Page 123 of Traces Of You

Someone could have taken her purse and tossed it there.

But why not take her wallet?

After twenty tense minutes of scrolling, sweat trailing down his back, his nerves a minefield, he finally spotted her. She was walking with some guy, too close, like she was being led or held. One of his hands gripped her arm. The other… was out of sight.

He zoomed in and caught sight of tears streaking Reenie’s cheeks, but the man’s face was obscured by the brim of his hat. Just before they turned the corner and disappeared from view, he saw it…his hand, low and tight, holding a knife to her side.

He put an APB out on her immediately while he tried to find any other shots of them on camera. Anything leading them to vehicles leaving that street shortly after with a glimpse of Reenie in it.

He’d rather be out looking for her himself than his men, but had to know what he was up against. Over an hour had passed since the camera last recorded her.

No cars alerted him racing or speeding off the street, none showing Reenie or the guy in the hat.

He’d have every plate run exiting from that street after, but it wasn’t the only way to leave.

When his phone rang in his pocket, he jumped, hoping it was someone with information.

It was Clay.

“What’s going on?” Clay asked. “I was in the basement with no service on my phone.”

“She’s gone,” he choked out. “Reenie is gone.”

“What do you mean, gone?” Clay asked.

“She’s been kidnapped. I found her purse stuffed between two plants and saw her on camera turning toward the street with a guy holding a knife to her side. I’ve got men on the street questioning people and I’m still going through videos for any clues of who and where she could have been taken.”

“Screw that,” Clay said. “We’ll get her back. I’ve got a tracker on her.”

“You’re tracking Reenie?” he asked. He was running out the door and back to his SUV. “When? How? Why haven’t you said anything to me before?”

“I’ll explain it when you get here. Meet me at my place.”

Clay hung up on him and he took off at dangerous speeds through the streets and out of town.

Ford called it in for backup, but he had to find out more. What they were up against. As much as he wanted to get the location and race to her, they needed a plan.

But the longer he waited to get to Reenie, the bigger risk it was to her safety.

When he pulled onto the property, he didn’t slow down and raced to Clay’s ranch, barely stopping the SUV before he unbuckled himself, opened the door, then raced inside.

“Where is she?”

Clay turned his computer around. “It looks as if she’s up in the mountains about thirty minutes from here. A rental most likely.”

“Where is the tracker on her?” he asked, looking at the property. It wouldn’t benefit them being down a long dirt road surrounded by woods.

Whoever it was would see them coming from the front and could get out the back and take off into the mountains.

“The necklace you gave her.”

“When?” he asked. “I found it and gave it to her. She hasn’t taken it off once.”

Clay turned his head and looked him in the eye. “Mom said she found it. I knew what you were feeling and put it in there under the pictures before you came to get it.”

“Thanks,” he said, his hand resting on Clay’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t have thought to do it.”

“I had hopes we wouldn’t need it.”