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"Harold Brockheim cut in on us," Timothy told him. "Has always been fond of Kia. Even though she and Moriah weren't exactly friends. "
Of course, Timothy had no idea exactly what had happened the day Moriah Brockheim died. But Chase had suspected for months that her father did. Annalee had warned Chase that Harold wasn't accepting the explanation and had asked Chase point-blank if Chase had killed his daughter.
It clicked then. Slammed into his brain with the force of lightning striking into the ground. That was why it didn't make sense, why none of it made sense. It wasn't Drew who had targeted Kia. It was Brockheim.
He moved quickly away from the group, ignoring Timothy, and surged back into the crowd of dancers.
He had to find her. Brockheim couldn't have had time to take her from the ballroom. He wouldn't be able to force her out of the room, and Kia wouldn't leave willingly with him.
Brockheim couldn't be armed. There were too many sensors at the entrances to the ballroom. He would have to force her out by brute strength, and Kia would never allow that.
He had to find her. He had to get her away from Harold Brockheim, and then he could deal with the other man. Moriah's insanity was obviously a genetic inheritance if that son of a bitch thought Chase was going to allow him to get away with this.
"Chase, I can't find her. " Khalid grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to a stop. "Ian and Courtney are looking, and Cameron and Jaci, too. We haven't found her anywhere. "
"Brockheim has her. "
Khalid stared at him in silent shock.
"Listen to me, Khalid. We have to find her. " He jerked his cell phone from inside his jacket. "Contact Ian. I'll call Cameron. Brockheim has her, and I want her found. Now. "
The velvety tune the singer was crooning to the room was one of Kia's favorites. As she danced with her father, she wished she had found Chase, caught his eye, and had him break in. Now she couldn't see him over the heads of the other dancers. Being short had a tendency to suck.
"You did a wonderful job, Kia," her father complimented her. He smiled down at her as his pale blue eyes held that warm little twinkle they always got when he was looking at her or her mother.
"Thank you, Daddy. " She grinned back at him. "Not that I had a choice with you breathing over my shoulder for the past three months. "
Her father grunted at that. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't need any help. " His eyes crinkled. "And you didn't. "
"I had a good team," she reminded him.
He nodded at that, then fell silent.
"Your mother says you're in love with the Falladay boy," he said at last with a teasing grin. "I thought you were taking us shopping with you when you went husband hunting. "
"Daddy, I haven't gone husband hunting. "
He frowned. "It will be coming soon, though. "
"Daddy. " She kept her voice warning.
"Well, he loves you, you love him. "
"Daddy. " She narrowed her eyes. "I'm rather enjoying this dance, but I can walk away from it. "
He winced. "You're being mean to me. Just like your mother. She walked out on my last dance. Somehow she thought I should keep my nose out of my daughter's business. "
"And she's right," she told him. "At least for the moment. "
He was her father. She knew his hurt feelings wouldn't last for long, no matter how angry he thought he might make her.
He grimaced. "Fine. I'll back off. But I'm warning you now, I might be pouting at dinner on Christmas. A son-in-law like Falladay would make a fine Christmas present. Maybe next Christmas…"
"Say it and I'm walking," she warned him, though she was laughing. Her father wanted grandchildren. If he'd had his choice he would have had a house full of children, but he and her mother had never been able to have more children after her.
"Mean to me," he muttered.
"I love you, Daddy. " She laughed. "Better than ice cream and chocolate cake. "
