
“We’ll find her,” Brice assured him.
They ended the call. Jace wished he could believe Brice, but he knew Taryn too well. She always put others ahead of herself. He wished he would’ve insisted on going with her, or even driven her, but he hadn’t wanted to push. Instead, he had to rely on his friends to do what he wished he was doing.
Jace found himself in the kitchen. He turned and slammed both fists down on the granite countertop as he let out a bellow of frustration.
When he was more composed, he laid his hands on the granite and hung his head, his chin to his chest. The last time he’d felt this frustrated was when he’d been held prisoner.
This time, his life wasn’t in danger. It was the woman he loved.
Jace might not be out there searching for Taryn, but he could at least begin formulating a plan.
Taryn had told him nothing of the people who had taken her or even where she had been held.
And he hadn’t pushed her on purpose. He’d known she’d attempted to keep that from him, but he intended to uncover the information one way or another.
His military training had prepared him for any type of mission—large or small.
But no matter how hard he tried to devise any sort of plan, he came up empty—mostly because he couldn’t stop thinking about Taryn.
There were too many variables he didn’t know.
Location and the number of guards were two of the main ones.
He went back to pacing the house, his mind drifting between recalling every second of his time holding her as they found pleasure, and her story. Thankfully, his phone rang, distracting him. He wasn’t surprised to see Danny Oldman’s name on the screen. “Sheriff,” Jace answered.
“Skylar and I were with Clayton and Abby for dinner when Brice called. Tell me what you know about these drug dealers,” Danny urged.
Jace blew out a breath. “Not much, unfortunately. Taryn kept a lot to herself, but given the way she talked, it’s a big organization. Nothing local.”
“We’ve got some heavy-hitters around here. My narcotics division has been busy, especially since we’re between Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston.”
“When you say heavy-hitters, what are we talking about?”
Danny paused for a moment before he said, “The kind of people who do exactly what was done to Taryn. If we can get her to tell us who, and possibly testify, I’m sure the federal district attorney will offer her witness protection.”
“First, I need to make sure Taryn is still in town.”
“Surely Taryn wouldn’t leave after coming to see you. You’re going to help her.”
Jace ran a hand down his face. “I think she did. Because I told her that if I give her the money, I was going with her to deliver it.”
“Shit,” Danny said.
“I know. I just wanted to protect her. I should’ve held off saying that part. As soon as I did, she freaked out. Then I made things worse by stating it again.”
Danny blew out a breath. “Love makes us do crazy things. She might have run. Brice gave me the plate number. I’ve already sent it to the station so everyone on duty could keep their eyes peeled for her.
Look, I know you want to do this on your own, and I know firsthand that you, Brice, Caleb, and Cooper could do it yourselves, but if you’re smart, you’ll let me or Ryan call the FBI and pull them in on this to help out. ”
“Let me find Taryn first. Then we can all sit down and talk.”
“Sounds good. I’ll keep you posted,” Danny said before hanging up.
Jace dropped his phone into his front pocket, strode to the living room, and plopped down in his chair.
Leaning forward, he put his face in his hands, Danny’s words about the drug dealers still ringing in his head.
It might be wise to enlist the FBI, but Jace knew better than most how efficient a small tactical team could be.
Not to mention, there was less chance of someone leaking the information. Jace wanted these men brought down, but he trusted his circle of friends implicitly. He couldn’t say the same for the Feds.
The longer he sat there, the more irritated he became. He was a doer, a fixer. The worst thing for Jace was to be sitting still, and yet that was exactly what he was doing. Forty minutes later, Brice sent a text stating there was still no sign of Taryn or her car at the hotel.
Then Cooper called.
“Tell me you found her,” Jace said.
“I found her.”
Jace let out a relieved sigh. Then he frowned as he heard the wariness in his friend’s voice. “What is it?”
“I’m not the only one following her.”
“Who else is?”
“Not sure. He must have spotted me because he turned off. I’ve not seen him since. She’s headed toward the Dallas/Fort Worth area.”
Jace tried not to be angry that she was gone. He might understand what motivated her, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell. “Let Ryan and Danny know. They can get others involved to keep track of her when she crosses county lines.”
“She pulled off to get gas. I’m turning in behind her at the Exxon station. I’m going to confront her and hopefully change her mind about leaving.”
“And the other vehicle that was following her?” Jace asked.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep my eyes open. He kept his distance from her, just as I did. But there was no doubt that he was following her.”
Jace filed that information away. “When did you find her?”
“I was at the rest stop, hoping I’d see her if she went north. I did, as well as the Jeep following her. I took my time catching up with them, but even still, he spotted me.”
“A professional,” Jace said.
Cooper grunted. “Or someone with the same military experience as us. Either way, someone who knows what they’re doing.”
“Danny called. He told me about some big dealers in the area. There’s a real chance that whoever has Payton didn’t allow Taryn to come on her own.”
“I thought that, as well. Trust me, I’m not stupid. I want to return home to Marlee. Who, by the way, is itching to put her private investigator skills to work on this.”
Jace rubbed his forehead as he shook his head. “It’s bad enough I asked you and the guys for help. I don’t want to involve the women.”
“Too late,” Cooper said with a chuckle that quickly died. “All right. I’m parked. Taryn is stopped and filling up.”
“Leave me on the line. I want to listen,” Jace said.
Cooper blew out a breath. “You sure that’s wise? You might not like what you hear.”
“I want to hear, Coop.”
“Suit yourself.”
Jace braced himself as the sounds of a busy highway soon filled his ears. Then he heard Cooper say, “Hey, Taryn.”