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I eventually had to give it up. I closed that email and forced myself to work on some other files that I’d left unfinished from my last job since I’d been pulled so quickly to come here. I finally finished those up and submitted them to Kade.
Stomach growling, I sat back and realized it was way after lunch, so I wolfed down a sandwich and a Gatorade as I shot Olivia a text to let her know I was thinking about her. I didn’t expect an answer since I knew she was busy at the studio, but that didn’t stop me from hoping.
A goofy grin broke across my face when my phone buzzed a couple minutes later.
Olivia: Miss you too, MHP ;)
Me: MHP?
Olivia: It’s code... Mr. Hottie Pants. I thought you were a Navy SEAL!
I laughed out loud at that and tucked my phone away to get back to it, reopening my computer. I took care of a few other things, then finally reopened my email.
Those damn photos slapped me in the face again. And, again, I studied them over and over, memorizing his face and every detail of the backdrop. I reread the details, putting them to memory.
And that’s when it hit me. What had been poking at me like a thorn in my side this entire time.
The dates on the photos. Surveillance had been started pretty much as soon as Olivia had told me the asshole’s name, and that’s when these pictures were taken. None more recent.
That meant Christoph Donato was unaccounted for the last two weeks.
I sat back and stared at the screen, my brain ticking through the possibilities. It wasn’t adding up. Not perfectly. Her issues had been prior to this, but that didn’t mean he was free and clear. He could’ve paid someone to scare her, then came here to finish the job. I’d certainly seen more devious behavior than that, particularly with matters of the heart. And what was more personal than a child?
I whipped back another urgent email requesting an update on his current location, with evidence, as well as any travel information. If he’d left the country, I needed to know stat.
I updated Kade, then stood to pace, not sure what to do with this while I waited, or why it was eating me up so bad. I was doing what I could, the girls were safe. I was letting my emotions get the better of me and that was dangerous.
I sucked in a breath and—
My phone began to blare with an alarm. Three loud, solid beeps.
Colomba.
I snatched up my cell and opened the app. The back door had triggered. They never opened that during business hours due to security concerns with the kids in class. They only opened it to take out trash at the end of the day, and after disarming the system.
Something was wrong.
My heart punched me in the throat.
I ran and grabbed my keys, shoving my feet into my shoes before I dashed out the door to my truck. As I ran, I dialed Olivia’s number. Straight to voicemail.
“Baby, it’s me,” I said. “Call me back.”
I hung up and tried the studio. It just rang and rang with no answer.
I sped down the street and tried Olivia again. Still nothing.
“Damn it!” I roared, rounding the corner, ignoring the stop sign.
I couldn’t drive and text, so I dialed Kade.
“Yeah, man,” he said when he picked up.
“Something’s wrong,” I barked. “The alarm went off at the dance studio and now nobody’s answering. I’m headed there now.”
“What do you need? Want me to call the cops?”
I squeezed the wheel in a death grip. I hated that my personal ties were clouding my judgment. Something I swore would never happen. “I don’t know, brother.”