be faster if someone goes and talks to Swanson and asks him about his tenant.”
“I’ll go. Luke, you’re with me.”
“I’m going with you,” Ethan put in.
“Levi went to the Baptist church,” Jasper informed the room. “Lenox went to the address to have a look around.”
A muscle jumped in Ethan’s cheek. “I got uniforms on the scene. My dad goes into that house without a search warrant, anything he finds cannot be used—”
“Don’t give a fuck what can or cannot be used. All I want is Hadley.”
My thoughts exactly.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Carter asked Jasper.
“Hadley had a word with her mom. Emily filled me in. Pissed as hell books in her library were being ruined. She also said she reported it to Ethan. Had a word with Ethan, he was looking into it. Hadley wasn’t freaked out or scared, just mad, so yes, I knew what was going on.”
“Why didn’t you bring it to us?” Carter pushed.
“Same reason Brady and Ethan didn’t.”
“I don’t—”
“Liberty,” Drake cut in. “We were neck-deep in Liberty’s case,” he correctly guessed.
“Put that out of your head, Drake. If any of us thought there was a real danger we would’ve brought it to the table and split our resources. No way would Brady let my daughter swing if he’d known. Nor would Ethan, nor would I. None of us took it seriously.”
Right. It was time to stop talking about shit that couldn’t be changed and time to start looking for Hadley.
“Dylan, text me Swanson’s address.”
I was almost to the door when Jasper stopped me.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“Jasper—”
“This is not your fault. Emily told me about the books. Ethan knew as well. Now’s not the time to feel guilt.”
“The only thing I’m feeling right now is the need to get to Swanson. She’s been gone an hour. That’s sixty minutes with a bunch of freaks who think she needs to be cleansed. I should’ve kept a better eye on this, I didn’t, and that’s mine to deal with. But not right now. Right now I want to get in my truck, go talk to Swanson, then get my woman. And while I’m doing that, do my best to keep a lid on the desire to snap someone’s neck.”
Jasper’s eyes flared and I knew he was doing his best to keep a lid on his anger as well. A better man would’ve had a mind to his fear and helped him work through it. I was not a better man. I was a man who needed to get his woman safe so I could start doling out punishment.
You must be cleansed of your sins.
It would not be Hadley’s perceived sins that would be cleansed, but someone’s sure as fuck would be.
“Ethan, you’re staying here with Clark. Levi gets a bad vibe about the Baptist church, he’ll call it in. You, Clark, Logan, and Matt roll out and we’ll meet you there.”
“Uncle—”
I heard no more because I was out the door.
Thirty goddamned minutes later, Jasper, Luke, and I stood in John Swanson’s study. That loose hold I had on my temper was slipping and it was slipping fast. And I wasn’t the only one. Jasper looked like he was ready to blow.
We’d explained the situation to Mr. Swanson and his response was, “I can’t say I’m surprised but I sure am shocked.”
That was when my temper started to flare. It full-on caught fire when John continued, “Never could put my finger on it. I thought they were just very conservative. You know, God-fearing types. But Tammy, she seemed subservient, not shy, not afraid, maybe cowed in a way. But Colin, he doesn’t seem like the type to take a hand to his wife. He’s a big man, but soft both in word and gesture.”
That was Colin and Tammy Rivers. I’d already texted Dylan with their names and within minutes, Dylan had texted back that their background check had come back clean. Which meant it was going to take him time to dig so we needed more from Mr. Swanson.
“Did either of them mention the church they went to? Friends?”
“No. Though last summer Colin asked if I knew a tree trimming service. Now, I take care of the property, all maintenance including a gardener. I learned if I want my properties maintained I need to—”
“No disrespect, Mr. Swanson, but we’re in a hurry,” Jasper thankfully cut the man off. None of us gave two shits why he included a gardener in the rent he charged. “Did Colin tell you why