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“I think that’s our most likely bet,” Sophia said. “He was released three months ago. We also think Brett was helping him. I found out that the motel room was rented under Jace’s name. Plus, Wendell was his cellmate.”
All the dots connected. This was it. They had their guy. “All right, so where the hell did he take her?”
Sophia blew out a breath. “As we speak Tess and Dare are digging through everything they can. Not sure if you’re aware, but Dare’s one of the best hackers I’ve ever met. He’s in Jace’s banking system right now.”
“No activity,” Dare chimed from the background.
“Fuck.” Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. “What about properties? Any titles held under his family name? Boats, trailers, shit like that.”
“I’m on the DMV database, Tess is doing a property search. I don’t see him owning any vehicles. The one he used tonight must have been stolen. I’ll see if anything was reported—”
Toth waved his hand in the air. “Nah. That’s not going to help. We need to focus on where he’s taking her. What about plane tickets?”
“Hang on.” The sound of keys tapping came through the speaker.
Toth’s pulse beat faster than Dare’s typing. His skin itched with the need to get out of the car and run. Anything had to be better than sitting here fucking waiting for noth—
“No tickets.”
Toth balled his hand into a fist. He’d never felt so helpless in his life. He stared out the window at the stretch of road he should be dominating right now. Christ, he’d do anything to know where she was. To be on the way to her. To have something constructive to do to help her. Here he was, twiddling his goddamn thumbs. “Try Mark and Brett. Do the same searches for property. If they were working with him, they maybe had a hideout.”
“Good point.” Surprise underlined Dare’s voice.
Toth exhaled and stretched out his legs, waiting for what seemed like an excruciating eternity. Every minute that passed was a minute longer that Sav was suffering.
“Nothing,” Dare said heavily.
“Wait,” Tess chimed from the background.
Toth leaned closer to the phone. “What?”
“While Dare was searching, I did a background check on Jace and found his grandparents’ names. Looks like a property title was signed over to Jace seven years ago. It’s a house in Coal Creek.”
Holy shit.
“Address,” he snapped out. This was it. Had to fucking be.
Hang on, baby. I’m coming.
CHAPTER 27
Darkness swept inand out. Loathing glittered in Jace’s bloodshot eyes and spit dangled from his lips as his weight crushed Savanna’s spine and the back of her head against the living room floor.
Her dry eyes were wide with agony and desperation, too panicked to blink. Her chest spasmed from lack of oxygen. His hands were still wrapped around her neck.
He’s going to kill me.
She knew she had seconds, at best, before she lost consciousness. Sweeping her hand to her side, she felt along the ground for something. Anything. Her fingertips met cool wrought iron. She snatched the rod and rammed the pointed end into Jace’s side.
Crunch.
“Ah!” His grip on her throat loosened and air rushed in through her nose and mouth. She greedily swallowed a breath as she drove the poker into his side again, this time with more velocity.
He slumped to the floor and grabbed his ribs. Agony contorted his features and blood ran in rivulets down his face from the previous wound.
She leaped to her feet. The floor tilted beneath her and the room wobbled. She grabbed the sofa to stop herself from going down, using it as an anchor before running toward the kitchen at the back of the house. Her shoes smacked against the laminate floor. Her breath hissed from her chest, her lungs and nose burning. She skidded to a stop in front of the door and unsnapped the deadbolt, still clinging to the poker with her other hand.
Jace’s heavy footsteps shook the house. “Come back, you cunt!”