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I nodded, trying to take in everything he was saying while the world around me descended into absolute chaos.
Police pointed guns.
They forced the boys onto the ground and into cuffs while they swept the house.
Questions.
So many damn questions.
The neighbor we’d spoken to earlier finally came and cleared things up, letting the cops know we’d got here well after he heard the commotion. The cuffs came off, but the cops still wouldn’t let any of us leave.
And the longer we were stuck here, the further away someone got with my child.
“I just want to find my daughter,” I snapped, Hawk’s arm around my waist the only thing keeping me from getting right up in this cop’s face as he asked me for the third time if there was anyone who wanted to take her. “She’s meant to be here. And she’s not. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
“Ma’am, I understand.”
“I’m not sure you fucking do.” Hawk growled. “The longer we have to stick around here, the harder it gets. We need to be out there looking.”
“Sir,” another officer said as he approached.
The cop questioning me raised his eyebrow. “Hoggarty, what are you doing here?”
“I heard the missing girl chatter over the radio and thought another pair of hands might be helpful.” He shuffled on his feet, maybe nervous around a superior officer. “Maybe I could take Mom here to the station. Get some photos of the child to send out. Get a report started so we can make sure everyone is on the lookout.”
I looked over at Bishop.
He nodded. “It’s a start.”
It wasn’t ideal, but at this stage, I was willing to do anything to get things moving.
“Fine.” The cop who’d been questioning me flipped his notepad closed. “Go with Hoggarty to the station. Give him all the details he needs, as much information as you can think of, even if it seems small. We’ll get as many people searching for your daughter as possible.”
I nodded, swallowing back the lump of tears building in my throat.
Hawk turned me toward him, wrapping me up in his arms. “We’ll find her.”
It was a promise.
One I believed with every part of me.
Hawk had treated Kadey like she was his own daughter since the moment they met. He provided for her. He protected her. He showed her how a real man should look after the people he cares about.
And now he was going to prove the lengths a real man would go to for the people he loves.
Hoggarty ushered me to his car, opening the back door.
I paused for a second, but he let out a gentle laugh. “Sorry, it’s just procedure. I can’t have you in the front.” He pressed his hand to my back, and I allowed him to guide me into the back seat, despite the twisting feeling inside my stomach.
The door slammed shut behind me, and I was suddenly acutely aware that I couldn’t get out of there until he let me out. Given I hadn’t actually done anything wrong, I wasn’t sure why that scared me so damn much.
But it did.
And I wanted out.
Hoggarty climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
I tapped on the window between us. “Actually, I think I might stay!” I tried to call through the glass, but he didn’t look back.
