Page 97 of Nanny for the Bodyguard

Hazel's eyes burn with more tears, and they stream down her cheeks endlessly. There's no use trying to calm her down right now.

Worse, she has every reason to be upset. I don't know what I'm supposed to do about this.

Some trafficker has my niece. She needs me.

And I feel utterly powerless to do anything to stop it.

Think, Easton. Think. What can you do? You need to take this letter to the authorities. They can just dust it for prints or something. Um, we can make this work. You can wait?—

And I stop, leaning back from Hazel, looking towards the door out of Jade's room.

“What is it?”

“I…hold on.”

Leaving her quicker than I would have liked, I rush down the stairs towards the front of the house.

How did Neil even get inside? I have a security system, and the alarm should have gone off.

I throw open the main door and notice that as soon as I do, nothing beeps. Nothing is triggered.

Something has happened.

I go around to the side of the house where the circuit breakers are. The security system draws such a large amount of power that it has its own dedicated power source.

And, of course, when I come around the corner, the grass tearing under my feet, I see that metal box, and my stomach drops.

The padlock on it has been pried off, and it hangs open. The switch to the security system is turned off.

I didn't notice because I just used the electricity in the kitchen, and I hadn't touched the alarm system yet.

“Damn it!”

I kick my foot at the ground, doing absolutely nothing, and Hazel is right behind me.

“He broke into the security box.”

“How would he know that it's there?”

I sigh. “These old houses…they need a lot of power to run a security system like this. I didn't build a new home here. This house was on the lot. I just upgraded it. I'll hand it to him. Neil knows his shit. Apparently, years of trafficking young girls has led to some acquired skills.”

I realize that I'm making a terrible joke, but it feels like I need to do something, or I'm going to fall into a pit and never crawl back out again.

“Easton, I…dammit. What if he’s already moving her?” Hazel is spiraling again, and I know I’m not far behind.

Rushing to her, I wrap my arms around her, breathing her in. “We’ll get Jade back. I won’t accept anything less, okay?”

Soaking up as much of her as I can, I try to ground myself in the fact that we’re in Red Lodge. There’s nothing here, and if he wants to take Jade back to LA, it’s going to be a long trip.

“How has no one seen him?” Hazel asks, her words interrupted by hiccuping sobs.

“I’m not sure. Neil must’ve been on his way for several days now. We need to get inside and call the police. This escalates things. They’ll have to take us more seriously.”

I’m zeroing in. I’m assessing the situation and looking for solutions just my like training taught me.

Because I know if I don’t, I’ll fall apart, and there’s no time for that.

“Come on.”