Page 41 of Saving Stella

“Son, calm down. We just found out ourselves.”

“Hospital called … parents, and they called Devon,” Charley blubbered. “Called … Dad.”

“Charley asked to meet us here, and we’re waiting for your Uncle Killian and Uncle Quinn so we can start planning on what to do to protect her.”

“Damn right we’re protecting her. What’s the plan?”

“First, we’re going to have someone with her at all times.”

“Send Jacob.” Charley wiped her cheek with the back of her hands. “If anyone comes near her, I want them burned?—”

“Jacob?” Cliff burst out. “Why the fuck would you send him?”

“It’s not a bad idea. He’s family and a senior agent,” Connor pointed.

“I’ve been here longer,” he pointed out. “Which makes me more senior than him.”

His father and sister looked at each other, neither saying a word.

“What?” He bit out. “What’s wrong?”

It was Charley who finally spoke. “Cliff, you do know Stella lives in Las Vegas, right?”

Fuck, did he know.

Gritting his teeth, he spun on his heel and strode toward the door. “I’m gonna grab my stuff and head to the airport. Fill me in on the way.”

A mixture of dread, fear, and fury coursed through him, but mostly it was guilt. He knew whenever there was a job anywhere near Vegas—hell, anywhere on the West Coast—they never even considered him because of what had happened. If he hadn’t thought to come into the office, he wouldn’t have known that Stella had been hurt.

But who would try to kidnap her? Did someone figure out her connection to Devon? Were they thinking to ransom her?

Thankfully, Cliff always had a to-go bag in his closet in case he got called for jobs that required travel. He’d been in some hairy situations before, but the few hours flight to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas had been one of the most harrowing experiences of his life, mostly because his imagination conjured up the most terrifying scenarios of what could have happened to Stella.

His phone rang the moment he stepped out of the terminal. “I’m here,” he greeted into his phone as he saw his father’s name pop up. “I’m on my way to pick up the car.”

“Good. Your Uncle Quinn just sent you the exact location of the hospital—some town thirty minutes from the airport.”

His steps faltered, and he had to stop in the middle of the busy airport. “Did … did Charley get a chance to talk to her?”

“She just woke up, according to her. There’s something else.”

“What?”

“We don’t know if it’s connected … but check your phone when you can.”

“All right.”

Cliff made his way to the car rental location, and as he waited for his vehicle, he opened up the link Uncle Quinn had sent him. It led him to a social media sharing site, and a video filled the screen—one with Stella’s face on it. He paused it, took a breath, and pressed play.

“… we were separated, I don’t know why. But if she is my identical twin then maybe … maybe you’ve seen our face before. Maybe she’s your daughter, your sister, your friend, your coworker, your wife … and all I really want to know is if she’s okay. That she’s happy and safe. Thank you.”

Cliff swallowed the lump in his throat as the video went black.

Damn it.

Stella was a soft-hearted, kind soul, but also a fool for going public like that. Of course she’d attract all kinds of crazy people with that stunt.

Gnashing his teeth together, he shoved the phone back in his pocket. He wanted to wring her neck for putting herself in danger like that.

---