Page 62 of Wilde In His Arms

“You’re welcome, honey.And I’ll call you as soon as Agent Nick can make that happen, okay?”

She held the phone tighter.“Don’t forget.”

“I won’t.You can count on it.”

Nick turned the phone toward him.“Thank you for your help.I’ll call you later.”

“Stay off that leg.I love you.”Of course she was worried about him.

“Love you, too.”Nick hung up.

Stacy looked at him.“When can I see her again?”

“Soon as I can make it happen.But first, you understand that there’s a lot we need to do to get all the bad guys.”

She nodded, her bottom lip trembling.“Okay.”

Nick unlocked the door and found Agent Hayward staring back at him, a look of impatience on his face.

Agent Hayward planted his hands on his hips.“Stacy’s family is anxious to speak to her and take her home.”

Nick glared.“Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Agent Hayward raised a brow.“Why?”

“Because Agent Nick is going to arrest the bad guy.”Stacy gave the other agent a firm nod.

Agent Hayward glanced back to Nick, a question in his eyes.

Nick answered.“Her father used her to pay off a gambling debt.”

Agent Hayward opened his mouth, probably to swear, then looked at Stacy and closed it with a click of his molars.“Well, then, let’s go arrest the bad guy.”

Nick grabbed the other agent’s arm to stop him from leaving.“Stacy and the other kids know the names of all the bad guys who hurt them, too.”

Agent Hayward gaped at Stacy.“You do?”

She nodded.

Agent Hayward grinned at her, pride in his eyes.“Maybe you four will grow up to be kick-ass agents.”

“Maybe.”Stacy held on to Nick’s neck, looking very proud of herself now.

Nick let Agent Hayward lead the way back to the conference room.Stacy was getting heavy in his arm, the pain in his chest intensifying, but he refused to put her down.She trusted him.And he wanted her to have the perfect view of her father being arrested for what he did to her.

Agent Hayward stepped into the room just as Stacy’s dad stood and rushed forward.“You can’t keep her from me.”

Nick stopped next to the table and stood Stacy in the chair in front of him as he kept a protective arm around her middle.“You will never see her again.”

Karl’s eyes narrowed.“What?You can’t do that.”

Nick caught the grandmother’s gaze fall to the floor and a look of shame come over her face.“You know what happened,” he accused.

Her gaze shot up to his and her face fell in remorse.“He gave a drunken confession three days after she went missing.He tried to get her back but that asshole Perry Whitehouse refused and threatened to kill her if Karl or I went to the police.”

Agent Hayward pulled out his cuffs and headed for Karl and Donna, though his gaze held Stacy’s.“Lucky you, sweetheart, you get two bad guys arrested today.And we’ll get Perry Whitehouse next.”

Agent Hayward cuffed Stacy’s father and called in another agent to take her grandmother into custody.Karl walked out with his head down, no words for his little girl.No remorse.Not even a half-assed apology.

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