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“Colt…Colt…what’s happening?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ellie clipped the last of the receipts together then placed them in the safe with the money from the register. In the past three months, Sugar Beat’s profits had nearly tripled. She couldn’t wait to tell Lizzie.
She locked up the office and headed straight for the bread display case. Before she opened it, she leaned against the counter, realizing that for days she hadn’t checked her horoscope. Not only had she not checked to see what the day had in store for her, she hadn’t asked Colt what his sign was. Come to think of it, she hadn’t even asked him when his birthday was. Well, she was going to fix that as soon as she went upstairs. According to the stars, her perfect match was an Aquarius. What if Colt wasn’t an Aquarius?
Wait just a minute.
She was in love with the man. Was she going to stop seeing him if he wasn’t an Aquarius? Umm, hell no! Maybe it was high time she stopped basing her life on what her horoscope said and based it on what she felt, what she wanted.
With that decision made, she reached into the case and took out a loaf of ciabatta. Just as she started up the stairs, there was a knock on the front door.
“We’re closed!” She called out.
“I need to use your phone! My dog got hit by a car!”
Ellie dropped the loaf of bread. Rushed to the door. Opened it. And froze. Her eyes locked with Bear’s.
“Ellie. I’ve been looking for you.”
His hand flew up. There was a buzzing sound that passed by her ear, then a stinging in her neck. Her body locked. And she fell forward into the arms of a murderer.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Ellie!” Colt bellowed. He tore through the bakery. “Ellie!”
“Colt, we’re on the way!” Zak yelled into the phone. “We’re coming!”
The phone went dead at the same time as Colt’s heart. The front door to the bakery was open. Ellie was nowhere in sight. His breath was sawing in and out of his lungs, as he tried to get his hands to stop shaking, so that he could bring up the Ring video.
Off in the distance, he could hear the wail of sirens. The cavalry was on the way, but what if it was too late. What if Bear had killed her? Rage burned under his skin. He refused to believe she was dead.
When he finally got his fingers to work, he hit play on the video.
In absolute horror, he watched…and even worse…he listened.
“We’re closed!” Ellie called out.
“I need to use your phone! My dog got hit by a car!”
Ellie rushed to the door. Opened it. And froze. Her eyes locked with that ugly bastard’s.
“Ellie. I’ve been looking for you.”
His hand flew up. Her body locked. And she fell right into his arms. He scooped her up and put her in the front seat of a blue Chevy Equinox, Maine plate FY 781. Then he drove away.
Colt looked up from his phone to a sea of blue and red lights. Zak and Chief Cooper burst through the door.
“Tell us what you’ve got.”
Colt gave them the model, make and plate number of the car, first. Then, he showed them the video. “I think he hit her with a stun gun.” He prayed it was a stun gun and not a syringe. At least the effects from the stun gun would wear off quickly, which would allow her to fight or run. If he hit her with a drug, she didn’t stand a chance.
“We’ve got cars all over Graceport and the surrounding towns. The FBI is here, too. He won’t get far. I promise you that.” Chief Cooper headed for the door. “We’ve got our best people out there, Colt. They’re smart. They’re determined. And they will find Ellie.”
When the door to the bakery slammed shut, Colt fell against his brother. Zak put his arm around him. “Tell me what I can do for you.”
“Bring her back to me, Zak. Go out there and bring her back to me.”
