Page 91 of Love Me Again

“Blake Bryant. He’s one of the investors for a project we’re working on. He’s always had a thing for Shayla. I saw the way he would look at her. After my accident, I lost my memory. Shayla and I broke up for a while, and they got close; they even kissed once, but then we got back together, and Shayla cut him off to focus on our marriage.” I explain, clenching and unclenching my fists. “If anyone has a motive and is responsible for this, it would be him.”

Detective Scott nods while writing. “We’ll look into Mr Bryant, and I’ll bring him in for questioning.”

“I want to be there when you question him,” I state, and Detective Scott shakes his head.

“You can’t be there, Mr Hoult. I know this is difficult, but please let us do our job, and under no circumstance do you approach Mr Bryant personally. Leave it to us, and if he is the one responsible for abducting your wife and daughter, he will slip up, and we’ll get him.”

“I can’t just sit around and do nothing!” I exclaim.

“We’ll be in touch as soon as we know something. In the meantime, as I said, keep your phone on, and if anything feels off or you get any calls or notes, let us know right away. Do not try and handle anything on your own because you will only put your wife and child's life in danger along with your own. I’m going to have your house on twenty-four-hour surveillance just to be safe.” I heave a sigh and nod.

“Detective Scott.” I turn when I see one of the officers walk up with a young lady in a waitress's uniform. She has a cut on her forehead. “This is Miss Jones. She was working the wedding this afternoon when she saw Mrs Hoult and her baby get dragged away into an unmarked van. She was knocked unconscious and stuffed into an outdoor walk-in fridge behind the kitchen.” The uniformed officer explains, and my heart rate slows drastically. I knew it. I fucking knew it!

“Oh my God,” I whisper and turn my head when I feel Josh’s hand on my shoulder. We share a fretful look, and I see the worry in the depths of his blue eyes. “What did you see?” I ask, taking a step toward the girl, and she winces.

“Um, I went to get some strawberries for the fruit platter when I saw one of the bridesmaids, holding a baby walking out the back of the building. I didn’t see who took them, they were dressed in all black, and their faces were covered, but someone grabbed them from behind and covered her mouth. She tried to scream, and she was struggling until she passed out, and they dragged them away to a black van and sped off. I ran out to tell someone what I saw, but I got knocked out, and when I came too, I was in the fridge. I’m so sorry.” She cries, shaking her head. I crouch with my head in my hands.

“Take Miss Jones’s statement, and I want a copy of all the security footage for the whole week. This was clearly premeditated, which means they would have had to come and skulk the place out. I want the names of everyone that works here, new and old.” The officer nods before he leads the girl away, and Detective Scott turns and looks down at me.

“Mr Hoult, we’re going to do everything in our power to find them and get them back home to you safely.” He reassures me, but it falls on deaf ears.

My wife and baby have been abducted. They could be anywhere. They could be hurt or worse, and I’m supposed to just sit around and wait. “Come on, bro, let’s get you home.” Josh pulls me up to my feet.

“Josh,” I whisper, lifting my tear-filled gaze to him. Josh nods and squeezes my shoulder, and pulls me in for a hug.

“I know. It’s going to be okay, bro. We’re going to find them. I swear to you.” He sighs, and I sob helplessly into his shoulder.

“What’s going on, baby?” I hear Aimee’s voice behind me. Josh and I pull apart, and I keep my eyes cast down, tears of despair streaming endlessly down my face. Sam and Jo follow Aimee.

Josh heaves a sigh and rubs the back of his neck. “Shayla and Alaia have been kidnapped. A witness saw them being dragged away into a van.” He explains sullenly, and Aimee gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What?” Sam stammers, staring at Josh, utterly stunned. “What do you mean they’ve been kidnapped? By whom?!” He asks angrily. “Who the fuck would want to kidnap my sister?!” He exclaims irately and looks at me. “Cole, say something?! Whose taken my fucking sister?!”

“I don’t know!” I shout, lifting my gaze to his. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, my God.” Jo places her hand on her forehead and paces. “What would anyone want with her and Alaia?” She asks, and I lift my gaze to the dark sky. I just kept picturing Shayla alone and frightened, and it’s killing me.

“Did Shayla ever mention anything about Blake to you two?” Josh asks the girls, and they exchange looks of concern and look at him again.

“Blake?” Aimee intones, wiping away her tears. “You think he’s behind this?” She questions, and Josh shrugs, pulling her into his arms.

“We don’t know. Cole thinks he might have something to do with it. He was close with her until Shayla cut him off. Maybe he got jealous and couldn’t stand seeing her happy with Cole?”

Jo shakes her head. “I warned her. When we ran into him at the mall that time, and he was holding Alaia, I warned her that he was going to be trouble, she waved it off, and now he’s—”

My head snaps to her, and I frown. “He held Alaia?” I ask, and Jo nods sullenly. “I fucking told you!” I shout, looking at Josh. “There was something I didn’t like about that guy. I had a bad feeling the moment I met him. That mother fucker, I’ll fucking kill him!”

“Who the fuck is Blake? Why are we just standing here? Let’s go fucking find him and get him to talk!” Sam exclaims angrily. “I’ll beat him to an inch of his fucking life. Where the fuck does he live, tell me?!” He shouts, grabbing me by my suit jacket.

“Josh, can you get your guys to find where he lives?” I ask him in a flurry, and Josh sighs, closing his eyes.

“Cole, you heard the detective. If we all go and ambush him, it could put Shayla and Alaia’s lives at risk. The police—”

“Fuck the police!” Sam roars hotly. “By the time they get their fucking heads out of their arses and get the warrants they need to search his place, he could be doing all sorts to her man!” He shouts, pacing, and stops to look at me. “Cole, if this guy is crazy enough to kidnap them think about what he will do to her!” He shouts, grabbing me by the lapels of my jacket, and I stare at him in horror.

No.

He wouldn’t.

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