Chapter 46 Caden
CADEN
I paced back and forth across my driveway as countless law enforcement officers and crime scene techs milled about.
Lawson and Nash had made it here in record time after I called, and Roan and Holt hadn’t been far behind.
But no one had a clue where Grae was. Gabe was still in jail, and the only person he’d been allowed to talk to was his lawyer. He couldn’t have done this.
Pulling out my phone, I called my head of security for the third time. “Where are you?”
“On my way, sir. I had to get the security camera footage loaded onto a laptop. I still haven’t been able to get in touch with the guard who was on duty.”
“Hurry up,” I gritted out and hung up.
Rage swelled, too much for me to contain. I grabbed one of the folding chairs and sent it flying into my side yard with a curse.
The flurry of people stilled and stared at me.
Nash crossed to me in three long strides. “You need to keep it together.”
“I can’t lose her,” I said through heaving breaths.
“We’re not going to.”
“I just got her back.” My throat tightened, burning with the emotion I couldn’t let free.
Nash dropped his hands to my shoulders and squeezed. “And you’re gonna build that big, beautiful life together.”
My teeth ground together. “Asked her to marry me last night.”
Pain lanced through Nash’s eyes, but he quickly covered it. “She shoot you down?”
A strangled laugh escaped my throat. “Got my ring on her finger.”
“Mom’s gonna freak. She’s been dreaming about Grae’s wedding from the moment the doctor told her she was finally having a girl.”
My ribs constricted in a painful squeeze. I could see that day—Grae walking down the aisle toward me, wildflowers in her hair, a secret smile playing on her lips, those blue eyes shining. “Gonna be a hell of a wedding.”
A resort SUV pulled into my drive, and my head of security jumped out. Dennis rushed over to the table we had set up. “The footage is ready to go.”
Holt opened the laptop and hit a few keys. “We look for familiar faces first. If we don’t see anyone we know, we run every single person who came through.”
We all nodded in agreement as the tape played on fast-forward. Holt paused on each face. They were mostly guests I didn’t recognize. No one tripped my trigger.
Then Holt paused the tape again.
Nash cursed. Lawson pulled out his phone. Roan looked like he wanted to kill someone. I froze. My blood went cold as Eddie’s face filled the screen.
“Jerry,” Lawson clipped into his phone. “Need you to look up property records for an Edward Pierson.”
Lawson lowered his phone and put it on speaker.
“Just a second,” Jerry said, and the sound of typing came across the line. “He’s got an apartment in town.”
“Not there,” I snapped. There was no way he was keeping Grae above a shop.
“Keep looking,” Lawson ordered. “Any other properties he has ties to?”
“Gonna need a minute,” Jerry muttered.
Grae might not have that minute. My hands fisted so hard my knuckles cracked.
Jerry’s typing ceased. “That’s weird.”
“What?” I growled.
“This property was purchased by an LLC, but he’s tied to the corporation.”
My gaze shot to Nash, and we shared a look. Someone didn’t try to hide the identity of their ownership unless they were famous or up to no good.
“I’ll be damned,” Jerry muttered.
“Tell us,” Lawson snapped.
“According to the state, Edward Pierson is the sole owner of that LLC. Place on North Arrow Leaf Trail. Just sent you the address, Law.”
Everything in me stilled. My muscles wound tight, strangling the bones beneath. Eddie. The coworker Grae had sat next to for years—her friend.
“We need to move. Now,” I ground out.
Clint strode up, rocking a shiner from the night before. “You know you guys can’t go. We’re calling in SWAT. Give us an hour, and we’ll go.”
An hour? Anything could happen in an hour. He was delusional if he thought I was waiting while some maniac hurt Grae.
I didn’t waste my time arguing. I simply turned on my heel and started toward my SUV.
Clint called my name, but I ignored him, picking up to a jog.
“Let’s take my SUV,” Holt called. “I’ve got gear, and it’s not an official vehicle.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I changed direction and headed for his SUV, climbing into the passenger seat. Lawson, Nash, and Roan threw vests into the back and piled into the rear seats. Holt was off before anyone could say a word. “Got a gun safe and a few vests in the back.”
Lawson glanced at Nash. “We could lose our badges over this.”
“You think I give a fuck?” he snapped.
Lawson jerked his head in a nod.
Holt glanced at me. “This guy trip your trigger?”
I shook my head. “Not once. Seemed like a goofball who cared about Grae. Harmless.”
But I’d been wrong. Just like I’d been wrong about my brother.
Holt turned onto a road that would take us to Eddie’s hidden property.
I replayed every interaction I’d had with the man, trying to read anything from them. I came up empty.
“Caden, I need you to take the rear when we get there. You’re not trained,” Lawson warned.
“Fine.” I didn’t give a damn who went first as long as we got to Grae.
Her face flashed in my mind. The way she tipped her head back when a laugh caught her off guard. How her eyes sparked when I was inside her. The gentleness when she told me she loved me. I couldn’t lose her.
“Oh, shit.”
My gaze snapped to Holt. “What?”
He pointed over the trees ahead. “Smoke.”