for my clients. She’s good at networking and led me to you.”
Sterling disconnects the Bluetooth. “We’ll keep her connected, but you can’t be listening to it.”
“He’s hitting her, Sterling, and I can’t do anything.”
I’m powerless.
Useless.
God, please let them find her in time.
“I’m so fucking terrified right now,” I say out loud. “I just can’t.”
“You’re going to have to stay strong because when she comes back home, she’ll need us.”
They’re going to be too late. I search for the email that Johnson, my PI, sent me over the weekend and input the address. I’m going to stop this, even if it’s the last thing I do.
Three
Wes
I made good time from the Denver Tech Center to Thornton. According to the stupid GPS, I’m just a couple of minutes away.
“In five hundred feet you’ll reach your destination on your left,” the robotic female voice says.
“Fuck,” I growl at the barricades blocking the street.
I park the car in the first available spot and rush toward the long line of emergency vehicles with their flashing lights.
Men wearing blue jackets emblazoned with the letters FBI stand outside staring at the onlookers who are trying to find out what happened.
“That house is unlucky. Just a few years back, one of the girls died,” one woman says.
“They’re saying they got the other girl tonight.” The lady next to her nods twice after her comment.
Not Abby. My chest heaves to the point that it groans with each breath.
“Abby,” I finally find my voice and call out after her, fighting my way through the bystanders.
“Sir, stay behind the line,” one of the men in blue orders.
“Wes, wait. I’m sure she’s fine.” Sterling squeezes my shoulder.
“Fine? Didn’t you hear the fucking call? He’s going to kill her.”
“What’s going on?” A petite woman wearing black cargo pants and a tank top walks toward me. “Ah. Let him in. He’s with us.”
“Go, bro. I’ll be here waiting.” Sterling stays behind the barricade.
“I’m part of the HIB team, Mr. Ahern. Luna Galvez-Everhart,” she introduces herself. Luna, the name sounds vaguely familiar. “You helped me get one of the guys I was tracking for a couple of years.”
“Where’s Abby?” I search around, checking every cruiser, van, and firetruck for her, but I can’t fucking feel her around me. “I heard him torturing her.”
Luna flinches. “She’s on her way to the hospital.”
My heart accelerates. “What happened?”
“Cuts, bruises, and broken bones. Nothing life-threatening, don’t worry.” Her voice is steady, normal. As if this is nothing compared to what she deals with every day and I should just suck it up.
“Hey, babe.” A tall, guy pulls her into his arms. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he envelops her. “You fucking scared me. Never do that again. I was barely in position.”
“I had to, and I knew you’d have my back. We saved her. She’s going home.” My anger toward her settles as I hear the honesty in her words and her own relief at Abby’s survival.
“Mr. Ahern, this is Harrison Everhart. He’s part of the team and the one who took down Shaun.”
“You did your part too, little moon.”
Catching up with them is pointless. I cut to the chase. “Where did they take her?”
“St. Anthony’s,” Luna confirms with her phone.
Without a word, I head to my car. I have to see her.
“What’s going on?” Sterling asks as I pass through the barricade and rush to the car.
“She’s in St. Anthony’s,” I repeat what Luna said, googling the address.
Even though this area is only forty minutes from where I live, I don’t know it well. Once I get it, I set the driving directions and unlock the car, but Sterling is the one getting into the driver’s seat.
“I’ll drive you. Get in the car, now,” he orders.
“What else did they tell you?” he inquires, pulling the car out of the parking spot.
I update him with the little information I gathered from the encounter with Luna. He remains quiet while I keep praying. She said nothing life-threatening, but was she playing it down?
In less than ten minutes we’re at the hospital. He drops me by the Emergency entrance. I push the doors open and walk to the reception.
“Where can I find Abby Lyons?” I ask.
“Is she a patient?” The nurse’s attention goes to her computer.
“I was told that the ambulance brought her here.”
“Ah,” she sighs. “We don’t have her in our database, yet. Sometimes it takes a couple of hours to update. If you have her information though, you could help us by giving us her