Page 95 of Silver Sanctuary
“But I know Joanne. I’ve picked up Embrie before from here. She should have recognized that it wasn’t me.”
Principal Nix nodded. “Joanne is out sick. We have a temp staffing the desk today. She did follow every procedure as we have it written.”
“We’ll need the tapes from the security cameras,” Nash barked, already sick of the excuses.
“Unfortunately, the cameras have been down this week.The school has a contract with a company in Dallas that’s supposed to come up this weekend to replace them. We never could have imagined that something like this?—”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me. So we havenothing. Nothing except the description the temporary receptionist gave, which sounds like Lacy’s mom and her boyfriend. Let’s go.”
“Nash, shouldn’t we…”
He turned to Colt. “My team located Embrie’s backpack?—”
Lacy’s gasp stopped him, but only for a second.
“They’ve already called it in to Hank. I’m taking Lacy there now.”
“Let the Sheriff’s Department handle this, Nash. I promise I’ll fight to keep you guys looped in, but in a case like this, we need everyone to stay in their lanes.”
“No,” Lacy barked. “Nash and the guys can help! And you need to be looking for my mom. She has to be the one who took Embrie. She told me this was going to happen.”
“Deputy Shannon and I already discussed that possibility and there’s another deputy on his way to her last-known location.”
“We need to go.” Nash gently tugged at Lacy’s arm.
She nodded, but didn’t move away from Colt. “I didn’t remember until he spoke, just now—on the way out of the office.”
“What?”
“Deputy Shannon—his voice. He was one of the men who assaulted me in the parking lot of Petals.”
Nash froze, his mind going completely blank. He stepped in front of his wife, her eyes filled with determination. “You’re sure, Lace?”
She nodded once, and that was all he needed. Nash dropped her hand, stalking out of the office. Hiseyes landed on the fucker, leaning on the desk talking to the secretary like he didn’t have a fucking care in the world.
“You think you can lay your hands on my wife and get away with it?” At least the asshole had the decency to wipe the smirk off his face before Nash’s fist connected with it. The crack was so loud he heard Lacy gasp behind him.
Another swing. Another crack.
And another.
And another.
“Nash, that’s enough.” Colt’s hand landed on his shoulder and stopped him from throwing another punch. “Get out of here. I’ve got this covered.”
“It won’t be enough until he’s behind bars for what he did, Colt. I’ll leave that to you.”
Nash turned, taking a hold of Lacy’s hand with his knuckles still covered in the deputy’s blood, and walked her out to the truck in silence.
Twenty-Eight
Asheriff’s deputy?! Was there no end to the places that people would be trying to hurt her from? He was a man with power.
There would be no justice for what he had done to her—the way he’d hurt her, leaving her with no care as to whether she lived or died. He’d had no fear about spitting on her, kicking her, because he held all the power. And he knew, just like she did, that no one would believe her.
No, that wasn’t true. Someone had.
“Thank you. For believing me,” she whispered.
