Forgiving Lies (Forgiving Lies #1)(80)
I flipped on my blinker and swerved across a couple lanes to take the exit I was about to miss, earning me a few horns. “You keep talking about multiple rooms. Rachel said where she’s at is practically one big room. Is there a shed or a guesthouse, anything?”
Mason started calling for Ryder away from the phone and after another few seconds, I heard him asking Ryder about other possibilities when something else he’d said occurred to me.
“Mase! Mase, can you hear me?”
“Yeah?”
“You said Blake’s Lexus is there, right?”
A pause and some shuffling. “Positive that’s his, there’s no way I’d forget that car. And it’s parked right out front.”
“Where’s Rachel’s Jeep?”
“I don’t know, man, why?”
“When he came by to get her today, they both took their cars. Find her Jeep, you find Rach.” I looked down at my GPS and let out a deep breath. “I’m not far out, I’ll be there soon.”
“No, Kash. You go back. You’re too close to this case.”
“And you’re not? She’s like your sister!”
“She’s your goddamn fiancée! Turn the f*ck around!”
The tires of my truck squealed as I took a corner too quickly. I hoped like hell there were no cops running radar on this road right now—not like I’d stop for them anyway—because I was still ten minutes away if I went the speed limit. But no way was I gonna have the patience to go thirty-five miles per hour when my reason for breathing could have been taking her last. Once my truck straightened out again, I gunned it until I was going eighty-five down the narrow neighborhood roads. “If she dies, and I did nothing, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, Mason. I’ll be there soon. Look for her Jeep or a guesthouse and call me back if you find them.” Before he could protest further, I hung up and looked wildly around at the thinning houses.
Just as I was coming up on the different squad cars and vans they’d all taken to get there, I caught a glimpse of white to my left and it took everything in me not to slam on my brakes in the middle of the road or turn and drive my truck into the small guesthouse. I’d never been so happy in my life to see a damn Jeep Liberty. I pulled up behind the end of the line of cars and started back down the long dirt driveway on foot as I called Mason again.
“We don’t have anything yet, Kash, we’re working on it.”
“I found her,” I said softly, and walked low to the ground but swiftly. “The property directly next to his on the west has a dirt driveway that heads back to a small guesthouse. Rachel’s Jeep is peeking out of the side. I’m walking up.”
“No, wait for us! We need to think about the best way to go in there first, and besides, you don’t have on a vest or anything—did they even give you your gun back?”
“Mason, the last thing I heard from her was her screaming before the call was lost. I’m not waiting another minute. Either get your ass over here with me, or I’m going in alone!” I hissed, and continued making my way up the drive.
“Shit! Ryder, Mackey, Barnes, come with me now.” I could hear the wind in the phone and Mason’s breathing pick up. “We went out the back, we’re coming. Where exactly are— Never mind, I see you. Just stay there.”
I shoved my phone in my pocket and kept going. I wasn’t stopping yet; I was barely halfway there. By the time the guys made it over to me, no one looked exactly happy to see me, especially Ryder. But Mason’s anger was fighting with his fear for Rachel, and right now I couldn’t figure out which one was winning.
Detective Ryder cleared his throat until I focused on him. “Mason said she screamed. And then what happened?”
“The call was dropped. She had been trying to make a run for it. This is our guy; I know it is. She said in the room there are screens and on them are live feeds coming from different men watching people closest to her. While we were talking, the feed stopped and all that was on the screen was a bouquet of carnations.” I began moving toward the house, but Ryder put a hand on my chest and stopped me.
“We’ll take it from here.”
I swallowed hard and shook my head. “With all due respect, sir, there isn’t a chance in hell you are stopping me from getting my girl out of that house. If I lose my job over this, so be it. But she’s my world, and the only reason she’s in here is because I f*cked up and didn’t do my job in protecting her.” I pushed past his hand, only to stop again when Mason held something in front of me.
A gun.
Good thing, because I hadn’t ever gotten mine back at the station. I looked at my best friend, and with a nod, he pulled out his second duty weapon and we quickly moved in on the house. All the curtains were closed, and as the five of us quickly set up to kick in the door, muffled screams came from somewhere in the house and Mason didn’t waste another second.
The door went in easily, and I rounded the frame followed by the others.
“Austin Police Department,” I yelled as I charged into the open room, “show me your hands!”
“Travis County sheriff, drop your weapon!”
My blood boiled as my eyes narrowed in on Blake leaning over Rachel’s body on the bed. He straightened on his knees and slowly lifted his hands in the air, a scalpel in one hand and what looked like a sickle in the other.