Page 102 of Her Rugged Guardian

Remaining silent, only a few seconds later I heard it again. Where the hell was it coming from? The basement. I’d forgotten there was a basement in the main house. I rushed into the kitchen toward the door leading downstairs. I’d been in the dark enclosure once when Margaret had asked me to get something for her.

As soon as I was close, I had no doubt what I was hearing. Moose scratching at the door. I flung it open and he bounded out, knocking me into the kitchen island. “Whoa, boy. Are you okay?”

He licked my face a couple of times before I was able to get a good look at him. “Thank God, you’re not hurt. Stay here.” I should have known that he’d follow me. I flicked on the light, heading to the basement, fearing the worst.

She wasn’t downstairs. I breathed a sigh of relief and jogged back to the main floor.

“Come on, buddy. You’re coming with me. Let’s go find your mom.”

He jumped into the truck without hesitation. Given I’d come down one road and hadn’t seen a single suspicious vehicle passing, there was only one other location the bastard could have gone. As I barreled down the driveway, I twisted my hands around the steering wheel. If Stephen had done anything to her, the man would regret stepping on that plane. Violence would be the least of his worries.

I floored in, heading down a less traveled road leading out of town. That would make sense, the bastard wanting to get her away from the city Cassandra had grown to love.

Moose whined from the passenger seat, the sound pitiful.

“Don’t worry, baby. We’re going to get her back.”

Woof. Woof.

I only hoped I wasn’t making a promise I couldn’t keep. I spun around curve after curve, almost losing control. At that moment, it seemed like I’d been living my entire life in fog, a walking, talking representation of what my father had wanted. I’d been on the ice with a hockey stick in my hand at three, every summer spent at hockey camp instead of playing with my friends.

He’d been a tough taskmaster, requiring me to go to games when I was so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open. If I wasn’t in attendance at whatever ice rink he and my mother carted me around to, I was stuck in front of the television. There was no dating, no homecoming dances or proms. I was the athlete not allowed to have a girlfriend for fear she’d get me off track.

I’d endured countless lectures, learning early on that if I didn’t do exactly what my father wanted, his anger would escalate.

When Riley had been born, I’d been jealous because he’d been allowed to live his life like a kid, like the way I’d wanted to. The day I’d been signed with the Seattle Sabers had been both the best and worst in my life.

I’d thought Pops would finally get off my back, leaving me alone.

The truth was that when I’d gotten injured, I’d been secretly grateful because it had taken the pressure off me, placing it squarely on Riley’s shoulders. That made me a very bad man, someone who’d forgotten what family meant. I wasn’t proud of it, but at least I’d finally been able to recognize my failure and my successes.

All because of a dark-haired vixen who’d crashed into my life like a bull in a china shop. Even firefighting had been competitive enough my father had pushed me harder, trying to make me a local hero instead of the failure that he’d called me so many times.

I couldn’t believe I’d fallen into the darkness of despair for so long. Without Cassandra’s light and her adoration, I never would have escaped the shadows or the depression. Now her life was in danger and I’d allowed that to happen. Jesus. Christ. What kind of a man had I turned into?

I’d driven twelve miles, maybe more, time seeming to stand still. When I rounded another series of curves, coming to a flat but very dark location, my headlights flashed across a vehicle on the side of the road. There was no such thing as a coincidence. He’d taken her here to dump her body, to act out a moment of revenge. Dear God. Was I too late?

I pressed down on the accelerator again, pushing the truck hard. When I got within a couple hundred yards, I noticed the passenger door had been left open, the dome light still on. What the hell? The SUV was one I didn’t recognize, but the plates were local.

Another cold chill drifted down my spine. A rental car or was it Malcolm after all?

As soon as I was fifty yards out, I slammed on the brakes, rolling to a stop only a few feet away from the rear bumper of the SUV. Grabbing my phone, I dialed Bart. Thankfully, he answered on the first ring.

“She wasn’t at the house,” I told him.

“Where are you?”

“On state route forty-nine. There’s a dark SUV on the side of the road. I’m about fourteen miles from the winery. I’m going to investigate.”

“I’m on my way. Maybe two miles out. Don’t do anything stupid, Jake,” Bart said. “There’s a hell of a lot I need to tell you.”

“Yeah? Well, there’s a hell of a lot I need to tell you too. Just get here.” Ending the call, I tossed the phone onto the dashboard.

While I didn’t have my gun with me, I did have a shovel. I grabbed my flashlight from the center console then threw open the door, allowing Moose to jump out. “You’re going to help me find her, buddy.” After grabbing the shovel from the back, I moved to the edge of the pavement, listening for any sounds. Hearing nothing, I raced down the slight incline, Moose trailing behind me.

I swung the flashlight into the darkness, the thick line of trees preventing me from seeing much of anything. “Let’s go, buddy. Help me find her. Find your Mommy dog.”

Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof.

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