Page 75 of Protecting his Heart

“So this event is related to Dominic’s last year? How?”

Owen shrugged again. “We don’t know yet. Brett is currently talking to Dr Wallis about everything.”

“I would hate to be on the end of that wrath.”

“Oh, we’ve got it coming,” Owen warned.

And boy, did they.

“The next time you disobey me, Owen Morris, will be the last time. Understood?” Brett said a few hours later.

“Yes, sir.”

“And taking Evan with you… What the hell were you thinking?” Brett held up a hand and sighed. “Don’t answer that. I know what you were thinking, and while I understand, it could’ve all been prevented. If. You. Had. Just. Waited.”

“What happened?” Evan asked, hoping Brett’s wrath wouldn’t come down onhishead.

Brett’s glare didn’t feel good, but then his expression hardened for a different reason. “When Dominic received the photo of the room and we figured out the connection between them, we got in contact with Dr Wallis. After several long minutes of saying he knew nothing, he finally broke down and told us everything.” He leaned his hip against the bottom of Owen’s bed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Dr Wallis isbeing blackmailed into all of this. His daughter being kidnapped is true, but he received a phone call just before the one he connected with us. The initial phone call detailed a plan to get you,” he pointed to Owen, “to that house so he could ‘talk’ to you. All Wallis had to do was to connect the next phone call to us as a so-called ransom, and then the kidnapper would send a proof of life which we could trace.” Brett stared at them both. “The kidnapper knows you well enough to know you’d go racing in if you heard the girl was in danger. You played right into their hands and nearly lost your lives.”

“Did Dr Wallis know he was trying to kill Owen?” Evan asked, an ember of anger burning in him.

Brett shook his head. “From what the kidnapper said, he just wanted to talk to Owen, and as soon as Wallis kept up his end of the bargain, they would return his daughter.”

“She’s back home?” Owen asked.

Brett frowned. “No. We’re assuming the kidnapper had eyes on the explosion, and when they saw you were still alive, they changed their minds about giving Anika back. Maybe she’s still useful to them.”

“They’ve lost the element of surprise, though. We know they’re after me now. What would be the point of keeping her?”

“Leverage. We won’t want her hurt, so they have sway with us,” Brett said.

Owen dropped his head back to the bed and sighed. “This is fucked up.”

Evan frowned and then wished he hadn’t. “So, Dr Wallis knew Anika had been taken?” Brett nodded. “Did he let her go?”

Brett shook his head. “He honestly didn’t know they had taken her. That part is true. He was only told afterwards why she had been, which is what he kept from us.”

“Were there any results from the neighbours’ door cams?” Owen asked suddenly.

“No. Again, either nothing was recorded or they were deleted. I’m leaning more towards each of the cameras being hacked and evidence deleted because it seems far too coincidental for them all to not have something.”

“So the kidnapper is either a tech whiz or has someone on their payroll who is. Would that limit the number of people it could be?” Owen asked.

“Felix is already looking into it.”

“Was there any evidence from the house left?” Evan asked.

Brett sighed. “Well, we have people going through it with a fine-toothed comb, but we’re not holding out much hope. The place was set up to be detonated by someone who knew what they were doing.”

“If I never speak to Dr Wallis again, it will be too soon,” Evan muttered, closing his eyes.

“He did what he had to for his daughter,” Owen said.

Evan didn’t answer because he could see the reasoning behind it, but he was still sore about the injuries Owen had from it. It would take him a while to forget about what that man let happen.

“Anyway, rest up. We’re still helping the police to search for her. Wallis hasn’t heard from the kidnapper again.” Brett’s expression was grim, which told of the potential of a negative outcome of the search.

Someone slammed through the door, and they all braced for something, but no one was ready for the storm that was Sally Morris. Brett nodded and introduced himself before escaping, but they had no such recourse.

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