“Well, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
Devlin pushed her back against the seat’s upright and gaped straight ahead. Now what?
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I believe something’s happened to your sister.”
∞=∞=∞=∞=∞=∞=∞
.
Chapter 3
Taken
“Faith?” Having just lost a close friend, her mind now fearing the worst about her only sibling, Devlin put a hand to her forehead and willed herself to ask the question. “What’s happened to her?”
Cocking his head at his woman, Ashford reached for her.
She clenched his hand.
Harker: “I’m not exactly sure at this point in the investigation, but I—”
“Investigation?” Devlin eyed Ashford. “Investigation into what? Is she all right?”
“As I said, I’m not entirely sure. That’s why I’m calling you. I was hoping—”
“Stop dancing around, Detective, and tell me what the hell’s going on.”
“I’ll get right to it. I think your sister’s been abducted.”
Devlin’s hand rocketed to her mouth. Her eyes rolling upward, they darted left and right while her heart rate doubled. Her breaths came in short bursts.
Seeing panic written all over his wife’s face, Ashford poked his chin at her. “What is it? What’s going on?”
“Faith’s been kid—” her voice broke, “kidnapped. It’s the Seattle PD.” Devlin took a moment to calm her nerves, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth a few times.
Ashford tenderly touched her shoulder while reclaiming her free hand.
“How,” she gripped his hand tighter, “how do you know she’s been taken, Detective?”
“She didn’t show up for work yesterday and never called in. That’s not like her. We tried calling her cell, but only got her voicemail. So I sent a uniformed officer to her apartment. When the ‘uni’ told me he got no reply upon knocking on her door...”
Feeling a knot in her stomach slowly constricting, Devlin held her breath.
“...I made a call to the apartment manager and convinced him to unlock the door for the officer who,” Harker hesitated, “who found a dead man on the floor. The man’s throat had been sliced wide open.”
Clutching her own throat, Devlin drew a sharp breath.
“There were signs of a struggle...which leads me to believe your sister put up a fight before being taken.” A beat. “While I’ve assigned several of my men to this case, Ms. Devlin, would it be possible for you fly out here and view the scene for yourself? Being her sister and all, I was thinking you might have some special insight...spot something that only you would notice.”
Devlin undid her seatbelt, “Absolutely,” threw open her door, and scrambled out of the truck. “I’ll leave immediately.” She shielded her eyes from the sun with a flat hand to her brow, rose to tiptoes, and swayed left and right to see around trees and parked cars that lined the winding driveway to the road.
“Thank you. Just call me back at this number and let me know when you’re scheduled to arrive at the airport. I’ll have a car waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Detective.” She clicked off and placed another call while stealing glances at the cemetery entrance.
Ashford twisted his upper body toward Devlin. “Talk to me, Jess.”
She opened the back door, stretched across the seat, and reached for a duffle bag. “I’m flying to Seattle. The detective,” she wiggled fingers, but failed to get a grip on the bag, “can you grab my gear for me?”
He hurried out of the vehicle.
She stood tall and went back to studying the roadway behind her truck. “The detective thinks I may be able to help with the—”
Randall’s voice: “I didn’t expect you to be calling so—”
“Where are you?”
“I...I just left the cemetery. What’s—”
“Turn around and come pick me up.”
“Um...”
Ashford rounded the right-rear corner of the Ford.
She grabbed her bag from him and dropped it at her feet, “I’ll explain everything when you get here,” before ending the call and shoving the mobile into her purse. Sitting on her haunches, she jammed the purse into a side pocket on the duffle.
Ashford took out his phone. “I’ll get us a couple plane tickets to Seattle and tell your father he’ll be watching Cassie for a day or two.”
“No.” She stood and took him by the upper arms. “You need to look after Cassie while I’m away.”
“I don’t like the idea of you going out there alone.”
“I won’t be alone. Randall’s coming with me.”
“Randall? The guy from Mexico?”
“That’s right. He’s also going to be my new partner.”
Ashford frowned. “The guy who put your life in danger is now your partner?”
“Don’t forget. He’s also the guy who saved my life.”
“Yeah, after putting your life...and your family’s lives in—”
“Curt,” she raised a hand, “I don’t have time to go into the details right now. My sister’s missing. And every second I spend here is a second I lose in picking up her trail.”
Ashford’s chest heaved before he blew out a gust of wind. “Okay. Okay. I understand. It’s just that this is Faith we’re talking about. I want to be there with you...helping you find her.”
“And I’d like nothing else than to have you there with me, but we have our little girl to think about. We can’t both be gone. She needs some stability. And you know how much she loves you, feels safe with you around. The truth is,” Devlin glimpsed his chest before making eye contact, “I don’t think she sees you as her stepfather, but...as her father.”
His brows coming together, his heart slowly making its way up to his throat, Ashford turned his head and saw an image of the six-year-old girl who had entered his life a year ago. “Yeah,” he hesitated, “I’ve grown to love the little bug, too.”
She cupped his chin and gently brought him back to her. “We’re a team in this marriage, Curt. When one of us needs something, the other one—”
He pumped a hand her way. “Say no more. I got your back...and Cassie’s. I’ll keep things running smoothly at home while you do what needs to be done.”
Flicking her eyes toward an approaching car, she flashed her man a smile. “Thank
