Page 87 of Soldier Cowboy
And Colton knew exactly who that had to be. Dan was more of a criminal mastermind than anyone had ever given him credit. Apparently, he’d laid the groundwork and had everyone believing he was in the wind. Three thousand miles away on another coast. Instead, he’d snuck right into Colton’s town. In military jargon, this development would be called Fubar. And this mission was in serious danger of going upside down.
“Jennifer has a stalker, and he must have found her.”
“Jesus.” Beau stared, comprehension of the seriousness dawning on him.
No lover’s quarrel here. Nothing that simple.
“Tell me everything about the car.”
“It was black, four doors, sedan, probably a BMW and…”
“Yeah? Go on. I don’t have all day.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “And, come to think of it, I think maybe I’ve seen that car once before. At the lake.”
“Lupine?”
“Yeah, so far, we’ve only rented or sold cabins to families and some of the single women who’ve moved here. No single men.”
“Could he be working for you?”
“I mean…it’s possible.” Beau dragged a hand through his hair. “But I don’t think so. All my guys drive trucks for obvious reasons.”
Colton gave Beau a brief description of Dan as given to him by Horace.
“Doesn’t sound familiar.”
This still had to be the first place Colton would search and he was wasting valuable time. He may have already hurt her. Raw and pulsating fear rushed through him.
“I’ve got to look there first.”
“I’m going with you.” Beau went to his truck and grabbed a shotgun from the back.
A small crowd had gathered outside, and Levi yelled, “What the hell’s going on out here?”
“Someone took Jennifer!” Beau yelled back. “C’mon, we’re going to the lake, and we need some men.”
Several men had spilled out of the restaurant, Jackson included, and they were hopping into trucks. Colton could hardly believe his eyes. He had a small platoon within minutes.
“Follow me!” Beau said, hopping into his truck.
Colton was right behind him, pealing out, kicking up dust. He thought about Jennifer, who must have been terrified that in the small time frame he’d left her alone her stalker had appeared. He wondered why she’d gone so willingly instead of putting up a fight as she should have.
He’d have heard her and taken seconds to get to her. None of this would have happened. The issue of being taken to a second location was a dangerous one because there Dan would have the privacy he needed to do whatever he wanted to her.
Colton couldn’t think beyond that one horrible thought.
CHAPTER22
In the time it took to drive to the lake, Colton spent every second berating himself and his own incompetence. He should have told Riggs. He should have toldSeaneven if he was busy with a wedding. Maybe if more people had known to look out for Dan, they would have reported a strange man in the area. In this case, privacy may have hurt them rather than helped. There were so many things he would have done differently, and his anxious brain now listed them all.
He should have never lied to his family.
He should have never trusted for a second Jennifer was safe until he’d confirmed the facts he’d been told. That was Security 101.
Lastly, he should have told Jennifer he’d fallen in love with her.
Because damn it, he wasn’t scared of fighting and never had been. He was afraid to love someone with all his heart because it meant they’d also be taken from him, like his first parents. Like his “real” mother and father, the Hendersons. Like all the good friends he’d lost over the years. Too many. He’d lost all the people he’d loved since he’d been a child. His entire life had been a series of losses. Some at home, most on the battlefield.
