Page 132 of Guarded Knight

I don’t even realize my phone was still ringing until Enzo’s voice answers.

“It’s almost time to lather sunscreen on my redheaded goddess, but if you’re calling, something’s wrong.”

“Lara was abducted.”

Enzo must take the phone from his mouth because his call is distant. “Scottie!” he calls urgently for his fiancée. “We got a nine-one-one.” His voice becomes more urgent. “We’re heading back to the hotel and we’ll fire up the laptops.”

I havemy family on speaker phone, all of us connected now from California to Tahiti, and my family chimes in whenever they find something as we wait for a location in Anton’s truck.

I stare at the printouts of the hotel CCTV and have an eerie feeling about the monster who took my girl. The shape of him is familiar. The jawline of his profile…

Rio finally reports. “The van is registered to a Trent Halverston.” He types in the background. “San Jose CCTV tracking the van to Pristine Pressing. Off Fulton in San Jose. I’ll send coordinates on a text. Last satellite update shows one van parked outside.”

Anton fires up the truck, and I type the destination into the Sat Nav. We speed off.

Questions race through my mind as we barrel fast down the streets of San Jose. Who is Trent? I’ve seen that name before. Somewhere. I stare again at the printouts. The broad back, the buzz cut… I fucking know him from somewhere…

Enzo’s voice comes over the speaker. “Halverston held a pharmacy license in New Mexico.”

Pharmacy…?

The pharmacy.

Ice flows through my veins. The flirty goddamn pharmacist? The son of a bitch I wanted to smash up in the bar for looking at Lara the way he did?

He wanted her.I knew he did.

I search for Trent Halverston on my cell and find an image that coils every muscle in my body.

There he is. Huge. In the photo, he has long hair but his soulless blue eyes are the same.

And now he has her.

A silent scream rips through my core, and I have to grip the dashboard not to smash the window. He was right under our noses.

I have to focus on the mission. I can’t focus on mistakes, just what’s left to be done. I have to get to Lara.

I speak into my cell. “Team, I’ve seen the man before. Confirm he worked at the Echo Valley Pharmacy.”

For a while, all that comes through the group call is clicking and clacking that stabs at my heart.

Finally, Ava chimes in. “Cross-checked work records. Currently employed on an intern contract at Echo Valley Pharmacy.”

Enzo adds, “Halverston also worked at Santa Fe General.”

My breath stalls in my throat. Every muscle in my body goes taut.

Trent stalked her all the way from New Mexico. This man is dangerous. He hasn’t wanted her for a week. He’s wanted her for at least a month. Possibly a lot longer… he’s had time. Time to obsess. Time to plan.

“How did we miss this?” I grind out.

Anton’s hands clench tighter on the wheel.

“This guy, Trent, followed her here. All the way to Echo Valley.” I spiral with guilt and shame. “How the fuck did I miss this?”

Anton doesn’t flinch, doesn’t curse. Just stares out at the road, jaw like stone. But when he speaks, his words cut through the chaos.

“Brother, look ahead, not behind. We know who the target is. Doesn’t matter where he came from. Only matters where he’s headed.”