Page 85 of Right With You
“Fine. You’ll have your proof in the next hour. After that, all communication will come by text. If all goes well, you’ll have her back as soon as you get us the money.” The line disconnected.
We were all moving now, hustling down the stairs and to our respective vehicles, all heading toward the Saint offices. I called Aurelie on the way, letting her know she and Michele should get over to the resort and stay with my grandfather, and I’d update them when I could. She was freaked, but she’d almost been taken more than once over the years and understood the importance of staying calm and doing what needed to be done in a crisis. She’d also probably freak out when she ended the call with me, but I couldn’t think of that right now.
She would be safer with my grandfather, who’d traveled with his personal security team of three. When you were a billionaire, security wasn’t negotiable. Plus, I’d made sure he understood Saint was tapped out and couldn’t offer him security since we’d been booked for other people, though I doubted he would’ve deigned to use our services anyway. Well, maybe he would now, but prior to our reconciliation just hours ago, not a chance. He had a faithful crew, and I didn’t blame him for keeping them with him. I was grateful he had them tonight.
Within minutes, I pulled into the Saint parking lot to see Bruce jogging up the front steps, Stone close behind, and Kenny waiting for me.
“You okay?” he asked, concern etched in his brow.
“No.” It was all I could say.
“We’ll find her. We’ll get her back safe.” He hauled me into a hug, roughly slapping my back before releasing me. “We will.”
My phone buzzed, and once the image came through, Kenny and I bolted up the stairs, through the front door, and into the tech room we’d use as a command post.
“We’ve got a photo.”
My heart squeezed in a vise grip of worry as I finally stopped and looked at the image. Elise sat with red, tired eyes and dry lips, one wrist in a metal cuff, the skin around it bruised. Her left cheek was bright red, and the same eye looked like it might be starting to bruise. She wore a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts that made me swear under my breath. “They took her from her bed, I’d bank on it.”
No way would she have been dressed like that unless she was in bed. She had sweatpants she’d change into the minute she got up, and it hadn’t only been when Aurelie and Michele were at the house.
Beast walked in and came straight at me, snatching the phone with one hand but resting a big paw on the back of my neck for a second before continuing farther into the room. In seconds, he had the photo sent to the Saint servers and was milling around for whatever information he could find.
“Amateurs for sure. I’ve got meta data.” He typed away, clicking and tapping through different screens. “They took it ten minutes ago. Can’t see the geo-tags but I bet we know someone who might. Can almost guarantee they didn’t know to scrub ’em.”
“On it,” Bruce said, pulling up the hardline phone we kept in the secure room and dialing.
More experienced kidnappers would’ve scrubbed any data associated with the photo. The fact that Beast could see a time stamp or anything else at all gave us good information. First, it told us whoever had called was likely in the same location as Elise was. Second, the presence of data meant we were dealing with, if not novices, at least not professionals. This should work in our favor, though it also could mean more danger for Elise.
My stomach clutched at the realization.
“East, my man. Hoping you can hook us up, or maybe Clover can if you’re not free. Cookie’s woman was taken. Need you to see what the kids left on the image.”
Bruce’s voice sounded deceptively calm, but that was his forte. In moments of crisis, he became utterly calm and capable. We all did, but right now, I could only appreciate his leadership and the casual way he called in a favor. Was it technically illegal for someone in the EMU to assist a civilian with information like this?
I wouldn’t worry about legalities. And if Bruce wasn’t concerned, if East or Clover were willing to do it, I’d take it.
All these details, all this training and resources, and they had to mean something. They had to give us the tools because if we didn’t get her back?—
I sucked in a gasping breath, the thought of losing her was worse than last night when I thought I’d been the cause. Because then, there’d been hope. I’d held out a sliver of possibility that she might just see my intentions. And more, that she might see through all our bandying of “for now” and she’d want forever. At least a shot at it.
This? This not knowing if I’d see her again, let alone get to love her the way I wanted?
Utter agony.
Would I have been better off never loving her and not knowing this fear? Damn, but it didn’t seem like it. Removing all worry and fear would also take away that unimaginable fount of love that just kept growing, and I didn’t think I’d want to.
There was no going back and smacking myself in the face to skip the denial I’d just conned myself into accepting for too long. Time to get her back, and then we’d deal with whatever came next.
Training kicked in when my heartrate spiked with anxiety and I calmed myself, grounding into the floor underneath me, the sights and scents and sounds around me.
“Send it. He’ll be ready.” Bruce set his phone down, and Beast tapped away, apparently sending the image to East.
This was good. More information there would help, plus any minute now, these idiots should be sending along how and where they expected me to drop twenty million dollars, which would give us more information.
We didn’t have much, but we’d get more. Everyone available was here or on the way in. This was what we did.
This is what we do.
