Page 63 of No Love Lost

He had his phone out and was dialing her even as he exited his vehicle to check it out.

The number you have reached is out of service.

What the hell? It only took a moment to realize the car was locked and empty. The hood was slightly warm, and there wasn’t as much snow built up on it as the rest.

He called Marcus. Or tried to. His phone didn’t work. He yelled Addy’s name, but there was no response in the wind. He moved back to his car and tried Marcus again. This time, the phone connected. “Addy’s car is on the side of the road near her house. She’s not in it, and her phone says out of service. I’m heading to her house.”

“On my way.”

Heath didn’t rush on the way to the house, checking on all sides of the road for anyone walking or signaling. The wind was crazy, but the snow wasn’t all that heavy. Visibility was decent. He wouldn’t be able to pass her without seeing her.

When he reached her driveway, he knew without entering that she wasn’t there. The wind had obliterated recent footprints. He jumped out anyway and immediately heard Animosh barking. He used his key, and the dog bounced out, happy to see him. A quick call out and a search showed no Addy.

He had to take a second and rest his hands on the counter to bring his breathing back in line. If he didn’t have a clear head, it might cost her everything.

At the sound of a vehicle pulling in, he opened the door, and Mosh followed him outside. Marcus. Heath moved to his car, and unlocked the glove box where he’d stored his gun. He wasn’t going without it now.

Marcus rolled down the window. “Lock up and jump in. Bring your dog. She might be able to help. There are tracks on the road but they’re fading with the snow.”

Heath hadn’t even looked for tire tracks. He’d been focused on Addy walking along the road.

Soon, they were in Marcus’s cruiser and heading along the road. The wind had erased a lot of the evidence, but it was still clear that a set of tracks led up the hill to Jonas Adamson’s place.

Marcus stopped the car and pulled out his phone. When Troy answered, Marcus briefed him on the situation. “Call out the troops and have someone head to Kimi’s place. We need to make sure she and Nina are safe as well.”

Heath wanted to kick his own ass. He hadn’t called Kimi or Nina. Hadn’t checked on his own daughter. Marcus reached across the car and held his arm. “Stop.”

“What?”

“Stop berating yourself. You’re allowed to go into panic mode when the woman you love is in danger. You’re allowed to think of only her. That’s why we’re here. We’re a team, and we’ve got your back. Troy will call in the Midnight Security people as well and we’ll get Nina protected while we search for Addy. We’ve got this.”

Heath managed a nod even as some of the panic eased. His Army teammates were the best of the best. He didn’t know the others from Midnight Lake as well, but everything he’d seen had impressed him. He would trust the team surrounding him to help them out.

“Okay. We should leave the car here and head up on foot. If it is Jonas, or if someone is using his place because he really is out of town, driving up the hill will alert them.”

Marcus agreed and sent another text. Heath didn’t wait. Instead, he headed up the hill, keeping to the side of the drive near the trees that lined it.

He kept his gun down at his side and opened all of his senses wide, as they’d been trained to do in the military. Animosh climbed the snow at his side.

The faint scent of carbon monoxide led him forward, right along with the faint tracks. As they climbed the hill, the wind increased, taking away the sounds. He wished he had goggles to keep the snow and wind out of his eyes. Having to squint reduced his visibility.

As they crested the hill, he and Marcus moved to the edge of the trees. Animosh followed. Both of their jackets were dark, helping them blend in with the shadowy trees.

In front of them, a farmhouse filled an open space. There was a detached garage and two sheds as well.

If Jonas was behind this, chances were, they’d be in the house. If it was someone else, the options were wider. The tire tracks led toward the garage, and he paused. Crossing the yard would make them easy to spot if anyone looked out the windows.

With a series of hand signals they’d used in the Army, he and Marcus worked out the strategy and then Heath lowered to a crouch and moved as quickly as he could to the nearest shed. Once he reached that, without anyone or anything reacting, Marcus took off from his position and reached the far side of the house.

Animosh didn’t understand the signals and trotted along at her own pace.

Heath didn’t hear anything happening inside of the shed. If Addy was tied up and unconscious, she could be in there, but he figured Jonas would have her with him. If he’d gone to the trouble of sabotaging her car and her phone, he wasn’t going to dump her somewhere.

He wanted her.

Heath breathed through the rage and controlled his reactions. He couldn’t control his emotions, so he’d used them to find Addy.

He moved behind the shed and to the second outbuilding. No noises or signs of disturbance here, either.

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