“We fought. I had my keys between my fingers like my dad taught me and I raked them down his face. He was bleeding and he was furious. That’s why he kept hitting me.” She glanced toward the window as if she thought Griff might reappear.
“What happened then?”
“The first man disappeared out the window with Griff over his shoulders, but the second man stayed to warn me not to call the police.” She covered her lips with a trembling hand and blood smeared her fingers. “He said...” She swallowed. “He said I would be hearing from them. He said to tell my...my boyfriend to keep his brothers out of it. Oh, God, Reese.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold on tight, but he didn’t dare. Not until the doctor checked her injuries.
Instead, he held on to her trembling hand. “Listen to me, honey. Those men kidnapped Griff for a reason. They’re probably planning to ransom him back to you. If it’s money they want, I’ve got plenty. More than enough. We’ll get him back, no matter what it takes. I promise you.”
Her eyes met his, hers glazed with tears. He had no idea what she was thinking. But the fact that they knew who he was put an extra layer of intrigue over the abduction. He had to find out what the hell was going on.
“You said there were two men. Can you tell me what they looked like?”
She swallowed, sat up a little straighter, winced at the movement. “Everything happened so fast it’s all...it’s all kind of a blur.”
She closed her eyes, taking time to recall. “I don’t remember much about the first man. He was as tall as you, I guess, only thicker in the chest and shoulders. Not muscular, just bigger. The other man had curly black hair. He had kind of a homely, dish-shaped face and he was a lot shorter. I remember the first man handled Griff carefully while the other man... I...I think that man could have killed me and it wouldn’t have bothered him at all.”
Emotion seared Reese’s chest. He clamped down to stay in control.
A sound in the hall caught his attention. He glanced up to see an imposing silver-haired man standing in the doorway, medical bag in hand.
Reese pushed to his feet. “Charles. Thank you so much for coming.” He turned. “Kenzie, this is Dr. Chandler. He’s a friend. He’s going to take care of you.”
Her gaze went to the doctor and fear flashed in her eyes. “You won’t tell the police?”
“I’m here to help you. That’s all.” His gaze swung to Reese. “Give me a moment with my patient, will you, Reese?”
He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay in case Kenzie needed him. He forced a smile in her direction. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
Reese stepped into the hall and closed the door, careful to keep his emotions in check, trying to work out his next move. No police. That left out FBI agent Quinn Taggart, or Detective Heath Ford. But they needed help, needed information. Bran was in Colorado. He had to call Chase. No other choice but to take the risk.
Florence stood in the hall a few feet away, staring worriedly at the bedroom door.
“I need to borrow your cell phone, Flo. They might be tracking mine.”
Her eyes flashed to his, fresh worry in them. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of the robe she was wearing and handed it to Reese.
It occurred to him that Chase might see the kidnapping as another way of setting him up. He might think Kenzie was in on the abduction as a way to extort money from him. But the battered, devastated mother he had seen in the bedroom wasn’t pulling any kind of con.
Not recognizing the number, Chase didn’t pick up. Reese texted him, then dialed again, and his brother answered on the first ring.
“More trouble?” Chase asked.
“Big trouble. Two men broke into Kenzie’s town house and kidnapped her son. They warned her not to call the police or involve you or Bran, but I can’t do this alone. And don’t tell me this could be part of a setup because if you could see the beating Kenzie took trying to save her boy you would know she would never do anything to hurt him.”
Silence fell as Chase assessed the information. “She okay?”
“She refused to go to the hospital. Doc Chandler is with her now.”
“Charlie’s good. He’ll make sure she’s all right.”
“She must have put up a helluva fight. The room is completely destroyed and not all the blood in there is hers.”
Chase grunted. “It’s a wonder they didn’t kill her.”
His stomach knotted. He’d thought the same thing.
“We can’t let them know you’re involved,” Reese said. “We need to meet somewhere safe.”
“Where are you?”
“Her town house on Gilbert in Oaklawn.”
“How about that little place near Turtle Creek Park? Mel’s Diner. It opens at 6:00 a.m.”
“That’ll work. I’ll meet you there.”
“Try not to corrupt the crime scene,” Chase said. “Maybe we can get some fingerprints, something to help us run these guys down. I’ll bring a forensics kit, whatever else we need.”
Reese nodded. “Thanks.”
“Disable your phone and make sure you aren’t tailed.”
Advice he didn’t need. The hard lessons he’d learned as a member of a teenage gang were buried but not forgotten. What he hadn’t told Griff the day of his father’s funeral was that Bass Garrett’s constant absence and the lack of any parental guidance had resulted in a year in juvenile detention.
That and a deadly car accident not even his brothers knew about had changed Reese’s life. As bad as those days had been, there were occasions like this he was grateful for the skills he had learned.
Dr. Chandler finished examining Kenzie, gave Reese a rundown on her condition, and suggested she return to her own room to lie down. Kenzie refused.
“There’s no way I can sleep. Not when my son is in danger.” She sounded stronger, only a faint tremor remaining in her voice. “I’m sure Gran has coffee made. It’s almost daylight. I’m going to put on some clothes and go downstairs.”
Reese felt a rush of admiration. Kenzie was a strong woman. She had fought the men who took her son and she was ready to do it again. She swayed as she rose from the edge of the bed and Reese slid an arm around her waist to steady her.
“You’re in pretty rough shape. You sure about this?”
“My son has been kidnapped. Those men are going to call, and when they do, I need to be ready.”
He clenched his jaw. They’d taken Griff for a reason. They’d call—sooner or later. He needed to be prepared when they did.