Page 46 of Marked

CHAPTER 12

Another missed call from Kenneth.

Crap.

“Everything okay?” Tess asked, her gaze sharp as Sophia stared down at the phone she’d just silenced.

“Uh, yeah. Actually, I need to make a call. Is there somewhere quiet I can go?”

Lexi stopped loading the dishwasher and nodded at the screen door behind the dining room table. “Out back is probably the most private.”

“Thanks.” She opened the sliding door then closed it behind her as she stepped onto the large stone patio, which held a backyard kitchen and dining space. A tall, freshly stained cedar fence surrounded the property that had to be just under an acre, and a hot tub was tucked near some shrubs.

After tapping Kenneth’s contact icon, she put her phone to her ear.

“Thank god, Sophia. I’ve been worried out of my mind.” The chief’s mildly chastising tone wasn’t normal for him, but she couldn’t blame him. She’d sent him a cryptic text that morning and then hadn’t followed through with her promise to call soon.

“I’m sorry. I barely slept last night, just haven’t stopped. My mind is gone.”

“I understand,” he said softly. “But we’ve got to be in constant communication to bring back Bella. I know how you are, and you can’t take this on yourself. You’ve got the whole force behind you, Detective.”

Warmth squeezed her chest, followed by guilt. She’d shut out her team—and why? Because she had to do everything to find Bella, and she was more aware than anyone of the shortfalls of the police department: The red tape. The legalities. The hoops every move required.

She was taking a shortcut and, in the end, it could cost her job.

“You have my word that I’ll return every call from here on out. Promptly.”

“Thank you. I’ve been in touch with Bart. Poor guy is lost. He’s hired a PI, which I think is great. All the help we can get.”

“Yes,” she said.

“Aside from that, we’ve got some footage of Bella being taken. The boys got it this morning from the street cameras, and it shows her being put into the back of a white van. I—I’m sorry.”

She bit her tongue. Cole had found the same footage, only many hours sooner. Still, it was reassuring to know that the police weren’t too far behind them.

“Do you have an ID on the kidnappers?” It took everything in Sophia’s power to sound reserved. To talk about the case as if it weren’t the most important one of her life.

As if her baby girl weren’t involved.

“No. We haven’t ID’d them yet. We’re tracking the plate number and hoping to have some leads to follow this afternoon.”

“That’s promising.” The tip of her tongue burned to tell Kenneth their findings. That the vehicle had been tracked. That Bella was being held at a farmhouse and that the kidnapping was connected to Sophia’s pursuit of Lionsgate. And that Robert and Allan Thompson were likely behind it.

But she couldn’t say a damn thing.

“I’ll keep you posted. I want you to know that finding Bella is our top priority. As soon as I hear anything from the team, I’ll call you.”

Her throat closed on a wave of emotion. “Thank you, Kenneth. Please let everyone know how much I appreciate their time.”

“’Course. Take care of yourself.” A beat passed. “Detective?”

“Yeah?”

“Stay safe. We can’t lose you.” He disconnected, and she pulled the phone away from her ear and tucked it into her cardigan pocket.

Kenneth had no idea how far she’d go to save her daughter.

If it cost Sophia her life, so be it.

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