Page 75 of Montana Rain

“Take care of the family, and when we know, you’ll know. Get there. We’ll tell David to hold for you.”

“I have to call the Bureau on the way. Because of the drive.”

“Understood.” Daniel’s voice came over the line. “David has earpieces as well. We’ll talk when you get there.”

I clicked the phone off, and a new voice spoke. “You’re going to get her?”

I looked up and met the gaze of Rayne’s mother standing in the doorway. “I am. As soon as I know where.”

She looked behind her, down the hall where Ava was still being looked after by nurses. “Be honest with me, please. Is my daughter already dead?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Not yet.”

“And do you really think you can get her back?”

Taking a breath, I fought the pain in my chest. “I can’t promise that. When Thomas Peretti is involved, no one can promise anything. But I can tell you I love your daughter, and I will do anything I can to get her back. Anything.”

She looked at me for a long moment, like she needed to know if I was telling the truth. Finally, she nodded. “Please help her.”

“I will.”

But every moment I didn’t have an address was a moment my fear grew. Ava and her mom got checked out, and when it was confirmed they were fine, I still had no information. Jude relayed via text that we were still in the dark.

We went back to their apartment. “I’m sorry it’s such a mess.”

“It could be worse,” Rayne’s mother said. “We could be dead.”

Dread pooled in the pit of my stomach. It had been three hours since Rayne had been taken. Going on four. The longer it went, the lower the chances were of getting her back, and losing her wasn’t an option.

My phone chimed. An address.

“Is that them?”

“Yes.” I was at the door in seconds. “They’re not going to come back for you, but barricade the door anyway. Don’t open it for anyone.”

I didn’t wait to hear her say she would, ducking out of the apartment and jogging to the elevator. I needed a cab. The pin Jude dropped told me the location was half an hour away. Too long. It was too long.

Fuck.

I dialed the internal number for the Chicago field office. “Chicago field office. How may I direct your call?”

“This is Special Agent Cole Phillips. I need to speak to Special Agent Bordeaux right now. It’s urgent.”

“Hold please.”

A cab pulled over to the curb, and I slid into the back, rattling the address off to the driver. “I need to get there as quickly as possible. I’m with the FBI. Break whatever traffic laws you can without getting arrested. It’s a matter of life and death.”

The guy raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, okay.”

I flipped the phone to the speaker just as Bordeaux came on. “This is Special Agent Bordeaux.”

“It’s Phillips,” I said.

“Phillips. You ready to come off leave already?”

Returning the driver’s look, I flipped it off speaker, and he inclined his head. He believed me now. And we were speeding. “No. I’m calling about something else. Thomas Peretti’s man Antonio kidnapped Rayne Westerfield’s mother and sister. They’re safe now, but he has Rayne.”

He cleared his throat. “What?”

---