Chapter 49

Sharp had called Danika on the way out to his car. When she didn't answer, panic filled him, but he tamped it down. She could be busy. It had happened a few times. Busses or vans filled with tourists would drop in, filling every table. Maybe she was slammed with customers. He would text her, and once she got a free moment, she would send him a note.

It took a little over twenty minutes to drive from the base to the strip mall with the restaurant where she worked. There were no vans in the lot and no buses close by. He checked his phone, not seeing a call from her or any texts.

Panic built, and he raced inside after parking, his gaze frantically searching for her. Nothing.

"Hey, James, she left about thirty minutes ago."

He spun to face Randall, his breath coming almost in gasps. "What?"

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Freaking out wouldn't help matters. There was one customer at the end of the bar who had been nearly comatose but had perked up a bit.

"Um, it's…" Sharp moved closer to Randall, keeping his voice low. "She's not answering her phone. She usually does. I don't know what to do."

Randall's lips thinned. "Let me call her. Maybe you two got in a fight?—"

"No!" He'd said the word a bit too forcefully. Acting like a jerk wouldn't get her friends to listen to him. "Sorry. There's this guy who is her ex, and he has been stalking her. I fear…I can't even say it."

Worry filled Randall's face. "Let me call."

"Yo," the guy called out from the end of the bar. "You talking about that pretty waitress who works early? I was walking up when I saw her across the street get into a car with a guy. Well, he helped her into the car. Looked like she'd had a too few many shots after work."

"The waitresses don't drink on shift, Dave. You know that."

Dave shrugged. "Doesn't mean she didn't take a shot or six after work."

Randall slammed his hand down on the bar. "She didn't. Why didn't you say something? She's been gone for more than twenty minutes."

Dave lifted one shoulder and went back to drinking like he didn't care that Sharp's world was falling apart.

"Fuck." Sharp had his phone out when it rang. Pain slid through him as Thario's name flashed on the screen.

"It's Ezra. He's in California."

"Fuck. How do we find her?"

"He already has her?" Panic sounded in Thario's voice.

"Yeah."

"Do you know where she was taken from?"

"Across the street from where she works." Sharp waved to Randall and took off out to his car. He had to do something. Maybe showing up at Thario's house was a waste, but he couldn't sit still.

"I'm going to see if I can track where he is by following traffic cams. Give me a…found the car. It may take a while. Just stay on the line."

"Griz is calling."

"Patch him in."

Sharp added Griz to the call so they were all on the line together. "Griz, we're on with Thario."

"Hey."

"Okay, he turned out and is headed toward Interstate Five."

Thario's voice was even, like he was handling this well. Sharp felt like he was about to crack into pieces.

"He got on Five heading north. I'll tell you which exit he took," Thario said.

Sharp headed out of the parking lot and drove toward the interstate. He almost ran a red light and slammed on his brakes at the last minute. If he didn't calm the fuck down, he would get himself killed, and for sure, Danika would die, too.

After doing some box breathing, he was able to focus as Thario told him where to go. James and the other guys were closer to the area where Ezra had taken Danika. They would probably get to her first. Hopefully, Ezra hadn't killed her yet.

By some miracle, the interstate was clear, and he made good time, arriving at the marina only a few moments after Griz arrived. Thario had led them here to this marina, which he appreciated, but once Ezra and Danika hit the open ocean, they wouldn't be able to track them.

"I'm ending the call," Thario said. "I need to see if there's a way to figure out which boat they took and track them down."

"Thank you," Sharp said before he shoved his phone into his pocket.

There was no way they would find Danika if the boat Ezra had used didn't have a tracking device. It should, but how would they figure out which boat it was?

Desperation and fear mixed, making him feel like he wanted to throw up and scream at the same time. He was close to losing it when a blond guy he recognized waved, flashing a huge grin.

"It's Peach," Griz said and moved to him.

"Yo, how are—wait, something is wrong. What's up?" Peach asked.

"My girlfriend's ex took her. His car is parked here. We think he took her out in a boat."

"Oh shit." Peach turned and then waved for them to follow. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Sharp asked.

"My parents have a boat here. I was just getting it ready for the weekend. The gas is full, and it's set to go. We can head out and track them down. I'll radio the marina and see if they know which boat they took."

"Thank you." Sharp had never been more thankful to know so many SEALs. He would be in Peach's debt forever. Maybe, if they were fast, they would be able to rescue Danika. He hoped they got to her before the asshole did something horrible to her. One thing was for sure, if he found Ezra, the man wouldn't live past midnight.