Page 68 of Protecting Jess

“No. But Jess’s best friend is here, so I can ask her. She might know who he is.” Finn’s stomach churned at the thought of what Jess could be going through at the hands of this person.

“You do that, and I’ll send you all the address.”

“Okay.” Finn pressed the phone against his chest. “Kaley, do you know someone by the name of Daiken Nicholas?”

Kaley’s brow furrowed and Finn held his breath, hoping it didn’t mean she had no idea who this person was. “Um, I think one of the girls in the company dated someone named Daiken, but I can’t be sure. It could’ve been Deacon.”

His phone beeped with Tex’s incoming message. It took the edge off the fact that Kaley wasn’t sure who Daiken was.

“Wait, I’ve got that wrong.” Jess’s friend’s eyes went wide and with a touch of frantic. “Benita Collins dates a guy named Daiken. Benita was the lead dancer until Jess was promoted. Why?”

There it was.

The connection they needed.

“Daiken’s got Jess, and I’m betting everything I own that the reason he’s got her is to make sure she’s out of the picture and Benita gets the role as lead dancer back. He has to have been the one who stabbed her.” Finn returned to his call. “Did you hear that, Tex?”

“I did and—” Keystrokes were audible. “I’ve found her. Benita is still at the hotel in San Diego. I’m going to message Fort and see if he and one of his guys can go watch it.”

Finn didn’t question how Tex was going to let Fort know what Benita looked like. He just accepted it. “Thanks. I got your message with Jess’s location.”

Things were becoming real, and the adrenaline rush he usually got before they were about to set out on their mission spiked through his system.

“I’ve cleared it with the local law enforcement and SWAT team,” Tex continued. “They’re on their way. They’ll meet you there and know that you will want to be involved.”

“Have you been able to get eyes on Jess, Tex? Is she okay?” Finn managed to ask the question he’d been burning to the whole time.

His sigh was all the answer Finn needed. “Last visual I had of her was when he was taking her into the house. She was...” he paused, and Finn braced for the bad news. “She looked unconscious.”

“Right.” He didn’t know what else to say. He just had to hope that they got there in time and Jess would be alive when they found her.

Twenty-Three

The pain in Jess’s shoulder wasn’t subsiding. If anything, it was getting worse and any chance of her getting back into the dance company this upcoming season was fading with every passing minute.

Daiken was pacing around the room, pulling at his hair, muttering to himself. She only knew his name because he kept talking about himself in the third person.

At least he’d taken the tape off her mouth, although the skin around her mouth was burning from the tape. “Why are you doing this?” she asked again.

Jess had asked the same question so many times, she was surprised he hadn’t taped her mouth again. Then again, the second they’d gotten to the house, his demeanor had changed, as if this place was a trigger for him.

She’d been faking sleep when he carried her inside. She figured it would be the best way to ensure that he didn’t use the knife he had.

“Shut up. You know what you’ve done.”

Jess kept her mouth shut, her mind working through why she thought she recognized his name. She’d heard it before, but couldn’t put her finger on where.

Why couldn’t she remember?

She studied him as he gazed out the window; even his profile seemed familiar. As if she’d seen him from afar. She closed her eyes, hoping that would help.

“I got her.”

Daiken’s words had her eyes opening.

He was on the phone. Who was he talking to? Had someone asked him to get her?

“What do you mean? I thought this is what you wanted! Her out of the picture.” His voice was getting louder and louder with every word he spoke. Clearly, whoever he was speaking to wasn’t happy with what he’d done.

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