Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
The book in Jaxon's hands trembled as he gazed surreptitiously around the park. Everyone looked suspicious to him, and he sought out every person with a small child. So far, they hadn’t seen anything.
A handful of kids played on the jungle gym a hundred yards away, but none of them were the little blonde-haired girl he was looking for.
He had been there for an hour already, and his nerves were shot. There were a dozen of them scattered throughout the park and the surrounding area, waiting for the perpetrator to show. Hannah shifted again on the bench diagonal from him, crossing then re-crossing her legs as she checked her phone.
He could read the anxiety in her features, and he knew it was genuine. She was just as worried about this as the rest of them—maybe more so. It hadn’t been fair to pull her in, but she was holding up well under the circumstances. He prayed to God the suspect wouldn’t find it suspicious at all.
Head down, he glanced around the park again, memorizing every face he saw. It would’ve been a lot easier if he knew exactly what—or who—they were looking for. He just had to hope that the suspect would be true to his word and show up for the meet.
Phillips, one of the undercover officers, was dressed as a maintenance worker, and he made his way around the park picking up litter and other debris. Three other officers were also undercover as civilians. A patrolman waited in an unmarked car a block over, ready for their call.
Jaxon’s knee jumped anxiously as time ticked away.
He was ready to get this over with, and he fought to control his emotions.
He couldn’t afford to get worked up and blow this before the suspect showed up.
Really, he was lucky they let him in at all.
Only Knox’s connections and personal assurances had gotten him a place there.
His thoughts momentarily drifted to Adalyn, the despair on her face permanently burned into his brain. They would get her back. They had to. There was no other alternative. He refused to go back to his wife without their little girl. No matter what it took, he would find her and bring her home.
Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer. Please God—let her be okay. Please bring her back safely.
He glanced over the edge of the book again, his attention drawn to a young male pushing a stroller down the sidewalk.
Phillips’s voice cut through his calm in his ear. “Suspect, three o’clock.” From his current position, Phillips had a good view of the child inside the stroller. Jaxon’s heart stuttered to a stop before kicking into high gear.
The man approached Hannah from the rear, so she didn’t see him coming until he rounded the slight bend in the walkway.
As soon as she saw him, her spine snapped straight, and a hopeful look entered her eyes.
As if she’d caught herself, Hannah immediately redirected her attention to the phone in her hand in an attempt to play cool.
Jaxon forced his eyes back to the book as the man surveyed his surroundings.
He could feel the man’s gaze sweep over him, and he fought the urge to squirm.
He wanted to face him head on, fist-to-fist, and settle this his way.
With Jaclyn caught in the middle as potential collateral damage, he could do none of those things.
It infuriated him, and the white-hot burn of rage took over.
The man was going to pay for this; he would make sure of it.
It took another agonizing ten seconds for the man to reach her, each moment causing Jaxon’s pulse to ratchet anxiously.
He sat on the bench, leaving several feet between himself and Hannah.
They were at a forty-five-degree angle from Jaxon, and he watched out of the corner of his eye as the man retrieved something from his pocket then nonchalantly placed his hand on the bench.
Leaning forward as if to check inside the stroller, he slid his hand toward Hannah. She threw him a questioning glance before picking up the paper he passed her. Her eyes flicked around the park before returning to the note in her hands, and she cautiously unfolded it.
The low voices filtering through the comm in Jaxon’s left ear faded to a muted din as he watched Hannah’s reaction.
Phillips angled himself away and ambled toward the park exit where the chain-link fence opened onto the sidewalk beyond.
One of the other officers, dressed in gym clothes and watching a basketball game next to the park, slowly made his way to the opposite exit, effectively blocking it.
Following the man’s apparent instructions, Hannah retrieved a nondescript white envelope from her purse and discreetly dropped it on the ground.
Using her foot, she nudged it closer to him.
He leaned over the stroller once again, fussing with the child inside.
Fury welled up within Jaxon, and he was half a second from jumping to his feet before Knox’s voice stopped him cold.
“Hold position.”
Jaxon closed his eyes and set the book on his lap.
Tipping his head back, he drew in several deep breaths.
He had to keep a cool head; God only knew what the man would do if he got caught.
He watched between lowered lids as the guy scooped the envelope off the ground, then, using the stroller as a shield, quickly opened it and counted the money inside.
Apparently satisfied, he folded the envelope in half and stuck it in his back pocket as he stood.
Hannah followed suit, and she fell into step beside him as he steered the stroller back onto the walkway.
Outwardly they appeared like a normal couple out for a walk.
But the truth was so much darker and more convoluted.
Jaxon watched as Hannah extracted the handle of the stroller from the man’s grasp and fell a couple steps behind him.
The plan was for her to break off so she and Jaclyn would be out of danger if anything happened.
Instead of following the man toward the exit, she headed toward the playground where kids’ happy cries pierced the air.
The man’s back was now to Jaxon, and he couldn’t stand it a moment longer. Throwing the book down, he jumped to his feet and hurriedly crossed the park toward Hannah. Relief flooded him as he drew level with the stroller and saw the big gray eyes peering up at him.
Ripping the comm from his ear, he tossed it into the stroller as his hands went around Jaclyn’s body and lifted her to him.
Her tiny arms wound around his neck, and he held her as tightly as he dared.
He wanted to check every inch of her, make sure that she was okay, but right now at this very moment he just needed to hold her.
A scuffle broke out, and he turned to watch the suspect run toward the south exit. The undercover agents and policeman were in hot pursuit and had him contained in less than a minute. The other parents in the park pulled their own children close, shielding them as they watched the scene unfold.
Beside him, Hannah laid a hand on his arm and smiled gently up at him. “We should get her checked out, but she looks okay.”
He nodded over the lump in his throat. He couldn’t wait to tell Adalyn, but he had sworn to the PD that he wouldn’t say anything until they’d had a chance to speak with the suspect.
They still had no idea how many people were involved, and they hadn’t ruled out that someone close to her could be responsible.
He didn’t want to put Adalyn in danger without having all the facts.
One of the guys had evidently already radioed EMS, because an ambulance pulled up near the east entrance to the park, and they made their way in that direction. Curious stares followed them, but he ignored them all, his attention focused firmly on his daughter.
Jaclyn had been unusually quiet, and he shifted her in his arms so he could examine her more thoroughly.
She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes prominent, as if she hadn’t slept at all while she’d been away from them.
The sight broke his heart, and he promised in the future to do everything in his power to keep her safe.
The only blessing in what had happened that day was that she would never remember her ordeal.
He sat at the rear of the ambulance as they checked her vitals.
She cried softly and turned her face into the crook of his neck as they poked and prodded at her.
He spoke softly to her, rubbing her small back all the while, trying to soothe her.
Two tiny hands latched onto his neck, sharp nails biting into the skin as she held on for dear life.
She was probably terrified that she would be separated from him again, and his heart cracked.
“It’s okay, baby girl. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe now.”
Luke stepped up and slipped an arm around Hannah. He directed his words toward Jaxon. “They’re working on the guy right now.”
Jaxon prayed that the suspect would roll on everyone responsible so they could wrap this up sooner rather than later. The medic finished up, and the three of them started back toward where the police had the suspect handcuffed on the sidewalk.
Though he couldn’t risk telling Adalyn just yet, he knew his brother wouldn’t say anything. He snapped a selfie with Jaclyn tucked in close to his neck then texted it to Abel, unable to keep the smile off his face.
Abel had said he wanted to know the second she was safe, so Jaxon didn’t waste any time letting him know. Only a few seconds after he sent the message, his phone rang. He slid his thumb across the screen to answer it. “Hey, brother.”
“Thank God,” Abel replied with a relieved sigh. “I’m glad she’s back.”
“Me, too. Are you still with Adalyn?” Jaxon asked.
“No, we headed out about ten minutes ago.”
He couldn’t wait to get Jaclyn home and see his two girls together again. He knew the stress had been killing her. “Was she holding up okay?”
“As well as can be expected,” Abel replied. “I think having friends and family around helped to take her mind off it a little bit. Jenn was still there when I left.”
Thank God for that. She had been a lifesaver through this whole ordeal, practically glued to Adalyn’s side. Jaxon could breathe a little easier now, knowing that she wasn’t alone. “Thanks again for staying with her. It means a lot.”
“No problem, it was nothing. I—oh! Of course!” Abel said as if he’d just had a revelation.
“What?”
“I was just trying to remember how I knew Jenn. It’s been driving me crazy.”
Jaxon’s brows drew together. “How do you know her?”
“Seriously?” Abel laughed. “She had the biggest crush on you, remember? But it’s been so long since I’ve seen her, and she looks totally different with that short, dark hair.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Abel sounded confused. “I thought you were the one who got her the job at Adalyn’s place. I can’t believe you don’t remember her. Jocelyn from down the street.” He paused when Jaxon remained silent. “You know—Aaron’s little sister.”
Jaxon remembered who he was talking about.
Aaron’s sister was several years younger, and she had always tried to tag along, much to his chagrin.
But Jennifer had long, curly red hair. Or she had the last time he’d seen her, though it had been several years ago.
Was that really the same girl? “I can’t believe she didn’t say anything,” he remarked. “And when did she start going by Jenn?”
“I don’t know,” Abel replied. “I knew she looked familiar, I just couldn’t place her. Anyway, I’ll let you go. We’ll stop over later once you guys are settled.”
“Sounds good.” Jaxon thanked him, then hung up, turning his attention back to Jaclyn. His attention was splintered as Miles came jogging toward them, waving a hand in the air.
Jaxon’s brows drew together. “What’s up, man?”
His face was grim. “He’s asking for you.”
Jaxon couldn’t conceal his surprise as he strode over to where the PD had a young man seated on the sidewalk, Miles on his heels.
Knox shot him an unreadable look as he approached, and dread congealed in his gut.
The boy they had apprehended looked fearfully up at him, and the officer beside him urged him on. “This is him. Tell us what you know.”
He glanced between Jaxon and Jaclyn, his eyes filled with remorse. Jaxon’s arms tightened a fraction around his daughter’s body. Mostly to feel her securely against him, but also in part so he wouldn’t knock the boy’s teeth down his throat.
He shook his head. “I didn’t want to do it,” he whispered. “But she begged me. She said it would all be different once we got rid of her.”
Chills ran down Jaxon’s spine at his words. “A woman did this?”
The boy’s expression turned hard, his tone bitter. “I would’ve done anything for her. I just wanted her to be happy, but it was never enough. It’s you she wants.”