“You’re kidding. How is that possible if he has a record?”
“Good question. He comes from an influential family, so I’d guess they had connections or something like that.”
“I’m not liking this, Gray. He could have been using his position of authority to prey on children no one cares about.”
“The thought occurred to me. Listen, I’m on my way there. Liam wants to come, too, but Quinn’s due any time, and—”
“No, he needs to stay with her, and I’d rather he be close to Livie. Make sure she stays safe.”
“He will. Where are you staying tonight?”
“Kendall says she can’t stay in her house. It’s so messed up, she couldn’t even if she wanted to. She feels so violated that I don’t know if she will ever be able to live there again. I booked us a hotel room.”
“Understandable. Harlow said the same thing about Pressley’s house.”
“No surprise there considering what she went through with her ex-husband. I’m texting you the hotel info now so you can book a room. Call me when you get here.”
Knowing the man’s name and who he was created a sense of urgency he couldn’t shake. After dropping off the key to Rossi,he went straight to Kendall’s father’s house. When he pulled into the driveway, an older man was standing on the steps, a puzzled look on his face.
Cooper exited the car and walked to him. “Mr. Hart?” When the man nodded, Cooper said, “I’m Cooper Devlin. Is Kendall inside?”
“That wasn’t you at the door?”
“When?”
“Five minutes ago? She said it was you.”
“Sir, I just got here.” Every instinct, every bad vibe he’d ever had screamed at him in voices so loud he almost covered his ears. Chadwick Manning Schroder the Third had gotten to her.
He’d promised to keep her safe, and he’d failed.
“Someone came to the door. She thought it was you. I was in the kitchen plating dinner, and she went to let you in. Was it him?” The man wilted before Cooper’s eyes. “He took her, didn’t he?”
It was only because of his special ops training that he managed to keep it together. He pushed aside the man in love with her and brought out that man who stayed calm under enemy fire, the one who’d gone after the bad guys with single-minded focus.
“Do you have a Ring camera, Mr. Hart?”
“It’s Frank, and yes, I do. Kendall made me get one.”
“Good. Let’s look at it.” He felt as if he were separate from himself. As if he were looking down on the soldier calmly taking the right steps, not the man hovering above who had never felt such fear in his life. What if he couldn’t find her?
He followed Frank inside, to the kitchen. “Is that your phone?” he asked, pointing to the one on the island.
“No, that’s Kendall’s.”
Damn. So much for tracking her.
“My phone’s right here.” Frank picked it up from the counter and brought up the camera video.
They both watched as a man rang the doorbell, then the man lifting a gun after Kendall opened the door.
“Oh, God,” her father cried.
There wasn’t sound, so Cooper read the man’s lips as best he could before they walked out of sight of the camera. “Damn,” he muttered. The camera wasn’t angled toward the driveway, so he couldn’t see the make of the man’s car. When the video finished, he called Grayson. “He has her, Gray.”
“How?”
“Came to her father’s house, and she opened the door, thinking it was me. He pointed a gun at her. There wasn’t any sound, but I was able to read his lips enough to understand that he threatened her father if she didn’t leave with him.”