Page 125 of Guarded Knight

“I know. But he’s not the stalker.” I run my fingers through my hair and tug it. “Fuck, Anton, I don’t want to leave Freya with Kevin, but there’s clear and present danger, and Kevin isn’t it.”

“Roger that.”

I shove through the back doors again, the blast of cold hotel air hitting me, and I scan the area for anything. Any sign of something that doesn’t belong.

A young hotel employee in a vest pauses, wide-eyed as I barrel toward him.

“You… were you out here a few minutes ago?” I ask.

He blinks, fearful of what I might do. “Uh. Yeah. I was helping unload some trays. The catering van?—”

“Did you see anyone out here? Any vehicle that didn’t belong? Anything unusual?”

He nods, gaze still darting behind me. “There was… yeah, this guy was pushing a laundry cart. He blew right through the exit pretty fast. There was a crappy van parked right against the curb and… shit.” He clearly notices my urgency. “What happened?”

“What make and color was the van?”

“White. Just a typical van with no windows kind of thing. But our usual laundry vans are black, and he was pushing a cart up into it… Oh, man… what happened?”

Everything I swore never would.

But guilt’s a luxury. I only have room for action.

“License plate? Anything else?” I bite, hardly holding back my desperation for any detail, any crumb that will lead me to Lara.

“New Mexico. I’ve never seen a plate from there before.”

Whoever it is, they followed her here from New Mexico? Why couldn’t we find a lead?

I radio again. “Anton. We’ve got a possible vehicle. White unmarked van, New Mexico plate. Witness saw someone pushing a cart.”

I grab the staffer’s arm, firm but not rough. “Do you remember what the guy looked like?”

“He was super tall. Maybe even six-five or something.”

Shit… Lara is strong, but she’s tiny. If he hurts her… my bones ignite with rage.

Rage I can use. Fear I can’t afford. But it’s crawling up my throat anyway.

“Get security,” I demand.

The poor guy is now white as a ghost.

“We need exterior camera feeds. I need anyone who had eyes on that van. There’s been an abduction.”

Just then, Anton barrels through the service door, chest heaving, eyes locked on mine.

“Tell me we have something.”

“She’s gone. And whoever took her had a plan.”

I meet Anton’s stare, my chest feeling as if it’s splitting in two. “She’s headed to the second location.”

And everyone knows the second location is where the bad shit happens. My head’s chaos, a storm tearing through me, and maybe I deserve every bit of it.

Anton and I race back into the hotel. We need a plate. Visuals on the suspect.

The love of my life, my soul’s only desire, the woman I swore to protect, will be mine again.