Page 64 of Waiting for Devon
“We’ve told you everything we know,” Jasper answered.
Detective Kennedy focused on Alana Turner. “Who are you?”
“Alana Turner. I’m Shane’srealfiancée,” she explained and held out her left hand. A diamond solitaire sparkled in the light.
Jack threw his hands up in the air. “You people are fucking crazy. Devon is missing, and youproposedto another woman?”
Shane’s bruised face turned bright red. “I didn’t know Devon was missing. She never bothered to tell me she went to see Dad. I found out when he called me into his office.”
“And then you what? Ran straight to your lover and proposed? Jesus Christ. If I were you, Alana, I would think twice about marrying into this family. So, let me just throw this out there. Did dear old dad hand over his empire to you?”
Shane winced. “No.”
“So your fucking charade was all for nothing and may have cost Devon her life.”
Detective Kennedy frowned. “Why do you believe that, Dr. Taylor?”
“Don’t you think this is about money, Detective?”
“There’s been no mention of a ransom demand.” His phone pinged with an incoming message. He studied it for a moment. “We have a lead. I need to get to Barrington Industries immediately.”
“What is it?” Jack demanded.
“I’ll keep you posted.” At that hollow reassurance, Detective Kennedy left them with a hastiness that served to increase Jack’s concern and uneasiness.
“I’m not hanging around here,” Jack declared. “Not when Devon’s life is at stake. I’m following Detective Kennedy to Barrington Industries.” He started to call a taxi.
“I’ll go with you,” Reed volunteered.
“Oh, so now you’re concerned?”
Reed’s eyes glittered with animosity. “Shut the hell up. I’ve had just about enough of you and your sanctimonious bullshit.”
He stomped out of the living room, leaving Jack to follow him.
Chapter Seventeen
Agrim tensionsettled between Reed and Jack as they headed into Dallas. For miles neither spoke. Seething with anger and jealousy and fear, Jack turned toward Reed and said, “I want Devon back.”
Reed’s eyes flickered with an undefinable emotion. “I’m not standing in your way.”
“Why are you so willing to believe the worst about her?”
“Because I pegged her for a fraud the moment I met her. I wished I had listened to my instincts.”
“It’s not her fault. When I realized how empty my life was without her, I left my job in Chicago and headed to San Francisco. I went about trying to get her back all wrong. Instead of begging her on my hands and knees to give us another chance, I came on strong and acted like an insensitive jerk. If I hadn’t upset her, if I had only asked her for the opportunity to talk, she wouldn’t have been in Shane’s sights. I blame myself for her predicament. Butyou, all you had to do was reassure her you would love her no matter what and she wouldn’t have run away.”
A muscle ticked in Reed’s jaw. “You don’t know me.”
“No. But I know Devon. The look in her eyes, the expression on her face, when I saw the two of you together at the clinic said it all. She fell hard for you. Devon used to look at me like that.”
They fell into a resentful silence. By the time Reed and Jack reached Barrington Industries, the parking garage crawled with cops and crime scene technicians around Devon’s car.
“Shit!” Jack swore as he climbed out of the cab of Reed’s truck. He hurried toward Detective Kennedy. “Have you found something?”
The detective shot them an annoyed look. “We have footage of Dr. Brooks being taken by two men.”
“What? Let me see,” both Reed and Jack demanded in unison. They glared at each other.
