Page 145 of Hot for Hostage

I could still picture how scared Sadie had been, and my grip on Bear’s leash flexed. “Oh, but I really, really do.”

My father looked ready to pull a blade, when suddenly Bear ran past me with a bark—almost yanking my elbow out of its socket as he jumped off the curb.

“Hey. Settle,” I ordered, holding firm on the leash and frowning at him. He only barked louder and fought to drag me off the sidewalk. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Boss!” Malcolm called across the lawn. He ran toward us with one hand still holding Sadie’s ridiculous broom. “Was Sadie supposed to leave?”

“Leave?” I looked for her head of pink hair where I’d last seen it. “No, she was just?—”

The tent she’d blown me a kiss from was empty. No sign of any pink hair or Pretty Boys in the area.

… Motherfucker.

Bear’s barks grew more urgent, and he tugged hard on the leash—trying to pull me toward the empty tent.

“Get Vince and grab an SUV,” I ordered Malcolm, leaving my father on the curb and following Bear through the swelling crowd. Malcolm followed, but there were too many people here. Too many cars blocking us in. “Find a way out. Drive through a tent if you have to.”

I fished out my phone as Bear and I ran toward the tent. Once inside, he kept his snout to the ground and sniffed. When he began pacing, I let go of his leash and called Sadie’s number.

“Reed?” Gladys answered after the second ring. “Why are you calling Sadie’s phone?”

Right. She didn’t have it on her. “Have you seen any squad cars leave this street?”

“More coming than going, but one flew by here a minute ago.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Was Sadie in it?”

“What do you mean ‘was Sadie in it’? She’s with you. Why would she be?—”

I hung up and pocketed my phone, searching the area for Peterson. That goddamn unsettling feeling that’d taken root when Zain abducted Sadie filled my chest again, and I didn’t take a full breath until I spotted the police chief across the pavement.

“Bear,heel,” I called to the dog, pleased when he looked up and stuck to my side as we raced over to Peterson. “Where did Murdock take her?”

Peterson looked up from his paperwork, both bushy eyebrows knit. “The hell are you talking about?”

“That asshole drove off with Sadie, and there’s no chance she went with him willingly,” I said. “What happened?”

He scanned the area before retrieving his phone far too slowly.

“I asked Murdock to get her side of the story, but I didn’t say to take her anywhere.” He waited with the phone to his ear, and precious seconds ticked by before he shook his head. “He’s not picking up.”

“Do you have some way to track him?” I asked.

“All the cars are outfitted with GPS trackers.” He waved over another fresh-eyed officer. “We can look up his location.”

He ordered the cop to find a tablet, and the younger man ran off.

Frantic honking filled the air as the giant blue Dog-Mobile raced down the street. It skidded to a stop on the other side of the gathered cop cars, tires squealing.

Gladys hopped out from behind the wheel, and Ryan wasn’t far behind her as they ran over.

“Reed!” Gladys called above the noise, patting her hair to flatten the stray strands. “What’s going on? Where’s Sadie?”

“Jake Murdock drove off with her,” I answered shortly. “What do you know about him?”

“Jake?Well, he’s a friend of the shelter.” She frowned, glancing at Ryan. “But Sadie wouldn’t run off without telling us.”

“There’s no way she’d leave Bear like that,” Ryan added.

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