Page 3 of Knight

He runs a hand over his beard, his wedding ring glinting in the light of the kitchen. “Taylor Kingston was taken last night, and her parents were killed,” his voice is low and full of pain.

“Taken? What do you mean? Like kidnapped?”

He nods, those dark eyes of his haunted and hollow. “Yeah. It looked pretty brutal too. Archer got the call off the 911 feed, and when we went out there, she was gone and they were DOA. I’m just home for a few hours of sleep and then I’ll be going back out. Crime Scene is out there right now. Hopefully they’ll be able to pick up some evidence for us, because right now we have nothing.”

“Kids are going to hear about this,” I murmur and pull my bottom lip between my teeth, worrying the skin. Immediately my mind goes to the students I care so much about. “She’s well-liked, popular, and doesn’t have an enemy. I can’t imagine anyone who would do this.”

He sighs heavily. “Reminds me of when Caleb was in school and they lost a classmate. Cursory questions we’ve asked haven’t revealed anything about anyone who might have wanted to hurt the family. Finding her isn’t going to be easy.”

“None of this is easy,” I remind him.

“Nope, and it’s even heavier than normal. They don’t have neighbors for miles, babe. There were no cameras on the house, and we got a late start compared to whoever did this. We’re at zero. People are gonna have questions, and we’re not gonna have answers.” He blows out a deep breath, his shoulders drooping.

Reaching over, I grab his hand. “If there’s anything I know about you, it’s that you’re gonna find her. No other outcome will be good enough for you.”

“Second day on the fucking job, Rina,” he shakes his head. “We’ve never had anything like this in Laurel County.”

The only thing I can do is put my arms around him and hold on tight. “There’s a reason you were given this job, Mase. It’s because you and your team are the best. You’ll find her, and you’ll figure out why the Kingstons were targeted.”

“I wish I had as much faith in myself as you do in me, babe.”

Reaching up, I place a kiss on his cheek. “I have enough for both of us.”

“Yeah you do, and I love you for it.”

“Not as much as I love you.” I hug him tightly, wondering what I’m going to be faced with when I get to school.

* * *

*****

* * *

Pulling into the parking lot of Laurel Springs High, I can tell this day is different. There’s always an undercurrent of how the day will be once I’m on school grounds. Some of those days are great, other ones are a struggle. Getting out of my SUV, I sigh heavily.

Today? Utter sadness.

Even if everyone doesn’t know what’s happened, the vibe is feeding off of the ones who do.

“Hey,” Trinity waves as she walks over to where I’ve parked.

“Hey,” I answer her back with one of my own. “Did you hear what happened?”

She nods. “Taylor is in my homeroom. They notified me last night.”

I reach out, hugging her tightly. “I’m so sorry.”

A sniffle works its way out, before she pulls back. “She’s such a good person; always helping anyone who needs it, and willing to help whenever needed. I can’t imagine what she saw last night, Karina.”

“I can’t either.” I put my arm around her as we walk toward the entrance of the school.

Once I’m there, I’m greeted by two of Taylor’s best friends. They have tears streaming down their faces.

“Mrs. Harrison, is it true?” Susan Alves, a pretty fifteen-year-old cheerleader asks. “There are rumors, and my mom told me not to make assumptions. If anyone would know, it’s you.”

Pressing my lips together, I nod. “It’s true.”

“Mr. Harrison’s going to find her isn’t he?” Their quieter friend, and a member of the band, Charlotte asks. Her face scrunches up, and she works hard to keep her breathing even.

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