Boomer was in the middle of a major verbal rant. “That sorry piece of shit. He had access to all the info we gathered, all the evidence. I wish I could find him right now. I’d tear him apart limb by limb”, Boomer heatedly stated, rage boiling within. How dare this prick hurt and kill innocent people, women mostly, just to get his jollies. And to know that he is obsessed with Grace. His Grace. No, no way. No way is this douche getting any where near her or Jaxson. Or any of the other girls, either. This prick was going down and he was going to be the one to do it.
Kresley looked around the barn to locate all of her siblings and Grace. She saw them congregated over at one round table. She caught the eye of Gertie and mouthed the word Grace. She saw Gertie look around and then ask her sisters, indicating that Kresley was asking. Kresley felt panic began settling in, having looked around the room several times and also getting hand motions from her sisters that they couldn't see her. She tilted her head up to Cade. Worry and terror slowly forming on her face, she stated starkly to Cade, Boomer, and Gunnar, “We can’t find Grace. I don’t see her. Do you?”
All three men looked around and didn’t see Grace in the barn. Cade found Francie, Gertie and Birdie, all at one table together and hanging around with Ash, Boots and Braxton and some other firefighters that had come for the wedding. Jaxson sat next to Birdie, coloring on a pad of some kind. “Kresley come on, go sit with your sisters and Jaxson. Let me find her. She must have gone to the restroom or something. Let's not panic.”
Cade led Kresley over to her sisters and Jaxson. “Do y'all know where Grace went?” Cade asked casually, trying not to show any panic.
“She left to go to the restroom while waiting on Kresley to get here. I honestly thought she’d be back by now. She must have gotten held up by someone talking.”
“Kresley stay here. Francie, don’t let Jaxson out of your sight. And all of you stay here, together. Ash, Killian, Braxton, I’m leaving y’all in charge of the girls and Jaxson. They are to go NOWHERE without one of you with them. Do not let any one talk to them, or go off with them alone. Got it?” At the men’s confused looks and nods of understanding, Cade and Boomer took off towards the bathrooms. Captain Phillips headed outside to wait for Officer Shelton and her team to arrive.
“She better be here, Cade. I’m not kidding when I said I was going to tear him apart”, Boomer stated with a dangerous growl in his voice.
“I hope she is, Boomer. But if she isn’t, we’ll find her. I promise you we’ll find her.”
“I’m not losing her now. I don’t even really have her yet, but I know I want her. She’s mine. She can deny it all she wants to in her mind, but she and Jaxson…they’re mine.”
Cade and Boomer turned the corner and came upon the bathrooms. After calling out to see if anyone was in there, they both entered into the ladies’ restroom, looking in each stall and corner. There was no sign of Grace. “Damn it!”, Boomer yelled out. At that moment, a woman, who was dressed as a server, walked in with a small envelope in her hand. She eyed them hesitantly and stated, “Are one of you Cade?”
“That’s me.”
“A guy in the parking lot wanted me to give you this. He said that you’d probably be in the ladies’ bathroom by now”, the woman stated, handing over the envelope.
Cade tore it open and retrieved what was inside. “Son of a bitch!”
Boomer yelled out, “What? Show me!”
Cade handed him a polaroid picture. Boomer looked down and after one look at it, went to a stall and threw up. Cade stood there and looked down at a pic of Grace, tied up, a handkerchief shoved in her mouth. There was blood coming from the side of her head and she was laying in the trunk of a car, unconscious. Her bridesmaid dress was dirty and torn in places. Cade looked up at the woman and demanded, “Tell me what the guy looked like who gave you this. Describe him for me. Now.”
She stammered out a description that exactly matched Sloan Smith. Boomer had returned from throwing up by now and Cade asked the woman to wait out in the hall, but not to leave if he had more questions. Cade looked down at the remaining note in the envelope. He took it out and read out loud for he and Boomer.
So now you know my secret. Well one of my secrets any way. Since I can’t hide who I am anymore, I decided to hide this beautiful girl instead and have some fun with all of you at the same time. I’ll even give you a hint where we are. We haven’t gone far, we’re still within reach, come find us together, having some fun, right there on the beach. You have one hour to find her or she dies. And you know how I like to show my girls the ways of dying. So let’s play a game…
“That bastard wants to play games? Seriously? I can’t wait to play a game with him, with my fist shoved down his throat”, Boomer heatedly stated. “So where has he taken her? He said something about the beach. Are they
