Page 71 of Unveiled

He stood and squeezed Adalyn’s hand. She flinched at his touch, her face an emotionless mask. “We’ll find her.”

She didn’t meet his eyes. All he got was a slight shake of her head.

Pulling out his cell, he dialed Knox. “Yeah?”

“We’re coming in. Got a situation.”

His voice was cautious. “Does this have anything to do with the Amber Alert that was just issued?”

Jaxon swallowed hard. “Yeah.” Hearing Knox say it aloud hit him hard, made it more real. He was glad news was spreading quickly, though—that was a good sign.

“I’d hoped I was wrong, but when I heard the name…”

His fingers clenched around the phone. “Be there in twenty.”

Adalyn mechanically gathered her things, and he led her from the salon, her eyes focused straight ahead. He met Amy’s curious gaze and gave a slight shake of his head. He’d fill her in later. She seemed to understand, because her eyes widened a fraction and her hand moved over her chest.

Adalyn remained quiet as he hustled her into the truck. Lost in their own thoughts, they remained silent the whole way to Vantage. When they pulled into the parking lot behind the brick building, she finally spoke up. “Where are we?”

“Vantage headquarters. This is where I work.”

She didn’t react; she just climbed out of the truck and strode determinedly toward the front door. He was barely a step behind, and Knox met them as soon as they entered. “This way.”

They filed into the large bullpen-type area, where several faces glanced up at them, varying degrees of hesitation and pity in their expressions. Knox’s little sister, Vivi, stood beside a commercial copy machine that was spewing out papers. She picked one up, then held it out to Jaxon, and he slipped it from her fingers.

Jaclyn’s face stared back at him, Vantage’s number listed along the bottom of the flier with all of her personal information. Adalyn gripped his forearm, her nails digging into his skin as she peered over at the flier. Her body swayed the tiniest bit, and he looped one arm around her waist to steady her. Her entire body went rigid, and she held herself away from him, turning to meet Knox’s dark gaze.

“What’s your plan?”

He didn’t dance around the subject, just cut straight to the chase. “As soon as these are done, I’m putting guys in each district, starting closest to your home and working our way outward. We’re joining forces with the PD to interview anyone we can in the hopes that someone saw or heard something. In the middle of the day, there has to be something.”

Adalyn nodded stiffly, and Knox continued. “You may want to consider a press conference. I spoke with the captain, who said the PD can get that organized for you by tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll do it. Whatever you need, just tell me. I have to…” She clenched her fists, the words dying on her lips.

She inhaled sharply, and Jaxon worried for a moment that she was going to lose it again. Honestly, he hadn’t fully come to terms with it himself. This was something that happened to other people; stories he heard on the news but that never happened in his own hometown. And not to him—never to him.

He’d survived four tours overseas and sustained a multitude of scars, both physical and mental. But nothing hurt like this. The pain of metal ripping through flesh couldn’t compare to the fact that he’d failed his daughter. He’d only known her for a couple of weeks, but she was as much a part of him as the blood thrumming through his veins.

He couldn’t lose her now—not when he’d just found her. No matter the cost, they’d bring her home. There was no alternative.

CHAPTER

FORTY

Adalyn held out a hand and tried to form a smile. Judging from the look on the man’s face, she failed miserably. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course.” Jaxon’s brother, Abel, eyed her critically. “We’ll do anything we can to help.”

Her lips twitched, again falling just short of the polite smile she’d been aiming for. Her entire body felt brittle, like she would splinter into pieces at the lightest touch. She waved a hand toward the group assembled nearby. “We’re printing off another batch of fliers right now. We’re trying to get her in front of as many people as possible to see if anyone remembers anything.”

Her voice cracked on the last couple of words. She never imagined those words leaving her mouth. They’d spent the past twenty-four hours tearing the city apart, speaking with anyone who would listen. Her eyes felt gritty and burned every time she blinked.

She looked like crap and felt worse. Dark circles ringed Jaxon’s eyes, but he kept bringing them a steady stream of coffee. He’d tried to get her to sleep last night, even just for a few hours, but she couldn’t. Each time she tried, she saw her little girl’s big blue eyes. Was she scared? Was she hurt?

Her mind conjured the most horrific images, and she didn’t dare close her eyes. She couldn’t bear to sleep when her daughter was out there somewhere all alone. She could rest later; right now, she needed to be in the middle of the action, doing something. Feeling useful.

Abel’s wife, Emily, moved forward. Adalyn caught sight of her softly rounded belly, and tears pricked her eyes. All she could think of was Jaclyn when she’d carried her. Words jumbled in her throat, turning her voice raspy. “You don’t need to be out here; you should be relaxing.”