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“Oh, yeah, she got it and headed out a while ago. Was something wrong with the order?”
“No. Uh…thanks,” I stutter. My panic is edging closer to the surface as I leave the café.
Working to keep my breathing even, I pull out my phone to call Cooper. The phone rings in my ear as I walk down the sidewalk, scanning the entire area for Sara.
“Hey, Ben. What’s up?” Cooper’s voice sounds distant in my ears as my gaze catches on a to-go bag splayed out on the ground.
“Oh, fuck. No. Please, no.” I run down the alleyway, where plastic containers are haphazardly strewn across the ground. I carefully step around them until I see Sara’s purse upended on the ground behind the take-out bag.
“Ben? What’s going on? Levi’s calling me now, too.”
“Get down here. Bring your guys and get to the alleyway between the café and Herman’s Hardware.”
“I’m on my way.”
Fuck!
* * *
The energyin the air is frantic as Cooper’s guys scour the alleyway for any piece of evidence they can find. My entire body is tight with tension as I watch them do their jobs, wishing I could do more than stand here like a helpless idiot.
Sara’s phone was found on the ground next to her purse, so we can’t track it and we’re still working on getting the security footage. None of the cameras face the alleyway, but Cooper’s hopeful we can get something from the back of the buildings.
I don’t even understand how she could’ve been taken. She was skilled enough to take down me and her brothers. How could someone have gotten the drop on her? It doesn’t make sense.
And even though I can’t prove it, I know it was her stalker. There’s no other logical answer. Who else would have a motive to do something like this?
Levi’s hand patting my shoulder pulls me from my introspection. “Hey, we’re going to find her. This isn’t the first time some asshole thought he could take one of ours.”
I can only nod my head at him. He’s right, and he’s been through a situation similar to mine. The only problem is, they knew exactly who had Hope. We have no clue. Not a single shred of evidence to point us in the right direction.
Cooper comes walking down the alleyway, tension lining his shoulders. He looks different in his uniform, more serious, focused. I guess that’s a good thing.
“We’re not finding much, other than the items Sara dropped. We’re going to look at the security footage from each business that has them. We might be able to catch a detail about how they got away, even if it’s small.” Cooper pauses, hesitation in his eyes. “Has anyone called the Ellises yet?”
“Fuck.” I blow out a breath. “No. I’ll do it now. They can come over to Mom and Dad’s to wait since it’s centrally located.”
“That’s a good idea. Your mom is the perfect person to help keep them calm.”
I run my hands through my hair, hating the idea of making this phone call. It’ll be better coming from me rather than Cooper, though.
I pull out my phone, clicking on Adam’s name first. He’ll be the most level-headed about everything.
“Ben, what can I do for you?” His tone is clipped, hurried, as if he’s in the middle of something.
“Hey, something happened.” The words dry up in my throat, and I have to force a swallow to get them to come back. “We think Sara was taken by her stalker. We found her stuff in an alleyway in town, and no one has seen her in hours. Cooper is working the scene with his guys, but they aren’t getting much.”
“Fuck! How did this happen? You were supposed to be watching out for her.”
“I know…” I half-whisper, guilt flooding through me like a tidal wave. I never should’ve gone to see Rebecca. If I would’ve ignored her, this never would’ve happened. It’s all my fault.
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Not yet. I was going to call them after I got off the phone with you.”
“Don’t. I’ll call them,” Adam says, his words coming out like a lash through the phone.
“Tell them they can come to my parents’ place if they want to be closer. They can stay the night or whatever they need.”
