Chapter 26
Reid burst out the front door, and the crisp air hit his face and spurred him on. He sprinted down the porch steps and dug his keys out of his pocket. Thank God his truck was parked out front. He didn’t have to waste time finding a ride.
“Hold on a second,” Madden said, following him outside.
“Not gonna happen. Time’s not on our side.
I’m not slowing down for anyone.” He continued to his truck until a hard grip on his shoulder stopped him.
He whirled around, anger mixed with impatience and fear gnawing at his gut as every worst-case scenario played on repeat in his brain. “What the hell is your problem?”
Madden held out his hand and wiggled his fingers in a give-me motion. “Hand over the keys.”
“No way. My truck. I drive. Now get your hands off me and get your ass inside so we can go.”
“You’re not in the right headspace to be behind the wheel. You’re upset and you’re scared. I totally get it. But if we get into a car accident, you won’t be any good to Eve.” Madden made the hand gesture again. “So give me the keys.”
Reid considered Madden’s words for just a second and then tossed him the keys and stomped to the passenger side of his vehicle. There was no reason why he couldn’t drive his own damn truck, but he wasn’t about to spend precious seconds arguing.
Once buckled, he rubbed his hands up and down the thighs of his jeans. Nervous energy whipped around inside him. He darted his gaze between the side window and the front, hoping to catch a glimpse of Eve.
Madden backed out of the driveway then shot down the road. “The park Eve met Lily at with Suzy isn’t that far away. We should be there in about ten minutes or so. If you’re right, they don’t have much of a head start. We’ll get her back.”
He didn’t respond, couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. He’d never known fear like this. Never experienced the gut punch of emotion holding him in gridlock.
His phone rang, and hope sprang forward.
Maybe it was Eve and this was all a big misunderstanding.
Tara’s name and photo on his screen sent those hopes crashing right back down.
He didn’t want to answer, didn’t want to focus on anything other than the all-consuming need to find Eve and hold her in his arms. To kiss the hell out of her and tell her what an idiot he’d been for waiting so long to tell her how he felt.
For waiting so long to tell her that he loved her.
The realization sent another bolt of pain through his heart.
“You gonna answer that?” Madden asked, tilting his chin toward the phone. “Could be important.”
Knowing he was right, Reid answered the call. “Did you find something?”
“No, you?”
He sighed and stared out the window as the patches of land grew wider and fewer houses dotted the landscape. “We’re heading to the park she loves. Hoping he took her there. It’s the only place I can think of.” His voice caught, cutting off any more words.
“You’ll find her, Reid. I know you will.”
He huffed out a humorless laugh. “How do you know that? I can’t keep anyone safe. I can’t help you. I turned my back for one second and Eve was taken. I lost control.”
“You stop that right now,” Tara barked. “You’re amazing.
I haven’t always really heard you, haven’t let your advice seep in.
But you’ve never given up on me, just like you’ll never give up on Eve.
You can’t control everything, no matter how hard you try.
Things will always happen to you, not because of you.
And now you’ll fight like hell to find her.
Just like you’ve always fought like hell for me. ”
Her faith in him made unshed tears burn his eyes. “A lot of good that’s done.”
“It’s done more good than you realize,” she said. “This is the last thing you need to be thinking about right now, but I canceled my flight. You need me here, and I want to help look for Eve. Lily, Becca and I are doing our part and I’ll reach out if we come up with anything. You do the same.”
He should be happy, tell her how relieved he was, but not even her good news could break through the paralyzing terror keeping all his thoughts on Eve. “Okay” was all he could manage to say.
“I love you.” She clicked off, and Reid crushed his phone in his hand.
“Everything all right?” Madden asked.
He blew out a long breath. “Yeah. Tara’s staying in town to help find Eve.”
“That’s good. All help is good help.”
He grunted his agreement and went back to staring out the window. They were close, the entrance to the park only a couple miles away. “Once we get there, I don’t have the first idea where to look.”
“I understand this is personal, but we treat it like any other case,” Madden said. “We follow the clues. Search for signs that could lead to where he might have taken her.”
His heart thundered like a herd of stallions, and he rubbed the heel of his hand over his chest. Madden was right. He had to calm down, get his head on straight, and attack the problem with logic and not emotion.
They approached the turn to the parking lot, and Reid held his breath.
Madden drove into the empty lot and stopped in the closest spot, letting the vehicle idle.
“They’re not here.” The statement sliced through him like a knife. “No way he could have carried her here from the parade, and there’s no truck around.”
“Shit,” Madden said, slamming his fist against the steering wheel.
Turmoil built in Reid’s stomach until he thought he’d be sick.
Needing fresh air, he hopped out of the truck and connected his hands behind his head.
He drew in large gulps of air, trying to keep himself from going crazy.
He kicked a large rock, which skittered across the cement to land on a wide dirt path. Tire tracks caught his attention.
He gestured for Madden to join him and ran to the trail.
“What is it?” Madden asked.
Reid crouched low, studied the marks. “They look fresh.” He peered down the lane, and an old, rusty truck stared back. Jumping to his feet, he sprinted toward the vehicle, Madden right behind him.
“Eve!” he called, reaching the open passenger door. “It’s empty.”
Madden grabbed his phone. “The license plate matches Tyson’s truck. They have to be close. I’ll call it in, but we need to keep looking.”
Reid sprinted down the dirt path, trusting Madden would stay close. “Eve! Where are you?”
He kept on alert as he moved, his gaze continually shifting as he listened for any sign Eve was nearby. The trail narrowed and spilled into a dense patch of woods until it disappeared. He moved through the weeds and past the brush, thorns gripping his clothes and scratching his face.
An outline of dark green nestled against the light green moss surrounding the trees. He picked up his pace, his heart in his throat. His feet pounded over twigs and leaves, and he secured his weapon in his hands as he moved toward whatever was hidden in the brush.
Madden’s footsteps crunched behind him, steadying his nerves. They’d been to war together, been to hell and back. If there was anyone he could trust, it was his best friend.
Slowing, he approached the structure with caution. “Looks like a tent,” he said over his shoulder.
“Might be where Tyson’s been sleeping,” Madden whispered. “Be careful.”
Reid moved methodically to the front of the tent. His pulse raced in his ears, the frantic sound like white noise against the call of birds overhead. No shadows moved against the nylon material from the inside. But she could be in there. He just hoped she was alive.
Finding the zipper, he slowly opened the door and shoved the fabric aside.
The sickening scent of flowers greeted him, the petals strewn across an air mattress. Candid photos of Eve were taped to the walls, and a bottle of champagne sat in a bucket of ice.
He stumbled backward, his hand covering his mouth to keep the bile sliding up his throat from leaking out.
Madden looked past him and cursed under his breath. “What the hell?”
Fury shook Reid’s head back and forth, and he fisted his hand at his side, resisting the urge to tear down the tent. “He’s a sick bastard, that’s what.”
“This had to be the plan,” Madden said. “So where are they?”
“She got out of the truck,” Reid said. “That’s why the door was open, the truck stopped in the middle of nowhere. The champagne isn’t open in there. They haven’t made it here yet. But she’s out there somewhere. We just have to make sure we find her before Tyson does.”
Eve’s scalp screamed as Tyson maneuvered her through the forest. He kept one hand threaded through her hair and the other clamped on her bicep. Her body was weak, the loss of so much oxygen wreaking havoc with her system.
Her mind buzzed and her limbs were heavy. She struggled to keep her focus on not tripping over her feet as she willed her brain to come up with a plan. Running blindly into the woods hadn’t worked. And now that he had his slimy hands on her, he wouldn’t let her go until he got what he wanted.
A chill skidded down her spine. She’d rather die than let him touch her. But she had to be smart. Make him think she was not only willing to participate in whatever sick nightmare waited for her but was excited.
She slowed their frantic pace and rested her hand on the one gripping her arm. “I’m sorry I ran. I was just scared. Please, can we slow down? You’re hurting me. I know that’s not what you want. You want to love me, remember?”
He hesitated, his pace matching hers, but he loosened his grip a fraction. “How can I believe you?”
Twisting, she ignored the ripping pain in her head and faced him. “I was scared. You wouldn’t tell me where we were going. Now I know. You’re trying to make things special for me. I should appreciate that.”
“Damn right you should.” He spat out the words as if disgusted by her. “All I want is to show you how much I care.”
Her stomach revolted, but she couldn’t let her true emotions show on her face. She forced a smile. “I see that now. I’m sorry.”