Page 46 of Abducted

“I’d like to look into him. What’s his name?” His eyes sharpened on her.

She frowned at him. What in the world would Tanner’s dad have to do with this? She’d never even met him. “Marcel Theroux.”

He nodded. His face darkened, and his eyes were distant. G.I. Joe mode had kicked in. She was learning to notice the subtle ways he changed when he moved from military Cal to regular Cal. A shiver of excitement raced over her. Both sides of him intrigued her. He was dark and dangerous one moment, then teasing and charming the next.

His hand went to the small of her back. “Are you hungry?” Her stomach rumbled. “Starving.”

He grinned. “Let’s go eat.” He took her hand, and they left the room. Rufus met them in the kitchen with a stuffed toy. She stopped to greet him, welcoming his wet kisses. She missed having a dog. She’d had one growing up, but Lady had died when Lana was a teenager. One day when she had her own place, she would get another dog.

“That was quick. Dude, your reflexes must be slipping.”

Cal grabbed Rufus’s toy and chucked it at Nate. He tried to dodge it, but it hit him square in the face. Lana stifled a laugh, Ethan roared, and Rufus charged after the toy, tail wagging.

“What do you have for lunch?” Cal opened Nate’s fridge and began rummaging.

“I just had a sandwich. There’s some focaccia bread on the counter and turkey meat in the fridge.” Ethan nodded to the plate in front of him.

Nate scowled at Ethan. “There goes my lunch for the week.” Cal was already taking everything out and fixing their food.

“Cal, maybe we should go pick up something. I don’t want to eat Nate’s lunch meat.”

Cal shook his head in response at the same time Nate spoke, “Don’t worry, there’s plenty. I was messing with him.”

Ethan offered her a seat at the table. “I keep running into dead ends for an address on either Will or Shawn. Think you can give your friend a call?” Lana shifted her gaze to Cal. His shoulders stiffened, and he lifted his gaze from the sandwiches he was making. His eyes connected with hers, and a dark shadow crossed his green orbs, but he gave her one slight nod. He wasn’t happy about it, but he was as eager as she was to put this behind them.

Lana smiled at Ethan. “Absolutely. Do you have a phone I can use?”

Cal crossed the room and set one on the table in front of her. “Use this one. It’s encrypted. Be sure to tell her not to breathe a word of your contacting her to anyone. And avoid having her call you back. Stay on the line until you get the information.”

She nodded, picked up the phone, and made her way to the bedroom. A tiny ball of unease wound deep inside her stomach. Everyone thought she was missing; it was a lot to ask Casey to keep quiet. She dialed her number and sat on the bed. The phone rang in her ear, and Lana chewed the tip of her thumb.

“Vanderpoel Homes, this is Casey speaking. How can I help you?” Lana’s pulse kicked up a notch. “Case, it’s Lana—”

Casey’s sharp intake of breath pierced her ear.

Lana cringed. “Don’t freak out, okay? I need your help, but I need you to promise you won’t tell a soul that you’ve heard from me. Not even my father.” A stab of pain shot through her chest. The words burned her tongue, and shame filled her heart. To imply that it wasn’t safe for her father to know she was okay ate at her.

“My life depends on it, Case.”

Casey cleared her throat. “You can trust me,” she said softly. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Thanks. I’ll explain more later, but I need you to get an address for me…an employee’s. I know that’s a breach of confidentiality, but—”

“What’s the name?”

“Shawn Lawson.” Her voice shook on the words. Silence vibrated through the phone, and Lana closed her eyes. As her dad’s manager, Shawn was a very prominent employee. Under any other circumstances, giving out his information would be cause for an immediate dismissal.

The heavy tap of Casey’s purposeful typing sounded in the background. “Do you have a pen?”

Lana leaned for the nightstand drawer and pulled out a pad of paper and pen. “Go,” she said. Casey rattled off a phone number and an address. Lana jotted it down, thanked her, and hung up.

Yes!

It wasn’t definitive, but it was a solid lead. Satisfaction rippled through her as she made her way back to the kitchen and slapped the paper on the table in front of Cal. He read the address and got to his feet.

“You’re incredible.” He caught the back of her neck and brushed his lips over her mouth. She laughed and let him pull her into his lap.

He waved the paper in the air. “Here’s our next stop, boys.”

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