Bittersweet (Redemption #3) - Jessica Prince Page 0,101

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