Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
The door is open, the keypad fully intact.
He inches around the corner, his eyes sharp and scanning the area. “Rowan? Jewls?”
Silence.
I edge behind him, and my rage builds at the mess. Talon bounds in, his gun raised, and he takes in the scene, his face hard.
A muffled ding beeps, and I spot a flash on the floor.
“Don’t touch anything else.” Robbie materializes at the door, Finn and Max at his back.
“This is her phone.” I stare at the splintered screensaver shot of us from last weekend.
“How do you want to play this?”
I jerk my head at Robbie’s question. “Play this?”
“You’re cops. We’re not. We don’t have beef with the department, but someone has to take lead. Our methods don’t come with bureaucratic red-tape. You want to call in the boys in blue, or you want me taking point?”
“I want whoever the fuck it takes to find them now.”
Robbie, Finn, and Max exchange a look before Finn and Max take off down the stairs. A second later, Ace and Harley enter. Harley goes pale while Ace hands me my gun.
“Nabbed it from your truck.”
“Appreciate it.”
“What do we know?”
“Jack-shit,” Ford barks.
Talon gives Ace a run-down of what we learned about Craig, but his words are distant to the ringing in my ears. A firm hand lands on my shoulder, and Robbie comes into my line of view.
“We will find them. Keep it together.”
“You walk into this situation and your pregnant wife is missing, what would you do?”
His face hardens and something passes in his eyes. “I’d be as savage as you, but trust me on this.”
I jerk my chin, not trusting my reply.
“I’m calling my dad. When I hang up, call your captain. Tell him what you know and Hayes Security got the call out. He’ll understand what that means.”
Harley’s arms slink around my waist, and she leans into my side supportively. Her firm voice doesn’t disguise the tremble in her hands. “What can I do?”
“Tell me about this place.” I examine the room, noticing it doesn’t resemble an actual studio apartment. The small kitchen, bistro set, and a television on the wall give it a breakroom vibe.
“The row of wall cabinets is actually a murphy bed Rowan pulls down at night and puts away each day. Bathroom and closet are in the hall. There’s a smaller room off the end of the hall. I’ve never been in there.”
“There a reason this place is so utilitarian?”
“She didn’t bring a lot of her things from home because it’s temporary.”
Robbie switches his focus to her. “Finn and Max are downstairs talking to the salon staff. This building is solid, but maybe they heard something. You know those women; they may appreciate a friendly face.”
She nods, releasing me and rushing down the stairs. Robbie makes the call to his dad, and Ace calls the captain. Ford and Talon assess the room.
Robbie produces a tablet and sets it up on the table.
I stand immobile, staring at the screen and not doing dick. My thoughts are all over the place.
Think, Powers!
I close my eyes and bury my fury, running through logical scenarios as a cop.
Could they have left in a hurry? Running from something? But then, why was the downstairs keypad busted?
No. Rowan used her distress signal, and Jewls would never leave her phone. Their cars are in the back lot.
“Son of a bitch,” Robbie spews, pulling my attention to the screen of his tablet.
I catch the video as a man storms up the stairs, knocking on the door. Rowan opens with a smile that dies instantly. Her mouth widens in a scream as the man backhands her into the apartment. The next four minutes feel like a lifetime until Rowan reappears, tears streaming down her cheeks, both eyes swelling and her lip bleeding. Jewls is next to her, her face a mask of anger and fear.
Craig Johns has a fistful of her hair, his mouth moving rapidly. It’s then I see the gun pressed into her back as he shoves her roughly. She misses a step, almost going down, until she’s yanked back by the shoulder.
Her face twists in pain.
He forces them out the door to a beat-up SUV, yelling something to Rowan. She shakes her head, her face filled with horror as he hands her a syringe. She refuses to take it until he puts the gun to the base of Jewls’ skull.
Jewls says something, and more tears spill as Rowan inserts the syringe into Jewls’ neck with shaking hands.
Jewls goes limp, and Craig shoves her into the backseat.
My vision blurs as red-hot fury threatens to take over.
Rowan sinks to the ground until he kicks her, lifting her by her hair and shoving her into the passenger side.
He skids out of the lot and out of sight.
“No fucking plates.” Robbie rewinds the video, zooming in on the SUV.