Chapter 21 #2
“Yes.” She could honestly admit that it brought her pain and so much more when she’d looked at the items from their short dating life.
She’d felt so silly and stupid for falling for a man who was so obsessive.
He’d love bombed her big-time. Showering her with attention and gifts, and when she’d told him it was too much… things had turned sour.
“Where’s your child? I think we should bring the baby with us.”
“She’s with her father. I’m just cleaning up the house,” she said. Making up stuff. Gracie would be fine in her crib in the house. Safe and warm and far away from Daniel. “He’ll be back soon. Have you seen him? He’s big and muscly. You know he’s a police officer.”
“I don’t like the police,” Daniel said.
“You should leave now before he gets back,” Ava said. She wasn’t entirely sure that Daniel would do that. “You don’t want to go back to prison, right? I won’t tell him you were here.”
“Ava, I’m not leaving without you. I’m here just for you,” he said.
“I’m not going with you,” she said. Prepared to do whatever she had to in order to stop him.
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Lifting his hand, he hit her in the head, and this time when her head hit the porch she saw stars. Tingles spread through her entire body as she fell limply to the deck.
Vaguely she was aware of him lifting her over his shoulder. Her last thought was that he’d left the front door ajar.
Chay’s first instinct was to run back to Ava. He was out the door with his grandmother on his heels.
“What are you doing?”
“Coming with you,” she said, wrapping her scarf around her neck. “You’re going to need me there if this guy shows up.”
He started to argue with her but didn’t want to take the time and having her by his side felt right.
Her street was quiet, and the blanket of snow that still covered everything made the world look pristine.
But it wasn’t. He’d always known that. Somehow he’d fallen into this belief that things were all good since Ava came into his life.
“If you come with me, you have to do as I say. No going off on your own. Okay?”
“Yes. I would just sit here and worry, and I don’t want you to have to call me and let me know what’s going on,” she said. “They’re my family, too.”
He hugged her for that. She locked her house, and he got her to his truck and inside. He radioed Wes to let him know what was going on.
“Wes, it’s Chay. I’m heading back to my house. There’s a chance that a man who stalked Ava is in the area. I have to check on Ava and Gracie,” Chay said.
“Understood. What’s his name and description?”
“Daniel Wayne. I don’t have a description, but you can probably get one from Jacob Colton. Send it to me when you have it.”
“Affirmative. Let us know if you need backup.”
“I’m sure they’re fine—the storm would have hampered him getting to us,” Chay said.
That was the only thing that was keeping him from all-out panic.
Neither Wes nor his grandmother said a word in response, which wasn’t reassuring.
It was like they didn’t want to say anything to send him into overdrive.
As if knowing Ava and Gracie were in danger wasn’t his worst nightmare.
Chay drove as quickly as was safe back to his house.
As soon as he turned onto the drive, he saw the tire tracks. The ones that weren’t his.
He’d always been practical, but he couldn’t deny that his spiritual side warned him at times. Like when he’d known his mom wasn’t coming back to the Navajo Nation. Right now he knew Ava was in danger. When he pulled up behind her truck, he saw signs of footprints in the snow. Just one set.
Not Ava’s boots, which he could easily recognize from when they’d dug out the house.
His front door was open, and Grandmother was already starting to get out of the truck.
“Stay here. Lock the doors. I’m not sure if he’s in there or not.”
She nodded and closed her door. Chay radioed in that there was a break-in at his house and signs that someone else had been there. Palming his weapon, he got out of the truck. Moving carefully toward the house.
He avoided the tracks in the snow, knowing that he’d want to examine them later. Moving slowly and keeping low in case Daniel was already in the house…but the tire tracks made him believe that he wasn’t. He had to confirm it, though.
On the front porch he knelt noticing some blood on the floor and some strands of dark reddiths hair. Ava.
He pushed the door open with his foot and swept the room with his weapon. It was clear. He moved farther into the house, hearing the sound of the baby crying. He wanted to rush to her but took his time, clearing the hallway and the bathroom before he got to her room.
Lying on her back, Gracie was crying for all she was worth. Arms and legs kicking, little face all squished up as she cried. He went to comfort her, using one hand to rub her belly as he talked to her.
“It’s okay. I’m here now.”
He left the baby in her crib to finish his sweep of the house, confirming it was empty. Holstering his weapon, he went back to Gracie and picked the little one up.
Still upset, she calmed when he hugged her to his chest. Ava was gone. Chay’s heart was beating so hard that he had to take a moment to calm himself. Gracie’s little hand on his shoulder helped him.
Looking into her brown eyes, he saw the future that he’d been afraid to take slipping away.
Pushing that to the back of his mind, he went out to his truck, giving Gracie to his grandmother while he radioed in what he’d found.
Wes was dispatching some officers to come help with the search.
His grandmother was in the house now with Gracie, making coffee for the men who’d arrive soon to help.
His radio in the house was crackling and he went to answer it. Ryan, Ava’s brother, was trying to get through to her.
“Ryan, it’s Chay.”
“Daniel Wayne is out of jail,” Ryan said. “You have to let Ava know.”
“She knows. He has her. I’m going to find her and bring her back.”
“Where is she?”
“I’m not sure. He took her. I’m starting the search now,” Chay said.
“Do you need some extra men?”
“Maybe later—right now I have the tribal police and Dark Canyon PD.”
Ryan promised he’d talk to their parents. “Mom and Dad are going to want to come out there.”
“You can stay at my place. My grandmother and Gracie are here.”
He ended the chat and went out to the front yard where the tracks were. This time he studied them in more detail. Daniel was lighter of step going toward the house than he was coming back, which fit, since there was only one set of prints leaving. He must have knocked Ava out.
On foot he walked to the end of the drive. Since only his car had come in and out so far, he noticed the direction that Daniel Wayne had gone.