Secrets (20 page)

“Fighting won’t help. I shot enough drugs
into you to take down both of the men guarding you.” The voice
sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Chastity’s legs
buckled beneath her, hands grabbed her around the waist.

“You,” she whispered before darkness
consumed her.

Chapter
17

Kenton picked up the balled paper from the
fireplace and read it. His jaw tightened in frustration with his
deceased uncle. The man went too far sometimes. He wasn’t kidding
when he told Chastity his uncle was a ruthless man. Silently, he
handed the note to Sven who read it and placed it on the desk.

“She’s pissed.” Sven stated the obvious.

“More like hurt. If Uncle David isn’t
careful, he’s going to fall from that pedestal she has him on.”

Sven grunted. “Go watch her. I’d told her I
wasn’t sure it was safe for her to go outside. I don’t have the
assassination information pinned down yet.”

Kenton hustled toward the front door when
Jonah and Micah barreled into him. “Daddy, tell him I’m going to be
taller than him when I get big like Uncle Sven. He said short
people couldn’t be Navy Seals.” Jonah pointed at Micah who stood
with his arms crossed and a sneer on his lips.

“You’re going to be taller when you grow up,
Jonah. Both of you will.” He nodded at Micah, who looked hurt.

“Do you always have to take his side?” Micah
asked, pouting.

Confused, Kenton glanced at Sven, who turned
away smiling. “I’m not taking his side, I’m making a point. Both of
you are going to grow taller as you get older.”

Jonah walked around him into the office,
looking around. “Where’s mama?”

Sven’s head snapped around. Kenton eased the
boys into the office and walked quickly to the door. “I’m going to
get her now.”

Cursing beneath his breath, Kenton hurried
across the path searching for Chastity. Eyes sharp, he refused to
call out for her until he was further from the house. No need to
worry the kids. After passing the barn with no sight of her, he
grew concerned. There was no sign of her. He called her name and
walked further from the house towards the wooded area of the
property. His cell rang.

Without stopping, he pulled it out and
snapped it open. “Yeah?” He peered up ahead, there seemed to be
something on the ground.

“Robbie’s not answering his cell,” Sven
ground out. “Chastity with you?”

“No, I’m still looking for her. I think I
see something…hold on a minute.” He bent on his knees, there were
three sets of footprints. Two had deep heels, like boots, and the
other impression had a series of crisscrosses reminding him of
rubber soled shoes. Icy dread sliced into him.

“Kenton, Kent?”

“Somebody accessed the property through the
woods. Have your men complete an all out search. Chastity’s not
here.” Kenton clicked off and searched the ground to follow the
footprints, agonizingly aware that the number dropped to two. They
ended a half mile into the woods. He called Sven.

“I found their camp,” he said before giving
the coordinates. “They’ve been here a few days, probably watching,
waiting for an opportunity to grab her.” He continued to search the
area for more clues. “They carried her off, so I’m assuming she’s
been drugged.” His stomach clenched as he methodically worked the
area as he’d been trained. “I’m not sure how they were able to hide
a vehicle here, but judging by the tire tracks, it’s an all-terrain
model. It left by way of our neighbor’s property. Check the cameras
for any anomalies, I’m sure one of them was off-line or on a loop
recently. I’ll follow the trail the jeep took to be sure it crossed
over to Bradley’s spread. Have someone pick me up on the way. Make
sure they’re hot.”

“Yeah, got that. We got another
problem.”

Kenton walked the trail the jeep left
behind, swatting gnats and bugs. He wished he had his gear that was
stowed in his room. Sven’s words stopped him cold. “What?”

“Robbie is knocked out. Someone accessed his
apartment, got to him and trussed him like a thanksgiving
turkey.”

Kenton’s mind processed the facts. He hated
the man got hurt, but he didn’t see the problem until Sven
continued.

“Ms. Cook and Mariah were here with him.
They’re both missing.”

The bottom of his world fell out. His baby
girl and his woman? Fuck that. “What?” he whispered, needing to
hear the words again to be sure.

“After talking to you, I came here since he
didn’t answer his phone. That’s when I discovered him tied up, and
Ms. Cook and Mariah gone. I’ve got my crew combing the ranch.”

“It’s over a hundred acres, they could be
anywhere.”

“Not anywhere, there are a few places
uninhabitable.”

“For who? Not a damn professional, and
something tells me that’s who we’re dealing with. How were they
able to bypass the security system and a team of trained
mercenaries, many of which are former Seals?” Smoke blew from his
nostrils as he stomped through the woods, determined to find where
the jeep went after leaving his uncle’s property.

Sven sighed. “I’m pissed and don’t have any
answers right now—”

“Where are my sons?” He stopped and looked
back in the direction of the house.

“They’re with me.”

“Are you going to keep them with you or are
you going hunting?”

Sven growled. “I’m keeping them with me
until you get back. Where the hell are you?”

“I’m following the trail of the jeep. It
looks like it crossed over into Bradley’s ranch. Get one of your
men to pick me up and find someone you trust to watch my sons. I
need to get my gear to hunt this motherfucker.”

“Kent, let us do—”

“Send somebody to pick me up. Now, Sven,” he
demanded. Breathing hard, he clicked off and continued following
the jeep's trail. He wasn’t surprised when it ended at an opening
someone had made in the fence that separated Bradley’s property
from his uncle’s. He glanced at the white boards on the ground and
stepped across the unseen line.

Minutes later, Sven, Levi and the rest of
the team picked him up as he continued to follow the jeep’s tracks.
Anger choked him. He grabbed the bag Sven threw his way and changed
into his camouflage gear.

“Robbie has the boys in the basement.
Security cam was on loop just as you suspected. All my men were
accounted for and on post. This asshole came in as a ghost.”

Kenton made no acknowledgement of the
information.

“Don’t seem like he’d leave a real trail for
us to follow, after all that work,” Levi said what Kenton had been
thinking since he started tracking.

“I left a group of men at the ranch just in
case this is a decoy and they think to circle round for the boys.”
Sven pointed ahead.

Kenton nodded, his thoughts on Chastity and
her fears. He prayed she was still alive and that she didn’t know
Mariah was missing. Shame lanced him. He’d promised her they’d be
safe. Now both his females were missing.

Sven broke the quiet. “Any ideas who took
them?”

“Not yet.”

“Could Maude have orchestrated this?”

Kenton thought hard. “If she could’ve found
someone who could’ve pulled this off, she was definitely capable of
doing so. Problem. Uncle David cut off her money supply, she
doesn’t even have a car. My dad hasn’t taken care of her in years.
How would she pay for a hit?”

Sven nodded in contemplation. “Good point.
But I don’t put anything past her.”

Kenton remained silent. No need defending
his mother, she would’ve hired a hit if she could benefit from the
results. The woman was a greedy con. He hoped she enjoyed the first
and last sight of her grandchild, there’d be no repeats.

The tracks stopped at Bradley’s large
detached garage. Kenton looked at Sven. They jumped out of their
jeep and walked toward the parked jeep in front of the garage.
Kenton knew someone had deliberately led them on a goose chase.
Either Bradley or his son had played some role in Chastity’s
disappearance, but he wasn’t sure to what extent. Sven went over
the jeep with his electronic equipment while Kenton stood behind
the jeep; hand on the hilt of his gun. The doctor had removed the
cast on his right hand, but his movements were still stiff.

“At one point she was in this vehicle.” Sven
placed the equipment in his back pocket along with one of her
earrings. They walked toward the door of the garage. Before they
could open it, a bullet slammed into the wood near the handle. Sven
dropped to the ground, holding his shoulder. Blood welled up
through his shirt as he tried to stop the flow. Kneeling beside
him, Kenton pointed up high toward a window facing the garage.

“You’re trespassing on Bradley property.
Leave now before I put a bullet in your ass,” someone shouted and
sent another bullet into the wood above their heads to make a
point. Sven crawled backward and ushered him toward him. Gunshots
flew back and forth, eating up precious time he needed to look for
Chastity. Sweat poured off his body as another volley of shots rent
the air. Quiet followed the aftermath. They lay quietly for a few
minutes. Soon, the sound of gunfire and screams in the distance
said the mercenaries had earned their pay. Levi loped down the back
stairs and waved them in.

Sven’s team cleaned out Bradley’s spread,
erasing any clues of their involvement. They headed out. Sven waved
him over. “Those assholes were Griffin’s men and didn’t have a clue
why they were sent to draw them out. Bradley’s son gave them the
key, but he wasn’t here.”

Kent nodded and looked at the blood on his
friend’s shoulder. “You need to stop that bleeding.”

“I will, I’ll get it sewn up as we head out.
Pick up the boys, head to Mr. B’s place in Pittsburgh. It’s smaller
and we can watch it better tonight. The ranch is too big with the
few men I have left.” Sven’s cell rang.

Kenton nodded and ran to the jeep, headed
for the ranch.

Chapter
18

Heaviness weighed down Chastity eyes; she
couldn’t lift her lids. Cotton balls filled her mouth; a light
buzzing sound irritated her ears. A chalky taste lay stale on her
tongue. Thinking, even short forays to decipher her discomfort,
took too much effort. In the distance she heard muted sounds,
perhaps voices. They triggered a memory, something she needed to
do. Fuzzy, her mind refused to cooperate and put the pieces
together. Something happened. What? Sluggish gray cells released
the pertinent information in slow motion, before realization
hit.

Someone had shot her with a needle or
something. In her mind’s eye, her hand reached up to massage the
throbbing spot between her neck and shoulder. Except, nothing
moved. Inhaling, she heaved and tried to pull her hand up, to no
avail. Fully awake, her eyes popped open and darted around the
darkened area. Drapes, ceiling fan, dresser and bookcase on the far
wall. The bedroom looked somewhat familiar. A frown creased her
brow in concentration.
Where am I
? Footsteps neared the
closed door. She snapped her eyes shut before it opened, listening
hard. The door closed, the steps came closer. Her heart raced with
uncertainty.

“I know you’re awake. Time for us to have a
little girl talk.” The husky voice held a hint of humor that seemed
out of place for the situation.

Intrigued, Chastity opened her eyes and
gazed into the pale face of a woman she’d met, but couldn’t place.
“Who’re you?”

“You don’t remember me? I’m disappointed.”
The overhead light drew attention to a silver ball on the woman’s
tongue. Her pout pushed her thin lips forward, lengthening her
angular face. Dark slanted eyes, thick eyebrows, and a button nose
completed an unremarkable face. Thick reddish-black hair, her best
feature in Chastity’s mind, was pulled up in a long ponytail that
hit the middle of her back.

“No.”

The woman’s face darkened, she put her hands
on her hips, threw her head back and made an announcement. “I’m
Renee. Kenton’s jilted lover.”

Confusion chased surprise beneath her skin.
“What? You shot me with a needle over Kenton?”

The harsh rasping sound of Renee’s laugh
filled the room. She glanced at her watch. “No, no. Not at all. He
was a good fuck, but not that good. This is all about
business.”

“Business? I don’t understand. Where am I
and what do you want?”

“Cool, unruffled, I like that. Did David
Baxter teach you that?” Renee walked around the bed, her fingertip
scraping the ropes. “Maude Stone had a lot to say about her
brother, the infamous Mr. Baxter. That’s how we knew about the
rocky pathway through the ranch, this house, security at your farm.
You’re a rich woman now, aren’t you?” She bent forward, her breath
warm against Chastity’s forehead. She whispered, “Tell me the
truth; how much did you have to fuck that old man to get all that
money?” Chastity’s jaw clenched, her fist balled tight as rage
boiled through her searching for a release. Straightening, Renee
moved to the side and sat next to Chastity before leaning
forward.“How often did you suck that old, soggy cock? Every day? In
the mornings? Did he get off on that slave girl bullshit?” Her
glassy eyes leering.

Chest heaving in outrage, Chastity pulled
moisture from the depths of her soul, and spit in Renee’s face. The
other woman grinned evilly as the fluid rolled down her chin before
leaning forward. She wiped the spatter in Chastity’s hair before
grabbing it by the roots and shaking her hard.

Gritting her teeth, Chastity winced at the
pain.

A low growl brushed against her ear. “Do
that again and I’ll cut your fucking tongue out of your mouth. That
won’t kill you. I might even leave my initials for Kenton to see as
he picks up your broken body from the floor.” She threw Chastity’s
head back on the bed. Crawling over her, Renee straddled her waist
before sitting back on her legs. Tendrils of fear rolled through
Chastity as she locked gazes with the slender woman.
What the
hell is she doing on top of me?