and Berry or some of their friends forced Toni onto an airplane? She didn’t know how that could work, though. Toni would tell someone that she was in trouble.
Her hands clenched. If the men threatened to hurt Ellis, Toni would do anything they said to protect the man she loved.
“It’s possible. The ID used to rent the SUV doesn’t match the names of the kidnappers.”
“No surprise,” Caleb muttered. “That would make the trail too easy to follow if we managed to track them to the airport.”
“How will we find Toni now?” Gigi asked. They had no leads, and her friend had been missing for almost 24 hours.
Owen wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We’ve identified the men who took her. It’s only a matter of time before Caleb and Zane unearth the identity of their employer. When we have that information, we’ll rescue her and Ellis.”
“You and your brothers just returned from PSI training. You’ll have shifts to work as deputies.”
“We’ll work something out.”
Alarm roared through Gigi. She knew that tone of voice. Determination with a heavy dose of stubborn mixed in. “Promise that you won’t go alone.”
Owen raised an eyebrow.
“I want your word that you won’t go on a rescue mission by yourself to bring Toni home.”
“She’s one of your best friends, G,” he said, voice soft. “I’m not leaving her in the hands of kidnappers.”
Gigi cupped his jaw. “You’re not sacrificing your life on a suicide mission. Promise me. Please.”
Ignoring their audience, Owen captured her mouth with his. “I won’t go alone.”
His solemn words held a ring of truth. Gigi wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head against his chest. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“She’s right,” Caleb said. “We’re all scheduled to work shifts this week. The other deputies are taking some well-deserved time off after covering for us for the past two months.”
“One thing at a time. We have to find Toni first. Once we do, we’ll figure something out.”
“Wolf Pack might be able to help,” Jackson said. “If the other teams on deployment rotation are tied up, Maddox has been known to activate training teams.”
“We’ll discuss options with David, then contact Maddox.”
“You’ll meet Brent Maddox soon, Gigi.” Jackson set his empty plate on the tray. “Brent makes it a point to meet the people who are important to his employees.”
“That’s nice of him.”
He chuckled. “No one would accuse the boss of being nice. He’d say it makes good business sense. If his employees are happy, he doesn’t have to recruit new talent.”
Owen’s phone signaled an incoming text. He glanced at the screen. “David’s here.”
Caleb strode toward the door. “I’ll let him in, then we’ll talk.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
David rubbed his jaw, his face showing the same fatigue that weighed down all of Owen’s brothers. “The part-time deputies left for vacations today, and the remaining two full-time deputies can’t cover the county alone. I’m sorry, Owen.”
“After we find Toni, I’ll find a way to free her and Ellis.”
“Contact Maddox.” Jackson folded his arms. “He’ll have a team ready to back you up.”
“Want me to call him?” David asked. He wrapped his arms around Emma.
Owen shook his head. “I’ll take care of it. The conversation could be lengthy, and Em looks ready to sleep standing up.” David did, too, but his brother wouldn’t appreciate Owen pointing that out.
Owen and his brothers had pushed themselves to the edge to complete PSI’s rigorous training regimen in eight weeks instead of the standard six months. Because they were still law enforcement officers, Cahill and St. Claire had devised the intense program for the M team. The training had been brutal.
“Go to bed, Owen. You can’t afford to make mistakes. Your life is at risk, and so is Gigi’s.”
He stiffened.
David pointed at him. “Don’t get your nose out of joint. The rest of us slept sometime in the last 24 hours. You didn’t. You need to recharge.”
Although David was right, Owen refused to admit aloud that sheer stubbornness was the only thing keeping him on his feet. “Soon.”
“I won’t be happy if you disobey a direct order.”
Owen’s lips curved. “Pulling rank?”
“If that’s what it takes to prevent you from gaining a new scar.” His gaze shifted to Gigi. “Your girl won’t be pleased if you’re injured again.”
Gigi’s head whipped toward Owen. “Again?”
“Thanks a lot, bro,” he muttered.
“If Gigi’s concern encourages you to take better care of yourself, I’ll deal with your sour attitude because I spilled the news.” David shook Jackson’s hand. “Thanks for taking the watch tonight. Levi will relieve you