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When Dominic arrived at the warehouse, he thought he might have been having a heart attack. It felt as if a steel band strapped around his chest was squeezing the life from him. He couldn’t steady his pulse, knowing his precious baby daughter was in danger. As if that wasn’t enough, Presley was putting herself in harm’s way. Frankly, he was surprised he was still conscious.

They were dealing with a sociopath. Eddie Smith had killed so many people already. It probably wouldn’t bother him to take more lives.

Dominic slammed the brakes when something jumped out from behind a building. Kayne. Another scare that probably wasn’t good for his already-questionable ticker.

Dom rolled the window down.

“Park here. Your daughter is okay.”

It felt as if all his bones melted at those four words. Knowing Gia was alive was as effective as paddles shocking his heart into sinus rhythm.

Dom parked, jumped out, and headed toward Kayne.

“Here, put this in your ear. It’s a communications device.”

Dominic fitted it into place.

“You’re wearing Kevlar?”

Dom patted his chest. “Yes.”

“I sent eyes inside. Gia is tied up but unharmed. Eddie Smith is inside with her. We’ll breach the back perimeter. While Presley distracts him, I’ll grab Gia.

Dom wanted to argue. Of course, he wanted his daughter safe, but what about Presley?

As if reading his mind, Kayne added, “I’ll cover Presley.”

Dom informed Presley that he was there with her through the comms. She made a snide remark for Kayne to shoot him in the foot if he interfered. When he objected, she casually mentioned that Kayne knew a hundred ways to incapacitate him.

“Follow me,” Kayne instructed.

Dom stayed close to him as they entered the warehouse through a crooked garage door that didn’t reach the floor. The space was enormous and smelled like a garbage dump—looked like one, too, with trash and refuse littering the floor. Kayne led him along the wall until they came to a closed door. He took out a kit from his pocket and picked the lock.

He held up a hand. “I’ll grab her. You get her to safety.” Kayne cracked the door and turned toward Dominic. “Change of plans. Smith is using her as a shield. I can’t risk a shot.”

Oh, God, that steel band squeezed tighter, pressing the air from Dom’s lungs.

Kayne conveyed the same message to Presley. Before Dom knew what was happening, Kayne shoved him into a closet.

“What—”

“Shh, they’re coming out.”

Dom glanced around Kayne to see a man holding a gagged Gia in front of him with a gun in his other hand. His vision blurred. That was his baby girl.

Suddenly, an intense pressure in his arm paralyzed his entire body.

Kayne whispered in his ear, “If you don’t shut the hell up and do what I say, I will render you unconscious. Do you understand?”

Dom couldn’t respond. Kayne’s grip loosened, and Dom sucked in a ragged breath. “What the hell was that?”

“You can call it a Vulcan death grip. Now quit growling and let me do my job.”

Dom forced himself to take a breath as he rubbed the spot Kayne had pinched on his arm. He’d never felt anything like it.

Kayne held a finger over his mouth and motioned for Dom to follow. They crept around to where they could watch Presley entering the building. He gritted his teeth as she faced Eddie Smith, but the man didn’t shoot. He was too busy keeping the gun trained on Gia.

“This is taking too long,” Dominic complained. “I’m coming in there to get my daughter.”

“No. Stay there.”

“I’ll keep him here,” Kayne promised. He gave Dom a menacing look.

Dom held up his hands and mouthed, “Fine.”

Then he listened as Presley worked her magic and coaxed Smith into confessing that he had killed Bill Fitzgerald. She was about to get him to admit the other murders when someone arrived outside.

“Who the hell is that?”

#

“No, Eddie, I didn’t call the police. I didn’t notify anyone.”

Eddie shifted from foot to foot as he glanced outside again. “Oh, hell, it’s Branch. Keep your arms up,” he ordered Presley.

A car door slammed. “Jed?” Reggie called out. “Are you in there?”

“Shit,” Eddie hissed. “How did you find me here, Branch?”

“I’m a detective,” Reggie reminded him. “Your truck is parked beside the building.”

“Go away, Branch.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. We need to talk, Jed, or should I say Ed? I’m coming in.”

Eddie turned his arm toward the open door.

“Don’t do it, Eddie,” Presley warned.

Two shots sounded almost simultaneously. Blood and brain matter splattered against the window as Eddie fell. Presley rushed forward and jerked Gia out of his grip, twisting her so she didn’t see the carnage. Then Dominic was there, ripping his daughter from her arms and hugging her tightly.

“Nice shot,” she told Kayne. Then she dashed outside to find Reggie lying in a pool of blood. She dropped beside him. “Reggie, can you hear me?”

No answer. She whipped her shirt over her head and used it to staunch the flow of blood pumping from his chest. She was wearing a vest, so she was sufficiently covered. Reggie, however, was not. If he had, it might’ve stopped the bullet from penetrating.

“Let me take care of him. I have paramedic training.”

She glanced up to see Dominic. “Gia . . .”

“She’s going to be okay. She knows I need to help him.”

Presley glanced over her shoulder to see Gia hovering close. The tape and binds were gone. She looked shell-shocked but alert. Presley wondered if she realized what had happened to her kidnapper.

Kayne jogged over. “An ambulance is on the way.” He crouched down to assist. Since they were caring for Reggie, Presley pushed to her feet and went to Gia.

With a sob, Gia ran to her and jumped into her arms. She hugged the girl tightly. “I’m so proud of you, Gia.”

Gia pulled back to look at Presley’s face. “Me? Why?” Her voice was watery.

“You were so brave. If you can handle a situation like that, you can tackle anything. You are a superhero.”

Gia hugged her tighter. “The only way I got through it was thinking about you. I knew you wouldn’t be scared. You could kick that guy’s butt.”

Presley chuckled. “I wanted to when I knew he had you, but then I saw the determined look on your face. You held your own.”

Sirens sounded, and soon, emergency personnel poured into the parking lot. Dominic and Kayne yielded Reggie’s care to the medics. Dominic came over and took Gia from her, crushing her against him again. Presley saw the shudder that wracked his body.

“Presley, take a look at this.” Kayne held out his phone. “I found this in Smith’s car. I snapped pictures before the police confiscated it.”

“It’s a manifesto.”

She quickly scrolled through the rantings, all directed at her. Sheesh, he’d genuinely hated her. All because she’d been a victim of his beloved father. The last page was an action plan. It talked about his intention to request access to files from the Serenity Shores Police Department using his partner’s credentials, hiring Fitzgerald to ask around town about her, and finding a way to lure her back.

He’d certainly succeeded in doing that.