Page 28 of Her Faithful Protector

“It wasn’t exactly a new discovery,” he says with a hint of frustration in his voice. “But being there, sitting just feet away from Willem, I managed to gather some clues.”

The mention of that name sends an involuntary shiver down my spine. “What are those clues?”

“I don’t believe Quinton is anywhere near him. He looked far too casual, and he didn’t go anywhere else apart from his office, some restaurants to eat and meet people, then home.”

“I think you’re right. Not that he’s a hands-on father anyway.”

“Look, I’ve seen cases where very young children were taken. The kidnappers usually hired female help.”

Anger surges through my muscles, causing my body to jolt upright as if I were a corpse suddenly brought back to life. “Another woman is taking care of my child?” Frustration fills my voice. If Willem were here, I would have punched him square in the face!

But Jack, ever the calming presence, soothes my racing emotions. “We haven’t had a hit with that round-faced man. It has to be a woman showing up in various places—buying diapers, milk, food, gas, anything they may need for the trip, and the baby,” he explains, his tone understanding. “Yes, Willem’s men may have left L.A. well-prepared, but with young children, there’s always something you need to get, isn’t there? Am I right?”

His words placate me, as if he’s already been a father before, an empathetic figure to his child’s mother.

“Yes,” I reply, my voice softening. “But how have they managed to remain hidden? Quinton is a fussy baby. Hedoesn’t warm up to people easily. Even Morgan struggled to handle him.”

Jack nods, lost in his own thoughts, until his phone suddenly buzzes in his pocket.

“Hang on, Sam,” he answers. “I’m going to put you on speaker.”

I stoop forward as if I would miss a thing if I’m too far, my stance rigid. Then we hear Sam. “Jack, Ava. There’s a development. Completely unrelated, but it might be one of our strongest leads so far.”

“Sam, tell us!” Jack’s voice is low and concise.

“The police have found a seventeen-year-old girl from Wyoming with a baby boy who’s about the same age as Quinton.”

The possibility makes my stomach churn, but something concerns me. “I thought we agreed not to involve the police!” I protest.

Sam carries on, “She was reported missing three weeks ago. It’s an ongoing Red Mark case, and the police have been in on it from the beginning. The girl insists it’s her son. But as far as we know, there was no mention of a baby with her until today.”

I grip Jack’s hand, begging, “Take me there!”

“No, Ava!” Jack stops me from getting up. “Calm down.”

My body has become a mass of fatigue and disarray. I can’t feel my own existence or even the presence of Jack. The void of sensation bears down on me, and I collapse onto the couch.

“Ava, stay with me,” Finally, Jack’s voice brings me back from my state of detachment. His hand envelopes mine, clinging like my digits are wrapped in a snug glove.

“You two wait there,” Sam instructs. “I’ll have Cora-Lee stream Ben’s body cam footage to your phone.”

Jack opens an app on his phone and starts streaming. It’slike watching a police operation on a TV show, except it’s real. My heart pounds intensely, but so far, all I see is a group of police officers.

“Ben, we need visuals on the baby,” Sam relays. Ben is part of the Red Mark team and is also Sam’s brother-in-law, Cass’ brother.

Ben replies, “The baby is safe. He’s with child services. They haven’t given him a name yet.” We watch Ben sprint outside the house, urgently calling the paramedics as they prepare to shut the ambulance doors.

I close my eyes, drowning out all other sounds, focusing solely on the cries of the baby. My lips purse, the sound confusing me.

Ben persuades the child services lady to reveal the baby’s face. “I just want to make sure he’s okay, please.” His desperation latches on me. “I rescued him. I need to know.”

The lady presents the baby to Ben, the camera capturing the delicate features.

I release a sharp breath. “It’s not Quinton,” I utter in despair. The anticipation, so immense, causes bile to rise in my throat. I sprint, miraculously stumbling upon the bathroom in this unfamiliar house. And then, I retch, emptying my stomach.

“Ava…” Jack rushes to my side. He gently gathers my hair, holding it back from my face, while his fingertips trail soothingly along my spine.

My ass rests on the cold bathroom floor while Jack takes a damp towel and wipes my mouth.

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