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He sneered, spitting his words at her. “You’re wrong! I’m ordained, so I’ll be performing our wedding.”

Her mind was spinning trying to grasp at anything that would calm David down and force him to rethink what he was about to make her do. “We don’t have a marriage license. It won’t be legal without one.”

He laughed, the sound full of malice instead of mirth. Hope couldn’t stop her tears, her fear overwhelming her.

“I have it all taken care of.” He spoke his words deliberately, using each one to torment her. “All that’s left is for you to take off your clothes.”

“What?”

“You need to put on the dress.”

She shook her head vehemently, her hair tossing about her face. “No. I won’t do it.”

David reached behind him, raising his tux jacket and pulling something from his waistband. He drew a revolver on her, aimed it dead center of her forehead, and cocked the hammer. The noise was deafening, and her heart stopped beating.

“Strip, Hope, or take a bullet to the head. Either way, I will make you mine.”

Her time had run out, and all of her hope of being rescued fled. She was at the mercy of a madman.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Brick crouched low under the window, pausing to listen for any movement inside. After hearing nothing, he raised up enough to peek through the pane. He could make out the shadows of furniture but no people. No lights were on. He turned his back against the siding of the house and shot a glance over at Jay, who flanked the other side.

“It’s clear,” Brick whispered loud enough for his friend to hear. “I don’t think anyone’s here.”

Jay nodded before jerking his head toward the front door. “Let’s go inside and look around. BB and Wings can watch the perimeter. If he was using this house to spy on Hope, there has to be some evidence in here.”

Brick holstered his weapon but kept his hand on it for a quick draw if needed. Though this was the house David Leonard owned and used for his escape after attacking Isobel and Hope, Brick had his doubts they would find anything. This guy covered his tracks well — too well for this to be the one and only time he’d stalked someone.

The one-story home was small enough to be classified as a starter home. It had a living area, two bedrooms, two baths, a small kitchen, and a basement. They combed over the space, but it was just as Brick predicted — no evidence showed that anyone had been hiding out there.

Brick stood in the center of the living area, his fists resting low on his hips, his brow furrowed. None of this felt right. They were missing something.

“I’m sorry, man.” Jay stopped in front of him. “I called the Sheriff and updated him. He said he would send crime scene techs out here, and he has a deputy going by the real estate office to pick up the property records on this place. Looks like this is a dead end. We need to go back and regroup.”

“Good idea. Thanks.”

Brick’s distracted response had Jay regarding him intently. “What are you thinking?”

“Not sure,” Brick drawled as though the answer was just beyond his reach, but he couldn’t grasp it.

Jay waved Sam, Gennessey and Zane outside, leaving him and Brick alone. “Okay, man, it’s just us. Talk it through. Let’s figure this out.”

Brick started to pace, his mind replaying the facts their investigation had uncovered. He didn’t speak for several minutes, and Jay waited him out, knowing Brick would eventually share what was bothering him.

“Leonard used this house to escape after he tried to snatch Hope the night he attacked Isobel. It stands to reason he used this to keep tabs on Hope’s house, but up until that night, he’d only ever made his move at her Shoppe. Why was that? She lives alone, and he figured out how to navigate her property without attracting the attention of her neighbors. So why not make a move for her before that night?”

Jay was thoughtful, his brow furrowing as he considered Brick’s words. “It’s possible the property wasn’t added to the realty’s listings until right before that night. Then he took his time to get used to the area before he made his move.”

Brick nodded. “Exactly my thought. So now think about all the things he did at the Shoppe. Gained access through the hidden tunnel after everyone was gone or after Hope was left alone. Sent flowers or called the Shoppe, but only when Hope was there. Vandalized the wedding dress only when he knew he wouldn’t be caught.”

“He had cameras inside the Shoppe, so he was able to track what was inside,” Jay reminded him.

“Cameras with a short range, which means he had to be close to watch the feed. And before that, he had to know when it was safe to plant the cameras. He was able to come and go without detection on the security cameras we installed at the Shoppe or the ones around KSI. He was able to…to take her without us catching on to what happened until it was too late.”

Jay nodded. “Right. We figured he had a vehicle stashed nearby where he could get away quickly.”

“Or he stuck to his MO and had a stash house nearby, so he could slip in and out whenever the coast was clear.” Brick waited for Jay to process his theory. He didn’t have to wait long for his friend to react.