Page 143 of Stormswept Colorado

“Ayla, go.” The muzzle of the gun nudged my back. “This is important.”

“But my father used to lock me in the basement in the dark.” Panic started to claw at my throat. I wasn’t claustrophobic, but I still couldn’t stand being trapped. And down there, in an actual basement? “Please.”

“I know. You told me about that a long time ago. You used to trust me, remember?” He reached to flick the light switch. “See?It’s not dark anymore.”

“But I don’t want to.”

The gun pressed harder into my back. “You won’t be alone for long. Wait for me down there. And before you know it, I’ll come to you. We can finally be together. Like we were always supposed to be.”

FORTY-FIVE

Teller

Half an hourafter I’d discovered Ayla was missing, I sat in a conference room at Silver Ridge PD with a hum of activity around me.

I could not afford to let myself fall apart.

Personnel had flooded the station. We had two murder investigations underway, that of Seth Duncan and Paul Ruxton. A kidnapped woman who happened to be a world-famous celebrity. A manhunt for the suspect, Finn, one of our own dispatchers. Someone who knew our procedures well.

And no leads.

I’d found Ayla’s cell phone discarded on my driveway. Finn’s appeared to be off. No way to track them using cell towers.

Ayla, I’m so sorry. I dug my fingers into my hair, yanking at the short strands.I swear I’m going to find you.

I’d been on and off the phone almost constantly. Calling in every officer from every nearby department. State authorities. The DA. Some of my reinforcements had arrived, while others were speeding toward Silver Ridge. Several people were already tacking up all the info we had onto a board here in the conference room.

I stared at each piece of evidence, yet none of it gave me the answer I needed.

We’d already run a trace on Officer Duncan’s department vehicle. The GPS tracker had been disabled. I had no idea where Finn Mackie—Jarod Carpenter—had taken Ayla. They couldn’t have gotten very far yet. But Hart County was a big place.

Where would he take her? Where would he hide?

Finn had to know he’d be the top suspect in the murders and the kidnapping. What did he have planned for Ayla? What would he do to her?

When I thought of him hurting her, it was like being flayed alive. Like someone was tearing the skin from my body.

I had to get my shit together. Falling apart wasn’t going to bring Ayla home.

My personal phone rang, and I glanced at the screen. Ashford O’Neal. Piper and Ollie had gone over to his place, and I’d already confirmed they were secure. He had to be calling about Ayla.

I was surprised he, Callum, and Dane hadn’t stormed the station by now demanding to know what was happening. We hadn’t made any public statements about Finn Mackie’s one-man crime wave or Ayla going missing. But this was Silver Ridge. Word would spread fast that shit was going down.

I had to let Ashford’s call go to voicemail. I would check it in a moment, just to see if he had anything important. But otherwise, there was nothing he could do. If I’d needed somebody’s ass kicked, Ashford could’ve handled it with his martial arts skills. But this was a police operation.

When I spoke to Ashford next, it would be to tell him Ayla was safe.

Then Susan tapped on my shoulder. I hadn’t even noticed she had entered the conference room. “Chief, Sheriff Douglas just arrived, along with some friends of his. River Kwon and Aiden Shelborne?”

“Take them to my office. I’ll be right there.”

After a few more words to the people in the conference room, I strode to my office. Three large men waited inside.

“Chief Landry.” Sheriff Owen Douglas wore hissignature cowboy hat. He held out his hand. “I’m so sorry. River and Aiden filled me in.” They stood behind the sheriff, nodding at me in sympathy.

“Owen’s deputized us,” River said. “I usually love when that happens, but these are not the kind of circumstances I would call fun.”

“Riv,pleaseshut your yap for once,” Aiden muttered.

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