Page 131 of Valor

“What did they drug me with? I’m assuming you ran a tox screen?”

He nods. “You had high levels of benzodiazepines in your system. It’s a drug type we use here in the hospital for certain procedures. But it’s also available as a prescription to treat anxiety and seizures.”

“They injected me with it,” she says.

“I figured as much. As soon as the results came in, I checked our inventory. We’re missing four vials of it.” His expression darkens, anger coloring his cheeks.

“How do four vials of a sedative go missing and no one notice?” Bradyn demands.

“They must have gone missing right after we’d done inventory. It’s completed once a week.”

“They meant to keep her a lot longer,” Gibson says, obviously putting the pieces together.

Fear ices through the relief I’ve felt since realizing I was here and not back in that cabin. “They’re really coming back, aren’t they?”

“They won’t get anywhere near you,” Gibson growls. “Not as long as I’m breathing.”

GIBSON

“My guess isshe was somewhere out here,” I tell the brothers and Deputy Brown as I brief them a few hours after leaving Lani. The last thing I’d wanted to do was leave her side, but my desperation to put this nightmare behind her for good was growing with every second I sat there.

So I left her with her parents and Tucker to watch over her, knowing they won’t let anyone close enough to hurt her. I’d driven up and down the road where I found her until I discovered a barely visible side road leading to some property about five miles out of town.

It’s shielded by a bunch of overgrown bushes, though there are fresh tire tracks in the dirt.

“Do we know who owns that property?” Bradyn questions, gesturing to the hundred-acre parcel about two miles north of where I found Lani.

“A trust,” Deputy Brown replies. “It’s been vacant for thirty years, ever since the owner died and left it to his grandson. As far as we can tell, he hasn’t set foot on the property for the last three decades.”

“Do we have a number for him?” I ask her.

She nods and tears a sheet off her notepad. “Name, address, and phone number.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“Do you want me to start working on a warrant to search the property?”

“Not yet,” I tell her. “Can you check out Lani’s apartment? See if anyone’s been back there since she escaped.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff.” She offers me a nod and says goodbye to the others. As soon as my office door is closed behind her, I turn to them.

“We’re not waiting for a warrant. As far as I’m concerned, we have probable cause. You on board with that?” I ask them, knowing they’ll agree. None of the Hunts are a fan of red tape. And frankly, I can’t disagree with them. Besides, it’s not as though I’ll get fired.

Bradyn responds without hesitation, “Absolutely.”

The others nod in response.

“Perfect. Thanks.”

Riley, Elliot, and Dylan head for the door, while Bradyn lingers behind. As soon as his brothers are out, he crosses his arms and fully faces me. “You doing okay, Gibson?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, I’ve known you your whole life. You’ve been best friends with Lani nearly as long, and in love with her for probably the same amount of time. I know how I felt when Kennedy had been taken, and how angry I was once I found out what happened to her. So I’ll ask again, howareyou?”

“Angry,” I tell him truthfully. “Furious. Someone was in her apartment when I dropped her off, Bradyn. I sent her into that trap then left while she fought for her life.”

“It’s not your fault.”