Page 71 of Serve and Protect

“She said she was going to take out the trash. Why?”

Fuck!

I race back outside and search the area between the back door and the dumpster. There, on the ground, is Jennie’s pendant. My hand shakes as I pick it up. The chain isbroken, as if someone ripped it from her neck.Damn it!I can’t track her location.

I call her again, and I’m not really surprised when I hear her phone ringing in the dumpster.

My blood turns to ice as I force myself to lift the dumpster lid.Please, God, I’m begging you.In my line of work, I’ve seen everything.

The back door of the diner opens, and Chad pokes his head out. “What are you looking for?”

Ignoring Chad and my roiling stomach, I force myself to look inside the dumpster. If her body is in here, my life is over.

My eyes burn as I stare down at a couple of black plastic trash bags. Her phone is lying right on top. And there’s nothing else.

Air rushes back into my lungs, and my knees nearly give out. I grasp the edge of the dumpster to keep from dropping to my ass on the pavement. My stomach drops as reality sinks in, and I feel sick.

Someone took her.

Braggart, that motherfucking dipshit of an asshole, took her!

“Sheriff?” Chad asks, frowning with concern. “You okay, man? You look like shit.”

I scrub my hands over my face as I try to get my breathing under control. I need to remain calm. Otherwise, I can’t help her. I estimate she’s been missing for approximately ten minutes. There’s still time to find her before he has a chance to hurt her.

I radio the station and instruct Darlene to have both Jace and Ricky meet me at the Braggart ranch pronto. “Also, put out an APB on David Braggart, and issue a missing persons alert for Jennie Lopez.”

“Shit, Chris,” Darlene says. “Okay. I’m on it.”

I get back in my cruiser, lights flashing, siren blaring, as I race toward the Braggart ranch.

I’m coming, Jennie. Just hang on, sweetheart. I’m coming.

Chapter 26 – Jennie

My head hurts. It’s throbbing, and the pain is excruciating. I can’t see a thing—it’s pitch black.Is it nighttime? Where am I?

My heart starts pounding because I don’t know. I can’t remember a thing.

I try to sit up, but I can’t. My limbs are tied down. I’m on something soft.A bed maybe?

I smell something—smoke. Like woodsmoke. A fireplace maybe? Or a woodstove?

“Who’s there?” I ask. My voice is raw, and it hurts to speak.

No response.

“Who’s there!” I yell. Or at least I try to. My words come out a garbled mess.

Heavy footsteps approach on a wooden floor, the boards creaking with age. I freeze, stealing myself for the unknown.

“You might as well save your breath, Jennie. No one can hear you out here.”

That voice! I thrash, trying in vain to free myself, but the more I struggle, the more the ropes tighten on my wrists and ankles. Terror seizes me. He’s not just a monster. He’s insane. “Let me go, David!”

I’m having trouble breathing, and my mouth is dry. My head is killing me, and I can’t think straight. The words tumble like pebbles from my lips. “You—can’t—do—this.”

“Of course I can,” he says. “I can do anything I want. You underestimated me, Jennie-bean, for the last time.”