Page 1 of Stripped Bare

Chapter One

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“Something in my drink.”A feminine voice.Words slurred.“Can’t…drive.Can’t…wake.”The speech was slow and drawn out as if the woman were fighting to push out every word.

Donovan “Shep” Shepard shook his head as he listened to the recording.

“Ma’am, what’s your location?Are you driving your car?”

“On…side…road.West.Tark’s.”The slur was worse.

“Have you been drinking, ma’am?”

“Coke…he… me…” The voice was fading, growing weaker.

“Ma’am, stay with me.”

“Bright…here.”

“Bright?”

“Light.”

Shep leaned closer as if he could force the incoherent sounds that followed to form into words, details, anything that would be useful.

“Ma’am, stay with me.Is someone with you?Ma’am?”

There was a popping noise that Shep figured was the lock being popped.That was followed by the sound of the door opening and feminine whimpers.

“How the hell is she still conscious?”Masculine voice.Deep.Angry.

“I gave her enough.”Another voice.Male.

“If that were true, she wouldn’t have made it out of the bar.”Angry guy again.There were rustling noises followed by whimpers that broke Shep’s heart.“Shh.Be a good girl for me.”

Whoever he was, he was moving away from the vehicle.The other male cussed then the line went dead.He must have discovered her phone.

“What did the cops find when they got there?”Shep asked, glancing to his boss and friend, Jack Madigan, who owned and ran Midnight, Inc.He hired mostly former military, though a few from three-letter agencies hired on, as well.Shep was former Army.A ranger once upon a time, though that life seemed farther and farther away every day.

“Empty car,” Jack answered.“By the time the first officer arrived on scene, there was no one in or around the car.Doors were locked.”

“They took her,” Griff Daniels stated with a bite to his tone.“They heard the same call we did, correct?She was obviously taken, and there was no way that woman we heard had the ability to give consent.”

“They didn’t leave anything behind,” Jack said.

“They knew what they were doing,” Shep added.“Her drink was drugged.She was smart enough to know something was off but didn’t realize she was drugged until it was too late.Damn.”

“What does the police report say?Someone at the bar had to see something,” Griff said.“If I’ve learned anything from listening to Gil over the years, it’s that someone had to see something.They just don’t realize it.”Griff’s oldest brother was a detective who also happened to be married to Jack’s daughter.

“Bartender vaguely remembered seeing her but can’t account for who she was with.Busy Friday night.”Jack looked as if he believed that as much as Shep did, which was not at all.

“Doesn’t matter how busy it was.Someone saw something,” Griff reiterated, voicing what they all thought.

“How long’s she been missing?”Shep asked just as the door to the office opened.

“Four weeks.”Six feet of gorgeous woman in a pair of well-worn jeans and a V-neck shirt strode across the room with another of Jack’s men, Roman Davis.She had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, giving them a clear view of her flawless face.Shep stood as he took in her gold-flecked brown eyes and full lips he wanted to taste.Her gaze moved over him, and he fought to keep from reacting then almost growled as she turned toward Griff, who stood tense beside him.

“You must be Griff.”She held her hand out to the other man, and Shep had never wanted to punch his friend so badly.

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