Page 53 of Love Under Siege

“Well, a lot of good that did, Morrison! She’s gone now! Anya and Lana—gone! I saw two guys grab them right in front of me! I was right here! I could’ve stopped them!” My voice cracks, frustration lacing every word. The weight of it all comes crashing down on me, the realization that I failed, that I couldn’t protect her.

“Tell me what you saw. Every detail,” Morrison says, his voice steady, though I can see the tension in his jaw. He’s feeling it too, the weight of what just happened. But he’s trying to keep his cool.

I run my hands through my hair, pacing the small area by the club’s entrance, my mind racing. “I came here because Pops said Anya and Lana were out trying to take her mind off everything. I was just about to talk to her—I saw her! She smiled at me. And then, out of nowhere, two guys in black—ski masks, all black—grabbed them. I tried to jump the fence to get to her, but the damn security held me down. And by the time I got up, they were gone. Just… gone.”

Morrison looks down, processing everything. His jaw tightens as he pulls out his phone. “We’ll get every available officer searching for them. Don’t worry, Jacob, we’ll find them.”

“How can you say that?!” I shout, stepping closer to him. “I saw her get taken, Morrison! I was right there!”

“Jacob, I get that you’re angry. I’d be too if I were in your shoes. But listen to me. We still have a chance to find them. I have resources and contacts. I’ll pull every string I can to track them down. But you need to trust me.”

“I trusted you to keep her safe!” My voice shakes as I feel the rage and fear boiling over again.

“I know.” He nods, his expression softening just slightly. “And I let you down. But I’m not giving up on this, and neither should you. You want to help me find them? Then we have to move fast.”

I exhale, forcing myself to breathe through the rising panic. “What do we do?”

“We’ll start by canvassing the area. Someone must have seen something. And then, we’ll check any security footage in the vicinity. I’ll get my team on it. But right now, the most important thing is that we don’t waste time.”

I look at Morrison, my mind racing with every possibility, every worst-case scenario. Anya’s face flashes in my mind—the fear in her eyes when she realized what was happening.

“Jacob,” Morrison says firmly, snapping me back to the present. “We’ll find her.”

I nod, though the words do little to calm the storm inside me. Every second that passes feels like another chance slipping away.

“Let’s go,” I mutter, not sure if the words are meant for him or myself. I need to do something. Anything. Just standing here feels like drowning.

As we move toward Morrison’s car, my phone buzzes. I glance down and see a message from Marissa:

"Jacob, is everything okay? I’ve been feeling off. Please call me when you can."

I send a quick reply saying not to worry. I can’t have her any more stressed with her being pregnant. I shove the phone back in my pocket, my mind solely focused on one thing.

Finding Anya. Before it’s too late.

As we make our way to Morrison’s car, the weight of the situation hits me all over again. I’ve got a limited window—just a few days—before I have to be back in Georgia for basic training. The clock is ticking. Every second wasted here means losing time I don’t have.

Morrison opens the door, ready to drive us to the station, but I stop in my tracks.

“I can’t waste time just sitting around, Morrison. I need more help. Someone I can trust to go places the cops can’t. I know a guy,” I say, my mind racing through options.

Morrison raises an eyebrow, intrigued. “Who?”

“Connor. He’s a buddy of mine, Army Ranger. The guy knows how to find people. If anyone can help me track them down, it’s him.” I’m already pulling out my phone, fingers flying across the screen as I dial Connor’s number.

The phone rings twice before he picks up, his voice rough from what I assume is a late-night workout. “Yo, Sullivan, what’s going on? You good?”

“Not even close,” I reply, my voice tight. “Anya’s been taken. Along with her friend Lana. I need your help, man.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then Connor’s tone shifts, all business. “Taken? By whom?”

“Two guys, all black, ski masks. It happened right in front of me. I couldn’t stop it.”

“Where are you now?” he asks, his voice cutting through the static of my rising panic.

“In Jersey, but I’m running out of time, Connor. I’ve got a few days before I need to be back in Georgia. I can’t—I can’t leave until I find her.”

“Alright, listen. I’m on leave right now, so I’ve got time. I’ll drive up from Virginia. Give me an hour to get ready, and I’ll be on the road. In the meantime, send me everything you know. I’ll see what I can dig up.”

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