Page 38 of Oblivion

“A politician running for senator re-election has been receiving threats against his wife and daughter for the last month or so. They’ve escalated, and now the daughter is missing.”

“How long’s she been missing for?”

“Since yesterday morning.”

Surprise lifted my brows. “Not long, then. How do we know she’s legit missing?”

“Because the father received an email this morning stating exactly that. She’s being ransomed in exchange for his withdrawal from the election.”

I cursed and flipped open the folder. Instead of seeing words and information, my eyes drew to the photo paper-clipped to the inside cover. I reared back as if confronted by my worst nightmare.

“Thisis her?”

Fuck!

Not only did I recognize that gorgeous face, I knew what her long hair felt like wrapped in my fist while I fucked her.

My lungs constricted as I stared at the same pretty blue eyes that had been the source of my oblivion four months ago in Vegas.

“Miss Penelope Prescott. You know her?”

My eyes cut to Jackson’s. He studied me closely, watching every reaction.

“No,” I lied. “I just assumed we were dealing with a child abduction, not a woman.”

“I’m glad we aren’t. Makes me fucking sick to my stomach just thinking about children being involved.” He shook off thewhat ifsand pushed off my desk.

“I’ve distributed the file to you, Tate, Randall, Makka, CJ, Laser, and Lars. Tate will head the team to locate and extract Miss Prescott. Briefing is in ten.”

“Roger,” I said to his departing back, then dropped my attention back to the photo now pinched between my thumb and forefinger.

The image of Penny wedged a ball of dread in my gut. Her eyes called me from the glossy paper. There was no doubt that this was the girl I’d screwed in Vegas. Not a fucking doubt.

While I never expected to see her again, I sure as fuck didn’t expect to feel my chest squeeze as if she meant something to me.

A one-night stand no longer in my past… This mission just became personal.

I skimmed Penelope’s file from front to back, then reread it in-depth twice more before heading to the meeting room.

Someone obviously didn’t want her father running for office and made it abundantly clear Penelope was collateral. The pictures of her, taken without her knowledge, kept drawing my attention and re-confirming my fear. She was as beautiful as I remembered.

My protective instincts kicked into gear, and by the time I threw myself onto a seat at the large oval meeting table, I’d already vowed to set our personal connection aside and do the job I was employed to do. To protect and serve. I may have beenformerSpecial Forces, but those morals died hard, if ever.

Pushing aside memories of Penny riding my dick, I focused all my attention on Jackson heading the meeting.

“You’re all up to speed on what we’re dealing with here?” he asked, looking at each of us. “Miss Penelope Prescott was last seen by her roommate, Vivian Harris, entering her bedroom in the early hours of yesterday morning. They arrived home at approximately zero-one-twenty, and Penelope was discovered missing by her roommate at approximately eleven hundred hours yesterday.

“This morning, her father received an email detailing the abductor’s intentions, and he called me soon after.”

With a click on the laptop, the email showed on the projector screen.

How much is the election worth to you?read the single sentence. A grainy picture of Penny in bed then came onscreen, which appeared to be taken in her own bedroom.

Flickering anger licked in my veins as Jackson continued the briefing.

“No signs of forced entry or struggle. No belongings appear missing. Her cellphone, handbag, and credit cards were still in her bedroom.”

“So, this was takenbeforeshe was abducted?” I clarified.

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