Page 64 of Shelter for Shay
Then darkness.
And silence.
And the knowledge that everything had just changed.
Forever.
Moose – Saturday Morning | Shay’s House
Moose’s SUV skidded to a stop in front of Shay’s house, gravel scattering beneath the tires.
A police cruiser was parked at the curb.
Moose’s heart dropped to his gut. He slammed the vehicle into park, barely registering the hiss of the brakes before flinging the door open. His boots hit the ground, followed instantly by Thor, Kawan, Lief, Sloan, and Jupiter—each one already scanning, their instincts dialed in.
No one had to be told this wasn’t a drill.
He took the porch steps two at a time. The front door was wide open, and the first person he saw was a familiar state trooper.
Andy Harmon’s presence meant local law enforcement was already inside. Good.
But it also meant shit had gone sideways.
Moose crossed the threshold fast, his pulse pounding like war drums. The house smelled like lavender, blood, and adrenaline. Fear clung to the walls. Something primal told him he was already too late.
The furniture had been knocked askew, a chair overturned, and duct tape dangled off the arm of the sofa like a warning.
Becca sat rigid on the couch, her face blotchy, hands clenched in her lap. Todd paced like a caged animal, one side of his face bruised and swelling, his shirt smeared with blood—his or someone else’s, Moose didn’t know.
Andy stood near the window, scribbling notes, jaw locked. At the kitchen counter, Jacob Donovan—the DA—held a folder in one hand and a burner phone in the other.
“Where the hell is she?” Moose asked, barely keeping the growl out of his voice.
“Take it easy,” Andy said.
“Just answer the fucking question.” He inched closer, puffing out his chest.
“She was taken about forty-five minutes ago. Three men. Clean, fast, masked up. Knew what they were doing.” Andy lowered his chin. “I need you to remain calm.”
Moose sucked in a deep breath as Thor rested a hand on his shoulder as if to ground him.
“Were they armed?” Lief asked, stepping in beside Moose, his broad shoulders eating up the space. It seemed like a dumb question, but it was more about what they had, not if they had them.
“Yup,” Todd said tightly. “One of ’em waved a piece at Becca. Another had a stun baton. Hit me with it after I clocked the first guy.”
“Did they say anything?” Jupiter asked, already pulling out his tablet to connect with satellite feeds. “Anything that gives us a direction? An idea of where, what, and why?”
Todd looked at him, then Moose. “One of them said something about Shay’s boyfriend making noise. About her not backing down. They knew Moose was coming. They’d been listening to scanners, so they knew Andy wanted eyes on the house after I sent the note.”
Moose’s hands curled into fists. He turned to Andy. “You get anything else?”
Andy nodded grimly. “Someone sent me a tip—anonymous. Claimed you kidnapped Shay. Included photos. Surveillance-type. You and Shay were walking together, but it wasn’t in a romantic way. It showed you holding a piece at her side. And it came ten minutes after I got the note from Todd. It’s a setup, Moose. They want to paint you as the aggressor.”
“Edmonds,” Moose muttered. “Has to be. Trying to shift the spotlight.”
Jacob looked up. “He’s not just shifting it. He’s detonating it. Late last night, I received an anonymous packet. Photos, documents. Proof that Shay Whitaker is Blake Edmonds’ biological daughter. I just got off the phone with the judge. He’s preparing for a mistrial, which means I have to decide if I want to retry the case.”
Thor’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the angle there? Are you worried that you won’t get the right verdict? Is the defense worried?”
