Page 75 of Love in the Wild

Hadley gasped for air. “Someone pulled her out of the car.”

“Who was it?” His words were strong now, determined and bold.

“She said Cain. Bruce too. I don’t know where they took her.”

“Where are you?”

Hadley glanced down the road again. “I’m on Pickens. Just past Kennedy Road.”

“Are you hurt? Is she hurt?”

Her breaths were coming in such short bursts. She needed air. “I…I… I don’t know.”

“Breathe, Hadley,” Brett ordered.

“I don’t know if she was hurt. It all happened so fast. I called you first.”

A door slammed on Brett’s side of the call. “Sit tight. I’ll send help. You call the police, and I’ll call Asa. Maybe he can get a head start.”

“Okay.” Her words were still shaking, but knowing help was on the way was helping.

“Which way did they go when they took her?”

Hadley took a second to breathe. “They went back toward the ranch. I don’t know.”

“Just sit tight. Help is on the way,” Brett promised.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sniffing through her hot, angry tears.

“It’s not your fault. Make the call, okay?”

“Okay.” Hadley lowered her shaking hand and did as Brett said. She called 911 and waited a few rings before a woman answered.

“911. What is your emergency.”

“I was in a wreck. A truck hit my car head-on. Then they took my friend and drove off.”

The dispatcher went through question after question, and the call stretched on for agonizing minutes as Hadley tried to relay the information. It was as if her brain had temporarily shut down, and she wasn’t sure of the answers to some of the questions.

“What are your injuries?”

“My arm hurts, but my friend is the one in trouble. You have to find her. Two men named Bruce and Cain Howard took her. They’re dangerous. Please send people to find her first.”

“I’m connecting the police department with our call. Can you hold a moment?”

“Yes.” Hadley could do without the formalities if the woman would just get help heading Thea’s way. Where had they even taken her? Would someone find her in time?

Taking the moment to ground her racing and jumbled thoughts, Hadley prayed. Thea was gone, and time was running out.

22

GAGE

The stupid spreadsheet was off…again. Were his relatives trying to be idiots, or did it just come naturally? They couldn’t keep up with work expenses if their lives depended on it, and instead of working on the engines waiting in the garage, Gage was wading through another mound of crumpled receipts.

Unease still swirled in his chest. Brett hadn’t called to say the world was ending, and Emerson hadn’t come back with any valuable information. Something still didn’t sit right after Brett’s visit earlier.

One, his family hadn’t sought him out to tell him Brett even stopped by, which meant they were making decisions without him.

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