“Calm down, buddy. Getting physical isn’t going to help.”

I tried to shove him off me. O’Shea was my ticket. He was the one who was going to take me to her. He had to fucking know where she was.

O’Shea ran a hand through his hair. “How do you know Elle?”

I stopped trying to lunge for him. “It doesn’t matter.”

He seemed a little disoriented. “Why do you think she’s missing?”

That’s when I snapped. I flew across the room and pinned him to the bookcase behind his desk. “Because she is. Because I was talking on the phone with her when someone took her. I heard her crying for help and now I can’t find her.”

“I don’t know where she is, I swear.” He was gasping for breath and his words were barely a whisper.

“Fuck,” I cursed and let go of him. I wanted to collapse where I stood because I had no other direction.

O’Shea straightened his tie. “I care about her. I wouldn’t hurt her.”

My chest tightened so much it ached. I wanted to pummel him just for saying that, but I had to think about Clementine, and Elle’s relationship with her. I might have already damaged it and I knew I shouldn’t cause any further destruction.

I turned toward Miles, who was shaking his head at me.

“We’re wasting time here—let’s go.”

Miles gave me a nod and stepped toward O’Shea, who was looking like he was in a fog. He ripped a piece of paper off the legal pad on his desk and wrote something on it. “Here’s my number. I used to be in law enforcement and I’m trying to find Elle. If you think of anything that will help or if you hear from her or anyone concerning her, give me a call.”

With clenched fists, I shook my head and sprinted out of that office.

Maddening futility enveloped me.

I felt crazed.

Wild.

Insane.

Out of control.

My pulse was pounding louder than the rain, drowning out everything but the memory of her scream.

As soon as I hit the sidewalk, I felt it. My world was tilted. I took off with my fists flying and my feet stomping on the bricks of the sidewalk. Faster and faster I went. My legs cramped and my stomach knotted, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t falter. Until I realized I had no destination.

“Logan! Where are you going?” Miles called after me, gaining strides on me with my new slower pace.

The rain was coming harder, making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

His hand grabbed my shoulder and jerked me back.

I stared at him, having forgotten the purpose of that visit to begin with until I saw his face. “Did you plant the bug?”

Lightning flashed like a warning to get off the street. “Yeah, I did. Now come on, man, let’s go to your old man’s and see if he makes any calls.”

We were both freezing, shivering even, as we turned around and headed for the car. “Sorry for losing it back there,” I said. “I knew he wouldn’t tell us anything, but I didn’t think he’d be so fucking convincing.”

“I don’t think he was lying.”

Thunder rumbled through the sky. “Are you shitting me?”

He shook his head. “Up until my recent retirement from the force, I’d been grilling suspects for years, and they have a tell about them when they’re lying. O’Shea didn’t have one. In fact, he looked more terrified than he let on. I could see it in his eyes. I honestly don’t think he’s involved, but I’m not so sure he doesn’t know who is.”

I had to give credit where credit was due; Miles was always one to keep a level head. “Okay, so what if you’re right? What’s next?”

“We wait and see what he does. If he knows anything he’ll make a move soon.”

Rain slid down my face and into my mouth. “Yeah, it’s not like we have a choice.”

“What about the sister’s place? Do you want me to go alone?” he asked.

“No, I want to go. Maybe we can find something that will help us.”

“Yeah, okay. Let’s make a quick stop there. I can monitor O’Shea with my phone for now.”

I shook my head to get some of the water off it.

We got to the Rover and Miles took the keys from me. “I’ll drive.”

I handed them over without complaint.

Once we were inside, we sat there, in silence, listening for something, anything, to come from O’Shea’s office.

As he started driving, he turned to me. “We’re going to find her.”

“I know,” I said.

There were no other words I could say, because the thought of never seeing her again was too much to even think about.

When we first met, I thought we were better off apart.

But it didn’t take long for me to realize we were so much stronger together.

Now, alone just wasn’t even an option.

ELLE

L ong and lean. Dauntless. Fearless. He was right in front of me. I lunged for him, twining my arms around his neck, feathering kisses across his face, his cheek, his chin, his nose, his scar, his lips—warm, lush, soft, blissful.

Logan. Logan. Logan. I said his name a million times.

My body felt cold, though; even in his arms I couldn’t get warm.

I held him tighter, but the chill was still inside me.

I was so cold.

Awareness started to sink in. He wasn’t with me. I was alone.

My eyes heavy, I wanted to open them.

Curled on my side, a sharp pain radiated though me.

I felt beneath me.

There was a rock there.

I tried to move it.

I tried to move myself.

I could do neither.

My throat was scratchy. My mouth was dry. My skin itched. My body ached all over. The chill I had been feeling had settled in my bones.

I was cold, so cold.

Muted voices were incomprehensible.

My head jerked toward them.

They were too far away for me to see any more than two figures. One dark and looming, the other tall but much thinner, wirier.

It was then I noticed that I was no longer bound or blindfolded.

Okay, where was I?

I glanced around. There were windows everywhere. Plants. Dirt. Sprinklers.

I was in a greenhouse.

Shadows approached me. It was dark and hard to see.

Suddenly, hands gripped me. I wanted to fight them off.

I wanted to be strong.

I just couldn’t.

That smell was back in my nose—the expensive aftershave and foul breath.

My stomach retched.

One of the men pulled me upright and sat me in a chair. His face was covered again with that ski mask. “Good, you’re awake. I’m almost ready for you.”

I opened my mouth and found I could speak. “Ready for what? Why am I here?”

“You’re here so you won’t make the same mistakes your sister made. You need to understand the value of remaining faithful to the one who loves you.”

His voice. It was the same voice from the phone calls. “What are you talking about?”

“Not what, who. Michael,” he snapped. “If you can see the path set forth for you, you won’t have to worry about the wee little one and her future. Walk down that path, and walk toward Michael.”

“Clementine,” I whispered.

He ignored me and went on. “You’re also here to learn you must stop meddling. If you can learn the value of these things through God’s word, then you will live through this,”

My whole body quaked.

My brain was fuzzy.

This man had taken my sister.

“Let me go!” I screamed.

He laughed.

Make him feel something, Logan had told me when he took me to the boxing gym just last week and I showed him my moves.

With all my might, I lifted my leg and kicked my foot right into his groin.

He yelped and leapt back, grabbing himself.

Another set of hands were on me. The wiry one’s, the younger one’s. He got right in my face. I knew him. He was the young man who’d delivered flowers to me last night. Without hesitation, he pulled me up by my blouse and slapped me. “You bitch.”