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CHAPTER FORTY

Dare stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Jayla Simms’s case was quickly going cold, though Sawyer and Cam were still looking for leads. The car for the drive-by had been found, but there were too many unanswered questions.

For hours he’d lain awake, details of the case taunting him every time he closed his eyes. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. What if he was wrong? What if Joel really wasn’t involved?

The background check they’d run on him had come back clean. A couple years back a local newspaper had featured Parsons in an article, touting his success. Cam had spoken with several of his colleagues and friends, all of whom liked and respected him.

Parsons had fooled all of them into believing he was a veritable saint. Despite the fact that Dare knew the darker side of his personality that lay hidden behind closed doors, Dare recognized part of the man’s statement as truth. Maybe Parsons wasn’t directly responsible for the break-in as he had originally thought.

The bullet retrieved from the store after the drive-by was a 9mm; the man didn’t have a single weapon registered in his name. It was possible that Parsons had purchased a pistol illegally or even borrowed one. But without the gun, they couldn’t confirm the ballistics. And the asshole would be off the hook once more.

The drive from Parsons’s home to Brookhaven took just over an hour and a half, and the break-in had happened just before midnight. Accounting for the time it would have taken to cross the lake and escape, the man probably wouldn’t have gotten home until after two in the morning.

Though it was feasible, it seemed unlikely. Parsons had woken early for surgery this morning, and when Dare had seen him, the man’s face had been devoid of any signs of sleeplessness.

As much as he hated to admit it, he suspected Parsons wasn’t lying about breaking into Ainsley’s suite. Still, it didn’t eliminate him entirely. He could have hired someone to do it, and they were going to find out for sure one way or another.

Cam was meeting with the judge tomorrow to request a warrant to pull Parsons’s phone and bank records. Dare mentally crossed his fingers that she would sign off. They needed a damn lead, and the sooner the better. He would lose his mind if Ainsley were put in harm’s way again.

Rolling to his side, he studied Ainsley where she lay next to him. He’d half-expected her to pull away from him after last night, yet she hadn’t. She’d moved into his arms and his bed as surely as if she’d been there forever.

He reached out and stroked one finger along the back of her hand where it rested between them. She twitched slightly under the touch and shifted closer to him. He wrapped one arm around her waist and eased her closer, burying his nose in her thick honey-colored locks. He kissed the top of her head and Ainsley burrowed into him, brushing her nose along his collarbone.

His heart ached for her. She had been through so much, more than anyone should have to endure. The story she had shared with him had rocked him to his core. He’d suspected the man was possessive, but never in a million years would he have guessed the depths of the man’s controlling nature.

It had taken every ounce of control for Dare not to snap when she’d finally spilled the truth. He’d wanted to hunt Joel down right then and there, make him pay for every ounce of pain he had inflicted on Ainsley. But he knew that his anger would do no good now. What Ainsley needed wasn’t his rage; she needed his understanding and support.

The real Ainsley was in there, beneath the layers of hurt and fear. He had seen glimpses of her—a spark in her eyes when she talked about something she loved, a shy smile when she felt safe. She was strong, resilient, and capable of so much more than Joel had ever allowed her to believe.

Ainsley had been under Joel’s thumb for so long, conditioned to believe that she was at fault for his abuse. She had been denied the freedom to be herself, to make her own choices. Dare was going to change that.

As he watched her now, his resolve only strengthened. He would be patient, give her the time and space she needed to rebuild her confidence. He thought back to the first time he had seen her smile, really smile, after she left Joel. He wanted to see that smile again, to watch it light up her face, extinguishing the shadows of fear and doubt that lingered in her eyes.

A fierce protectiveness welled up inside him as he studied the contours of her pretty face, outlined in the pale moonlight. In just a couple of weeks, Ainsley had managed to burrow beneath his skin, imprinting herself on him like she was a part of him.

He wanted to claim her, to own her mind, body, and soul. He would love her, cherish her, and protect her every day. He wanted to be her everything. And though he’d tried not to focus on it, he knew... She was it for him.

* * *

Ainsley lay draped over him, her fingers drawing tiny designs across his chest. Dare sifted his hand through the long golden strands, watching as they slipped through his fingers like a waterfall of silk.

His phone vibrated an alert, and a soft growl welled up in the back of his throat. Hoping it was just a message, he ignored it. The buzzing continued, and he shifted Ainsley slightly to the side, swiping a hand at the nightstand. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’ve gotta get this.”

Sawyer Reed’s name popped up on the screen, and his brows drew together as he tapped the screen and lifted the phone to his ear. “Jensen.”

“Hey, Sheriff. Sorry to interrupt your day off, but we’ve got a situation. Just got a report of a woman who appears to have been abducted from her home.”

He dropped his feet to the floor, already moving as the words came out. “What do we know so far?”

“Woman’s name is Lindsey Gill,” Reed replied. “Blonde, blue-eyed. Matches the description of the victim we found just a couple weeks ago—Jayla Simms.”

Fuck. That sure as hell put a worse spin on things. Dare immediately transitioned into cop mode. “Address?”

“1270 Harvest Lane.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Dare ended the call, then shoved the phone in his pocket as he stood and turned toward Ainsley. “That was Reed. We just got a report of another missing woman.”

“Oh, my God.” Ainsley blinked the confusion from her eyes and immediately pushed to a sitting position. “I hope everything’s okay.”

Dare offered a small smile despite the unease churning in his gut. “I need to go help.”

“Of course. I’ll stay here while you’re gone.”

“No.” He shook his head. “We haven’t ruled Joel out completely, and I don’t want you alone, just in case. You can go to Marley and Troy’s.”

“That’s okay, I don’t want to be a bother.” Ainsley shook her head as she slid from the bed. “I’ll give Kinley a call. I’m sure she won’t mind if I hang out for a bit.”

Relief rushed through him. “That’s perfect.”

They quickly changed, then headed downstairs. Ainsley fell into step next to him as Dare led Sarge outside, then loaded him into the back of the cruiser. “Keep your phone on you. I’ll call as soon as I’m done.”

“I will. Be careful.” She popped up on her toes for a quick kiss. “Love you.”

She flashed a tiny, insecure smile like she was embarrassed she’d let that slip out, then started to climb into the car. Wrapping one arm around her bicep, he halted her movement and gently tugged her back to him. “Say that again.”

Her cheeks flared bright pink. “What?”

Threading his free hand into her hair, he caught her gaze and held it for several seconds.“Did you mean it?”

She swallowed nervously, then nodded. Something like relief flooded his chest. “Tell me again.”

Her teeth cut into her lower lip before she responded. “I love you.”

He cupped her face, thumbs tenderly sweeping over her cheeks. “Love you, too.”

She melted into him, her eyes going soft. He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers in a sweet, lingering kiss before finally releasing her. “I’ll be as quick as I can. Be safe.”

“I will.”

The drive was tense, every second stretching into an eternity. When Dare arrived, he pulled to a stop behind the cruiser parked at the curb and glanced up at the house in question. The front door was slightly ajar, a disturbing sign that something was very wrong.

Sawyer met up with him on the sidewalk, concern etched deep in his expression. “Name is Lindsey Gill. The neighbor saw the door standing wide open when she came out to get her mail.” He continued to speak as they made their way up the pathway toward the house. “She thought maybe Lindsey had forgotten to close it, so she came over to investigate.”

Dare stopped just shy of the threshold and pointed toward the interior. “Did she go in?”

Sawyer shook his head. “She said she called for Lindsey, but when she didn’t respond, she called us.”

Dare nodded grimly as approached the house. He pushed the door the rest of the way open and called out, “Ms. Gill?”

The unsettling silence spoke volumes. From his spot on the porch, Dare quickly scanned the room, noting several small details. A purse sat on the counter, keys next to it, as if she’d been prepared to walk out the door. A half-empty coffee cup on the table just inside the doorway as if she’d been interrupted and had set it down to answer the door.

Dare grimaced. By all accounts, it appeared as though Lindsey had been caught off guard and abducted before she could react.

“Let’s clear the house, then you can start working the scene. Once the others get here, I’ll take Sarge out.”

Sawyer dipped his chin. “On it.”

They quickly checked the house to make sure no one was inside, careful not to disturb anything. Once it had been cleared, Dare stepped back outside, scanning the neighborhood, while Sawyer gathered his things.

People were starting to gather, curious and concerned by their presence. A woman cautiously approached, her face twisted into an expression of concern. “Sheriff?”

“Yes?” Dare dipped his chin her way.

“I’m Martha Sutton. Lindsey’s neighbor.” She pointed across the street. “I was just wondering… Have you found anything yet?”

“Not yet. I’m sorry.” Dare shook his head. “You spoke with Detective Reed earlier, is that correct?”

She nodded and reiterated the story she’d told Sawyer. “Her door was wide open and, well… That’s not like her.” Her mouth pressed into a firm line. “I wish I’d noticed something sooner.”

Dare settled one hand on her shoulder. “We’ll do our best to find out what happened and bring her home.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded, then excused himself just as another cruiser arrived on scene. Dare tipped his head toward Brad Forester and Evan Landry as they climbed from the car.

“Sheriff.” Landry glanced around, taking in the scene. “Anything yet?”

“Nothing.” He quickly briefed them on the situation. “I’m going to see if Sarge can pick up her scent. Reed’s working the scene. I need you to question everyone, see if they saw or heard anything.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

The two disappeared, and strode toward the cruiser to release Sarge. Dare guided him to the house where Sawyer passed him a shirt that belonged to Lindsey. Sarge immediately lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing the area with intense focus. He moved swiftly, following a scent trail from the front door through the yard. Dare followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the ground for any additional clues.

Sarge’s ears perked up, his pace quickening as he picked up a stronger scent. Suddenly, at the edge of the road, Sarge stopped, lifting his head and sniffing the air. He whined softly, turning in circles as if confused.

Goddamn it. He’d lost the scent. Dare tried again, holding the fabric out for Sarge to smell. The dog darted toward the mailbox, then back again, and Dare fought the urge to swear. If Sarge wasn’t able to pick up the trail, he could only presume that Lindsey had been taken away by vehicle.

He patted the dog, then loaded him back into the cruiser and went in search of Sawyer. The detective was crouched near the front door of the house, careful lifting prints, when Dare drew even with him. “Find anything?”

Dare repressed a growl. “Lost the trail almost immediately.”

Sawyer grimaced and pushed to his feet. “Aside from the door standing wide open, there’s no sign of a struggle. You think she knew him?”

Dare’s eyes scanned the room once more, noting that everything seemed to be perfectly in place. “Possibly. We need to find something, anything that tells us where she might be. I’m going to head back to the station, get a search party organized. If you find anything, let me know.”

“Will do.”

Dare head back to the cruiser at a fast clip. They already had one victim waiting on justice. He wouldn’t let Lindsey end up the same way.