Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

His heart felt like it was beating right out of his chest, and his lungs felt tight, like he couldn’t draw in enough oxygen. Brynlee’s face flashed before his eyes—that bright smile, her huge blue eyes that tempted him and pushed him over the edge.

No. She couldn't be gone—she just couldn't. His throat tightened, his stomach clenching into a tight knot.

“Start from the beginning,” Dare ordered. “Who’s missing?”

“Brynlee.” Sawyer choked out her name, pain like he’d never known shooting through his chest. Where could she be? Who would have any reason to take her? Why?—?

“Where are you?”

Sawyer forced himself to focus. “At the salon. Her car is here, but her purse and phone were tossed in the dumpster. Whoever?—”

A face materialized in the back of his mind, and he immediately cut off. Zane. He'd been so furious the night Sawyer had found him sneaking around the house. What if he was stupid and vindictive enough to come after her?

“That motherfucker!”

He was already striding toward his car before Dare’s words registered. “Reed! What's going on?”

“Her ex,” I ground out as I threw open the car door. “I found him snooping around her house. He said he wanted her back—He thinks he’s going to get her.”

If Zane had something to do with Brynlee’s disappearance, Sawyer was going to rip the man apart with his bare hands. He hung up and stomped on the gas, navigating toward Zane’s house, sending up a silent prayer as he drove. His phone rang incessantly, vibrating against the passenger seat where he’d tossed it earlier. I knew it was my brother calling again, just as I knew he would try to stop me from going to Zane’s. But that wasn't going to happen.

His heart beat hard and fast in his chest, his pulse kicking up as each mile brought me closer. His fury grew as he drove, billowing up inside me until it was all he could focus on. Zane’s small SUV came into view as Sawyer turned onto the street, and his vision went red.

He slid to a stop at the curb in front of the house then threw open the door. He didn't bother to kill the engine before charging up the walkway and pounding on the front door. “Open up!”

Over and over he slammed the side of his fist against the steel door until the rapid shuffle of footsteps grew closer. “I’m coming!”

The door started to swing inward, and Sawyer shoved it the rest of the way open, already reaching for him. “Where is she?”

“Wh—?”

He wrapped one hand around Zane’s neck and slammed him into the wall. “What did you do to her?”

A feminine scream echoed behind them, but Sawyer paid the woman no mind. Zane’s eyes were wide with fear and surprise. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Brynlee!” Sawyer tightened his grip and shoved the man against the wall again. “Where is she?”

He clawed at Sawyer’s hand in an attempt to get free. “I don't know what the hell you're talking about!”

“Don’t lie to me, motherfucker!”

A cacophony of raised voices lilted on the air, the sound dim beneath the force of his rage.

“Reed, stop!” Dare’s voice filtered over Sawyer’s shoulder a moment before two strong arms wrapped around his torso and yanked him away from Zane.

The screech of tires from the direction of the street dimly penetrated my brain, and all of a sudden Tony and Evan were there. I was furious that they’d intervened, but at the same time I was immensely relieved. I knew they would have my back.

Sawyer fought Dare’s hold, reaching once more for Zane. “That piece of shit knows where she is, I know he does!”

“I didn’t do shit.” Zane sneered. “You’re just jealous.”

Tony stepped in front of Zane. “Let's all calm down.”

Sawyer glared at the man. “If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll kill you!”

“I'm pressing charges,” Zane yelled at Dare. “Get him out of here!”

Sawyer whipped around, but his attention snagged on the woman standing just a few feet away. He paused midstep, his gaze zeroing in on her face. “You!”

Her eyes flew wide. “W-what?”

Sawyer took a step forward. “You’re the one from the bar—the one who drugged Brynlee.”

Her eyes flitted around the room, looking at everyone but Sawyer. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything.”

“What are you talking about?” Zane’s brows pulled together. “Elisa didn’t do anything. She?—”

“It was her.” Sawyer whirled toward Dare. “She’s the one from the video. Her hair was longer an darker, but that’s her face.”

The woman’s face went deathly pale, and she shook her head emphatically. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Tell them the truth!” A low snarl ripped from his throat. “You drugged her… Cut the lines under her car… Didn’t you?”

The woman’s mouth parted, and she dropped her face into her hands, the sound of harsh sobs filling the air.

Dare grabbed Sawyer’s arm and hustled him out of the house. “You need to calm down,” he commanded. “We're not going to accomplish anything by screaming at her.”

“It was her,” Sawyer insisted. “I know it was.”

“We'll figure it out.” Dare didn't try to comfort him this time. “We’ll check the house, but do you really think they would keep her here?”

Christ. Dare was right. Sawyer scrubbed a hand over his face. “Then where the hell is she? She knows something—I know she does.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked as Dare glanced toward the house. “I'll have a couple deputies start looking into her, check her alibi. Is there anywhere else Bryn would have gone?”

“Absolutely not.” Sawyer shook his head. “She always comes straight home.”

“All right.” Dare flicked a look toward Evan and Tony, who had separated Elisa from Zane, and were currently questioning them separately. “They’ve got this under control. Let’s head into the station and see what we can find.”

He didn’t like it, but Sawyer nodded regardless. He moved toward my car, but Dare stopped me with a hand on his arm. “I’ll drive.”

Anger simmered in his veins. What the hell did he think he was going to do? “What the fuck, Dare?”

He shook his head. “You’re upset right now and not thinking clearly.”

He was thinking more clearly than he ever had. He knew what was important, and the only thing that mattered was finding Brynlee. But Sawyer was also smart enough to pick his battles. No matter how much he hated to admit it, he knew he couldn’t find her by himself. At this point, he didn’t even know where to start.

His stomach twisted into a knot as he slid into the passenger seat of Dare’s cruiser. Silence fell as they drove toward the station, and he was grateful for the reprieve. His head pounded, and his heart felt like it’d been shredded. If Elisa truly wasn’t involved, then where the hell could Brynlee be?

* * *

Burt Johnson adjusted the rearview mirror as he pulled out of his driveway, catching a glimpse of his own reflection. His grin stretched wide, almost too wide, as he turned onto the quiet suburban street. The sun was low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the pavement, but the heat of the day still lingered in the air.

As he drove slowly past his neighbor’s house, he noticed Carl Jenkins standing in the front yard, leaning on a cane while his small terrier sniffed around the flower beds. The large white van that Burt had borrowed sat parked in Carl's driveway, its imposing bulk out of place in the tidy neighborhood. Burt felt a surge of satisfaction, the thrill of his plan coming together almost intoxicating.

He slowed the car to a crawl and rolled down the passenger-side window. "Hey, Carl!" he called out, waving enthusiastically.

Carl looked up, squinting against the sun. “Hey, Burt! You get what you needed?”

Burt's grin widened, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anticipation. He couldn’t help but think of Brynlee Layne, and how everything he had worked for was about to come to fruition. She would be the one. He had no doubt.