Page 104 of Protected

“She hasn’t been back to my place yet. Her boss hasn’t seen her since some luncheon she had today, and she isn’t answering her phone. I thought maybe she came to see you.”

Bradley’s heart raced as fear slammed into him. Had something happened to her?

He sat down on the couch in the senator’s office and pulled out his phone to call her. It went straight to voice mail.

“Fuck. We need to find her, Michael. Have you called Peter?”

“I did, but he isn’t answering his cell.” Michael came all the way into the senator’s office and sat across from him. “Think. Is there somewhere she would have gone? I’ve tried a couple of places she likes already and no luck. I can’t technically report her missing yet because it hasn’t been twenty-four hours, but I’ve got a bad feeling.”

Bradley stood to pace the room. He stopped in front of a wall of photos and ran a hand through his hair.

“Fuck. I can’t lose her. We have to find her,” he said again. “I don’t understand, Peter would never let her out of his site.” Michael came to stand next to him. His eyes glancing over the pictures.

He stopped on one and got a funny look on his face.

“What is it?” Bradley asked.

“Why does Senator Atleigh have a photo of Kaden Laramore?”

“That’s his nephew. Why does it matter?”

“You’ve got to be shitting me? That’s the son of a bitch that raped Darci and got away with it.”

Bradley paled. “Darci never told me his name. Just that he left school after her accusation.”

Michael nodded. “I could tell he came from a rich family, and I always assumed they kind of swept him under the rug, sent him out of the country or something. I didn’t realize he was a sitting senator’s relative.”

“I know little about him. He’s the kind of a sister that doesn’t associate with the family much if I remember right. What does any of this have to do with finding Darci?”

“Probably nothing. Kaden Laramore was just on my list of people to check in on as possibly being her stalker, but I hadn’t been able to locate him yet. That along with Theresa Holden showing up gives me cause for concern.”

They left the senator’s office and headed back to Bradley’s. He had no idea how they would find Darci, but they had to.

He pulled out his cell phone and called his dad.

His father hadn’t seen her since he left her at the country club this afternoon.

Bradley gave Michael the address of the club and he took off, promising to call as soon as he had any information.

“Where are you, Darci?” Bradley said out loud as his office door closed.

Three hours later, Bradley still hadn’t gone home, and there was still no word from Michael.

Adara poked her head into his office. “Hey, boss. You need anything?”

“No thanks, Adara. I just don’t want to go home right now.”

“I understand. Want me to get some dinner? I’ve got a bunch of work to keep me busy. I’ll stay with you.”

He smiled kindly at the woman. “That would be great. I doubt I’ll be much help with work, but I wouldn’t mind the company.”

Adara left to order some dinner and Bradley stood to pace. They had to find her.

Fifteen minutes later, his cell phone rang. He answered, praying to hear Darci’s voice on the line. Instead, it was Michael. “It’s Kaden, he took her.”

“What? How did you find that out?”

“Security footage at the country club. I threatened to get the press out there if they didn’t let me look at it. She left with him around two this afternoon. Looked like two people leaving together but I could see the fear in her eyes. She might not have even recognized him. He grew a beard, put on some weight, but it was him. I stared at the son of a bitch’s picture for weeks trying to figure out how to convict him all those years ago.”

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