Chapter Thirty-Six
How fucking long is this going to take? I've been sitting here waiting for almost four hours.
A frantic woman comes through the swinging double doors. “Officer Wyatt Keaton?”
“Yes ma'am?”
“We just got an urgent call over dispatch. I think you should hear it.” She doesn't wait for me to answer, just rushes back through the doors, leaving me with no choice but to follow her.
My heart sinks as I walk into the room and hear Chief giving my address to the other officers.
“... now! We need back up.”
“What is going on?” I ask, my voice cracking.
“Balsam Cliffs is reporting a break-in with a missing woman. We thought it might be related to your guy you've been waiting for.”
I dig in my pocket for my keys. “It's my address. And my fiancée who's missing. Do not let that asshole out of here under any circumstances.”
I run out of the department and get in my cruiser without James. He can wait. Because there's only one person who would break into my house and take my girl.
I call Pops immediately once I'm on the road. He answers on the first ring. “Wyatt, I'm so sorry."
“What the hell happened?” I snap.
“We were at Rebels. She was checking in every hour.
Religiously. On the dot. But when we were leaving, we noticed it was two minutes past. Mom called her and got no answer.
She called Chief right away, knowing you weren't here. When we got to the house, your front door was wide open, and Athena was running around the yard. When we came inside, there was glass all over the floor and drops of blood. We found your cast iron pan on the floor, too, with blood on it.”
Hitting the gas pedal harder, my speedometer ticks up.
“Where the fuck is she? Who is at the house? Who is looking for her?” I throw out a million questions without waiting on an answer. Because if Sophia is missing, none of the answers matter until she's found.
My phone beeps with another call from Chief, and I click over without saying goodbye to Pops.
“Where is she?” I shout.
“We're working on it. We noticed that one of your four-wheelers was missing, so my best guess is whoever has her took her to the cabin. Athena keeps trying to bring us that way. Whoever it is, they’re working together with James.”
Athena is a good girl. I owe her a steak.
“It's Hugh. There's no one else, and taking her is personal. Who’s going to the cabin? I'll be there in five minutes, and Winter Haven is right behind me.” Looking in my rearview, I see three cruisers keeping up with me, lights and sirens blaring.
“I'm not sending anyone to the cabin until we have backup, so be ready to go as soon as you get here.”
“What the fuck? You're just sitting there when you don't know what they're doing to her?” My voice cracks again.
I’m frantic to get home, to go do something, to find my girl.
Before he can answer, I pull onto the road that leads to the cabins. “I'll meet you there. Take whatever you need from my house to get to her.”
“Keaton, don't you dare go in or do any dumb shit without any back up!”
Fuck that. I hang up, pretending I don't hear him. I’m going in regardless of backup. Sophia’s life is at risk.
I cut my lights when I pull up to the cabin. I don’t see anyone else here, and I've lost the guys following me.
The cabins are all sheathed in darkness. Looking at all three, scrutinizing them, I see the tiniest flash of light shining in the middle cabin.
“Gotcha, motherfucker.”
Taking off, I move slowly along the edge of the cabin and up the steps. Unexpectedly, the door flies open, and the silhouette of a man blocks my view into the cabin.
“Well, it certainly took you long enough to come save my daughter. I thought you loved her.” He turns and walks back into the cabin.
Rushing in behind him, desperate to find Sophia, I miss the glint from the metal in the moonlight, and suddenly, the cool barrel of a gun presses into my forehead.
“Now, now. Why the hurry? Did you think I’d let my traitorous daughter live?
” His sadistic laugh echoes through the empty cabin.
“I only needed her to lure you out. But then James fucked it all up, showing up here and ruining everything. Luckily, he was eager to get back in my good graces. He was happy to set the fire, hoping to call you out there. I have to say I was a little disappointed when you sent the other one instead. But then the Highway Patrol came through for me. Now here we are.”
“I don't believe you. You wouldn't kill her, not yet. Not until you knew I was a sure thing. Let me see her,” I demand when I hear quiet whimpers from a dark corner.
“If you must. I don't know why you're so interested. She's more trouble than she's worth. Just ask James.” He taps his chin. “Oh wait, you'll be dead.”
I push past him, further into the cabin, flipping all the lights on. The sight that greets me is one I'll never be able to get out of my head.
In the middle of the open floor, Sophia sits, tied to a chair. Blood drips down her beautiful face, and I rush over to her, pulling her face into my hands. Her head lulls to one side.
And my heart breaks into a million pieces.
“That wound has been dripping for a while. She could be passed out from the blow to her head, or maybe it’s the blood loss. No way to know.”
What I wouldn't give to wipe the smug look off this man. His khaki pants and white button down are still in pristine condition. I bet if I swung he wouldn't even know what to do. The only problem is I don't know how many guys he has with him, but I know I have zero.
“What do you want, Hugh? Me? Take me, but let her go. I'll bring her out to my cruiser, and we’ll let someone take her to the hospital.” As he's thinking, I see the lights from all the other cruisers through the front window behind him.
“As enticing as that offer sounds, I have to decline.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling out zip ties.
I reach for my gun with one hand, still holding Sophia with the other.
And then a shot rings out. My body freezes, not knowing where it came from until Hugh falls in front of me.
Adam rushes over, feeling for his pulse. “Got him.”
Chief can handle him later. I don’t have time to worry about him shooting Hugh. Springing into action, I reach up, slicing the zip ties off her wrists and her feet with my utility knife.
“Where's the ambulance?” I call out to everyone else who just walked in.
“On the way. It struggled to get down the road.” I don't really give a shit why; all I care about is the fact it's not fucking here.
Scooping her into my arms, I rush out to my cruiser. “Then it sounds like we need to go meet them. Because I’m not fucking waiting.”
I gently lay her in the back before blowing past every other cruiser, not waiting for anyone else to join me.
I will not let my goddess die on my watch. I promised to keep her safe.