Page 105 of An Unexpected Home

“Okay,” he said. “Make sure you all stay together.” He pulled Logan and Tony aside before they left. “Check every inch of the house before you lock yourselves in there. He got in my house somehow and the only way I can think of is that he got in while we were there and doors were open and unlocked.”

They both nodded and left. Along with Ray.

“Alert is out,” Tim said. “What now?”

“Now we split up and go looking for ourselves. You go east and I will go west. If you see anything suspicious at all, you call me.”

He took Logan’s car and headed west. He went slow, looking at every home and business for Leah’s car or anything else that seemed odd. After he made it to the end of town on Main Street, he started going up the side streets beginning with the north side of town.

His phone rang and he picked it up. “Graham,” he said.

“It’s Ray.” Brandon held his breath and hoped that Ray had a lead. “I was just at the deli and the girl behind the counter said that Leah came in around noon to pick up lunch.”

“That jibes with the time Carly said, too.”

“There was a customer there at the time who was also leaving, a Jean Devereux, and she said that she saw Leah get into her car and go right. That would make sense that she was at least on her way to your place.”

Hanging up with Ray, he kept his eyes peeled all the while his heart was beating out of his chest. Leah was his life now and somehow, he’d fucked up and let a crazy person get ahold of her. If anything happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to survive.

His phone rang again and this time it was Tim.

“I might have something. You know how Katie’s daughter Julie was going out of town for the week. Well, Katie said she went by yesterday to check on things and she had a distinct feeling that someone had been there. She said she couldn’t be sure, but that something just felt off.”

“What’s the address?” Brandon demanded and Tim rattled it off.

“I’m on my way there, too,” he said. “So don’t go all cowboy without me.”

Brandon turned his car in the direction of the address and sped all the way there. He stopped several yards from the drive and parked his car along the side of the road. If this was where Will had Leah, he did not want to make his presence known.

Tim pulled up behind him and got out. “What’s the plan?” he whispered.

He swallowed and took a deep breath. He needed to calm his nerves so that he could do his job. “We go together up to the side of the house. Maybe, just maybe we will see or hear something that will tip us off that they are, in fact, in there.”

Together they crept to the side of the house next to the garage. The garage was one that happened to have a window and inside he saw Leah’s car.

“Fuck,” he swore under his breath.

They kept moving, making it to the side of the house. When they turned the corner, what he saw in the sliding glass door made him so proud and at the same time made his heart stop.

Leah was standing over Will, gun pointed at him.

Not wanting to frighten her, he lightly knocked and said her name. She turned her head, expression going from fear and anger to relief. Backing toward the door but keeping the gun trained on Will, she worked on unlocking the door. When Brandon heard it click he slid it open, letting Tim move past him to deal with Will while he removed the gun from Leah’s bloody hands.

“Oh God, Brandon,” she said and loosened her grip on the gun allowing him to take it.

“It’s okay,” he said over and over, taking her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I was so scared,” she said against his chest. “He was crazy.”

He pulled back and lifted her hands. “Oh baby, look at your hands. Let me get an ambulance here.” He made a fast phone call while he watched Tim cuff Will.

“I’m taking him in now, Chief,” Tim said. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Can you let Ray and Logan know that we found her and that once she is treated for injuries, I will bring her by.”

“Will do,” he said and escorted Will Huntington out.

“Can we get out of here?” Leah asked. “At least outside?”

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