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“You’re an ass,” Ethan grumbled. “Listen, Linc, this is all so new to the three of us, I’d just like to see where it goes. You do know how I feel about you though, right?” he asked.
“I think I do; I just wish you could give me the words, but I’m sure we’ll get there at some point,” Linc said. “You’re right, now we need to find our girl. This is her,” he said, pointing to the condo with the door that was wide open.
“Shit,” Ethan growled. “Her door’s open. What the hell’s going on?”
“I don’t know, but that’s her car,” Linc said nodding to the car that sat in front of her place. “She’s got to be here.” Ethan reached across the console to the glove compartment and opened it to pull out his gun. He’d kept one in there since the late-night break-in at Linc’s place. He knew that they would never be safe—not in their line of work. There would always be a former disgruntled employee from one of the businesses that they had to dismantle, and he didn’t want to be caught unprepared again.
“What’s that for?” Linc asked, eyeing the gun.
“It’s just in case,” Ethan breathed. “We don’t know what we’re walking into, and I want to be prepared.”
“Right,” Linc said. “Let’s just hope that you don’t need to use it.”
“That’s the plan,” Ethan said. They got out of the truck and cautiously walked to the condo. “You think we should call the police?” Ethan whispered.
“Not until we know what we’re working with,” Linc said. “She could have just forgotten to shut the front door while loading her car.” Ethan looked back at her car and noted that it looked pretty empty. He stepped into the front door and found her suitcase and a small bag sitting in the entryway.
“I don’t think she got to the point of loading her things into her car,” Ethan whispered. Linc pushed his way in behind him and cursed, pointing down to the floor.
“Blood,” he breathed.
“Call 911 while I search the house. Keep an eye out for anyone who might still be hanging around,” Ethan ordered.
“Right, just be careful, babe,” Linc whispered. Ethan nodded and started up the stairs to search there first. He’d clear the first floor and then he’d work his way back down to the main floor. With any luck, he’d find Ella hiding in the condo someplace safe and sound, but the splotches of blood in the front entryway had him worried.
He quickly worked his way around the first floor of her condo, clearing the bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets; finding no sign of Ella anywhere. She must have been on her way out of the condo when someone stopped her at the front door. He worried that whoever it was took her and they were too late.
Ethan quietly walked back down the steps to find Linc standing in the front entryway still, staring at the blood on the floor. “It might not be hers,” Ethan soothed.
“It might be though and that terrifies me, man,” Linc admitted. “Cops will be here soon,” he said. Ethan nodded and walked into the family room, looking around for any sign of their girl.
“You hear that?” Linc asked. Ethan stopped in his tracks and looked around the room, listening for whatever Linc thought that he heard. There was a faint banging sound coming from the kitchen.
“It’s coming from the kitchen,” Ethan said.
“I agree.” Linc started for the front room and when they found it empty, Ethan growled in frustration.
“Where the hell is she?” he barked.
“She’s got to be here somewhere,” Linc said. “Try the pantry.” Ethan walked over to the pantry and the banging noise grew louder when he opened the door. Before he even knew what was happening, a door inside the pantry opened and Ella popped her head out.
“Is he gone?” she asked.
“Who, honey?” Ethan questioned.
“James,” Ella said. “My former partner showed up here with a knife demanding that I sit and talk to him. I hid in my safe room until I saw you two on my monitors, but I didn’t want to open the door until I was sure that you were alone, and it was safe.”
He reached out to her and pulled her into his arms. “You’re safe now, honey,” Ethan promised.
“We’re both here now and won’t let anything happen to you, Ella,” Linc assured, pulling her from Ethan’s arms into his own. Ella allowed a small sob to escape her parted lips and the sound nearly tore Ethan’s heart out.
“Baby,” he crooned. “You did such a good job hiding in your safe room.”
“I installed it just in case, you know?” she cried. “I just never thought that I’d have to use it. Why would James come here to hurt me?” she asked.
“No clue,” Linc said, “but the cops are on their way here and we’ll give them all the information that they will need to track him down. In the meanwhile, you’re coming to live with me and Ethan,” he ordered. “We’re going to move into his penthouse.”
“I can’t just move in with the two of you because my ex-business partner threatened me, Linc,” she insisted.
