“Someone took my son,” I repeated on a sob as everything else around me went fuzzy.
Jensen
The shopping center where Shane had been with Farah and Brantley was just outside of town, so I got there fast, but by the time I whipped into the parking lot and slammed on my brakes, I saw the place was already crawling with sheriff’s deputies.
I jumped out, leaving my truck running and the door open as I raced over to where Shane was huddled, wrapped in Farah’s arms as she talked and waved frantically at one of the deputies on the scene.
“Jensen,” she breathed the moment she spotted me, her shoulders slumping as her face crumpled. “She came out of nowhere,” she insisted, nearly falling into my chest as she gripped my shirt and started to hyperventilate. “He was right there. Right in front of me. Then this car—I couldn’t get to him—she took him.” She began to cry harder. “She took our boy. I’m so sorry,” she sobbed into my chest.
“Shh.” I clutched her to me, stroking my hand down her hair as my heart firmly lodged itself in my throat. “It’s not your fault. This isn’t your fault. But I need you to calm down for me, sunshine. We have to be strong, okay?”
I watched, falling more in love with her as she worked to pull herself together, shoring up her strength and getting a grasp on her tears. When I felt like she was no longer at risk of breaking, I shifted her in my arms and looked to the officer she’d been talking to, noticing for the first time that he was someone I knew. Holton Clarke.
“From what Shane and Farah were able to tell us, we’ve got a description of the woman who took your son. Dark hair, baggy jeans, nondescript tee. She was wearing sunglasses and a ballcap, so they weren’t able to get a very good look.
It wasn’t much to go on, but living in a small town, there weren’t many dark-haired women vicious enough or who hated us enough to kidnap our son in broad daylight. There was only one person I could think of at that moment.
“Rina Martin,” I said on a growl. Taking Shane’s chin, I tipped her head back and asked, “Baby, do you think it could’ve been her?”
“I-I don’t know. I mean, it happened so fast I didn’t get a good look. But . . . maybe?”
“I’ll radio that in,” Holt said. “Get some deputies to track her down.” He looked back at Shane, his features softening. “We’re gonna find him, Shane. I promise.”
I sure as fuck hoped so, because if I had to, I’d burn this goddamn town to the dirt and salt the fucking earth if that was what it took to get my boy back.
“I told you I didn’t have shit to do with takin’ no goddamn kid! Now let me the fuck outta here.”
The call came in after I got Farah and Shane back to Elite Security offices where Scooter, Stone, and Caroline were already waiting, along with Poppy and Wynn. Deputies had located Rina at home, passed out from a bender the night before. When I knew Shane’s girls had her back and would keep her from falling to pieces, I’d gathered the guys, and we took off for the station.
“This is a waste of fuckin’ time, man,” Stone grunted from beside me as we watched one of the deputies question Rina through two-way glass. “Bitch didn’t do it.”
Gage muttered, “We need another lead.”
“Then let’s go find one,” Laeth announced. Together, we moved out of the observation room and were heading toward the exit when Holt called my name.
“Not sitting this one out,” I growled as he came to a stop in front of me.
“Would never ask you to. I know the kind of work you guys do. I know the skills you have. I’m not gonna ask you to take a back seat. All I’m gonna ask is that you be smart. That boy of yours is comin’ home tonight. Make sure you don’t do anything that’ll prevent you from bein’ there when that happens.”
“I don’t intend to.”
With that said, my group turned and marched out of the station.
“You got the video from the security cameras on the scene?”
I crouched over the back of Laeth’s chair, staring at the computer monitors spread out in front of me like a gamer’s wet dream.
“Just came in a few minutes ago. Quality’s shit, that’s why the cops haven’t been able to pull anything from it yet. But you’ve got something they don’t.”
“What’s that.”
“Me and shit-expensive equipment that’ll allow me to clean the video up a lot fuckin’ faster than they can.”
“Get on that. Holler when you get somethin’.”
He nodded, never turning his face from the monitor as the video started to load.
Exiting his office, I headed into mine where Shane was camped out with her girls. She looked up from her place, curled into the corner of the couch, her eyes still swimming with tears but brimming with hope. “Did you find anything?”
I moved to her, crouching down so we were eye level, and took her hands in mine. “We just got the video in from the security cameras in the area. Laeth is working right now to clean it up.” I leaned in close and brought her hands to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m gonna find him, baby. I swear that to you. I’ll find him, and I’ll bring him home.”
“I know you will.” It came out in a whisper, but the truth of those four words rang out through the room like a church bell. She didn’t have a single doubt that I’d do exactly what I promised. “I just hate that it’s taking so long. He must be so scared. I can’t—”
“Don’t,” I said when her voice broke and she started crying again. “Our boy’s tough. He’s gonna be fine.” Christ, please let that be true.
“You don’t know that.”
I somehow managed to smile even though I felt like everything inside of me was breaking the longer he was gone. “Of course I do. You raised him. He’s the smartest, strongest, bravest kid there is. He’s gonna be fine because he’s got you as a mom, and that’s how you taught him to be.”
Her tears started to fall slower. I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips, pulling back just as Laeth shouted across the offices. “I got somethin’!”
I was on my feet and running back down the hall. “What do you have?”
“Well, I got the image cleared up and was able to pull a partial on the license plate. Only problem is, it’s a rental car. It’ll take me a little time to track down who rented it.”
I looked from the car to the woman on the screen. “Get Gage to start on that, but in the meantime, zoom in on her. We need to try and see if there’s anything discerning; tattoos, birthmarks, scars, anything.”
He zoomed in on a still image of the woman. In the cap and the huge sunglasses, it was impossible to make out any of her features. There was nothing I could see that could help in identifying her, and I was just about to throw the goddamn computer when I heard a soft voice speak from behind me.
“The necklace.”
I spun around and saw Shane standing inside the doorway. Her face had leached of all color, and her wide eyes didn’t move from the huge monitor. “The necklace. I recognize it. I-I’ve seen it before.”