I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. The man behind me puts one hand over my mouth and the other around my waist. He picks me up as if I weigh nothing and carries me toward a white van. The other two run ahead; one opens the door, and the other starts up the van. I fight and struggle, doing my best to get away, but even after all the training I received from Walker and the guys, I’m no match for the big beefy man holding me, and before I know it, he has duct tape around my wrists and legs and a cloth over my head.
My first thought is Walker and wondering if I’ll ever see him again. My second thought is that I definitely screwed up. I’m trained to defend myself, to always be alert, and I fucked up. I fucked up bad.
4
Walker
I’m pacing in my living room, ready to lose my mind. She’s on a date with another man. Brook, my Brook, is dating. Just thinking about it makes me physically ill. I don’t know why I’m so surprised. After five years, it was bound to happen. There’s no way the men of Whiskey Run were going to stay scared of my warnings forever. But I still can’t figure out who was the brave soul that asked her out. I even went to Red’s Diner tonight to see what I could find out. No one was talking, and the elderly women in the booth that were meeting for their quilting club seemed just as surprised as I was that Brook had a date tonight.
I’m just about to call Dylan and have him trace her phone when my phone rings. “Yeah,” I grunt, not even trying to go for niceties. It’s an unknown number, and whatever they’re selling, I’m not buying.
“Uh, hello. Is this Walker? Oh gosh, I don’t even know your whole name, my sister just calls you Walker.”
“Yeah, this is Walker. Who is this?”
She clears her throat. “Hi, my name is Cassie. I’m Brook’s sister.” When I don’t say anything, she says in a curt tone, “Brook, your personal assistant.”
“Is she okay?” I ask her.
“Uh, well, I don’t know. I’m not sure. I mean...” She starts to stammer and stutter, and my frustration goes to another level. I’m not the most pleasant or patient man.
“Is. Brook. Okay?” I ask her again, enunciating each word.
She sniffs on the phone, and a second later, a man comes on the phone. “Hello... Mr. Walker.”
“Who is this?” I demand.
“This is Brecken Johnson. I’m Cassie’s husband. She’s upset and worried about our sister. Brook had a date tonight, and she still hasn’t called to check in. We’ve tried calling her, and her phone goes straight to voicemail. I tried calling the police, but they said that she had to be missing for twenty-four hours.”
I’m listening to him word for word, but it’s like I’m listening through a tunnel. There’s something wrong with Brook, and I wasn’t there to protect her. I wasn’t there for her.
“Walker,” Brecken says over the phone.
“Yes. Yes. I’m here.” I grab my keys off the counter. “Tell me everything you know. When did you talk to her last, where was her date, who was she with... everything.”
“Okay, I’m going to put Cassie back on the phone.”
I put the phone on speaker and send a group text to the guys and Sam. 911. Meet at the office.
“Hello?” Cassie says.
“Cassie, I need to know everything.”
She takes a deep breath and lets it all out. “I talked to her around six, and she promised me she’d call me after her date. She was at the Del Rio Restaurant in Jasper.”
Fuck, I should be writing this down. “Del Rio Restaurant,” I recite. “Who was she there with?”
“His name is Jason. She had sent me a screenshot of his profile on the dating app. I’ll send it to you.”
“She met him on a dating app?”
“Yes. I told her it was a bad idea, but well, she was determined to go on a date, and I don’t know what the hell is wrong with the men of this town, but they treat her like a pariah. She felt it was her only option.”
Fuck! I pushed her to this. If I hadn’t put out the warning, she would be dating some accountant or someone safe instead of some douchebag she met online. I grip the phone tighter. “Was she okay when you did talk to her? Was there anything off about her or anything?”
I’m already in my SUV, driving to the warehouse. I’m going way faster than I should be, but I don’t care. Nothing matters right now except getting Brook home safe.
“Uh, she was upset... but she was fine.”
There’s something Cassie’s not telling me. She doesn’t trust me.
“Cassie, listen, I’m going to find Brook. I promise you that. This is what I do. But in order to do that, you have to tell me everything. Now, why was she upset?”