Page 50 of Defending A Promise
Chapter 20
Declan
I’ve teased Jax about his reckless driving over the years – he drives too fast and swerves around traffic too much. Today is not one of those days. I’m thankful for his driving skills. Not only did he get us to my house in record time, but he got us there in one piece. Eli is right behind us the entire time.
“Riley?” I burst into my front door; gun drawn in case anybody else is lying in wait.
“Go. I’ll clear the house.” Eli says as he and Jax go in the opposite direction of my master bedroom.
“Riley? It’s me. Declan,” I call from the side of the master closet door after I make sure no one is in the room. I don’t know what state of mind she’s in right now, besides being terrified, and I don’t want her to accidentally shoot me because I startle her.
The door bursts open and she’s in my arms in a nanosecond. “He’s got our baby!”
I grab onto Riley as I see Bella standing guard by the French doors from the room onto the back patio. Her hackles go up and she releases a deep growl because she sees Jax and Eli on the patio. “Bella – heel. It’s okay.”
She turns to me to verify I’m sure everything is okay and then stands behind Riley as I hold her in my arms. We’ve got Riley sandwiched between us.
“All clear,” Jax says from the patio door.
I nod at him as he leaves Riley and I alone. Pulling her back, I check to make sure she’s physically okay as I take the gun out of her hands. “Let me have that.”
She willingly hands it to me. “I don’t know what to do. What do I do?” Her voice cracks as the tears don’t stop falling.
“We’re going to find him. I promise.” I kiss her tears. “Let’s go into the living room. The detectives are on their way here and to the school. The entire force is looking for him.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, my lady. You’re family. It’s what we do.”
We go into the living room and just as I predicted, Detective Kowalski is standing at the counter talking on the phone to someone as she’s diligently writing in her notebook. The Chief of Detectives is standing in the doorway directing people in the needed tasks as the crime scene analysts come in carrying big tackle boxes full of equipment.
“What are they going to do?” Riley asks me when she points to them.
“They’re going to make sure no one else has been in the house besides us.” I tell her as she has a death grip on my hand.
“Okay.” She looks just as terrified as I feel. My little guy is out there somewhere with god knows who and when I get my hands on this fucker, he will no longer be able to breathe.
“Miss Ashford,” Detective Kowalski says as she hangs up her phone.
“Riley, please.”
“Okay, Riley. Detective Smith is at the school and has interviewed everyone there, including all the teachers, aides, the director, a Miss…” she looks at her notes, “Rachel. Plus, he gotpermission from the little boy’s parents to question him to find out what he saw.”
“And?” Riley asks hopefully.
She twists her head a bit, “Well, unfortunately, due to the accident with the little girl, no one saw anything except the little boy…”
“Joseph. He’s Nicholas’ best friend,” Riley answers her.
“Right, Joseph. He only saw Nicholas walk out the door with an adult. He can’t even tell us if it was a man or woman,” Detective Kowalski says almost apologetically. “But we’ve pulled the security tapes, and they are on their way over to the station now to be analyzed. We’re going to find him, Riley.” She places a comforting hand on Riley’s shoulder.
Riley only nods but when the detective starts to walk away, Riley stops her. “Wait. You think a woman may have done this? Done all of this to us? The notes, the text messages… everything? A woman?”
As a keen detective, one of Hibiscus Harbor’s best, she notices something in the way Riley asks that question. “Yes, I do. I believe that anyone is capable of doing anything when they have motivation to – whether it’s right or wrong. Why do you ask me that, Riley?”
I’m wondering about that, too. Riley seems to have some kind of inkling of something, and I want to hear it now. “What is it, Riley? Tell us. No matter how big or small.”
She starts to shake her head and wave it off, “It’s nothing, I’m sure. Never mind.”
