“Yeah. Okay.” Haley climbed in.
Mark drove down the street and took a right onto the main road. He gave her a sheepish smile. “I promised to pick up some flowers from the florist before they closed. Then I’ll take you home.”
Haley frowned.
“Just a quick detour. I promise.”
“Okay, but hurry.”
#
Jayden picked up his cell phone and dialed Haley’s number, praying she had taken it with her.
Ava came running into the living room holding a ringing phone.
“It’s Haley’s. She didn’t take it.” Jayden disconnected and shoved his phone back in his jeans pocket.
Barrett burst in from the front door with Damon and Zane right behind him. “I checked the surveillance video from both ends of the street. It looks like Haley got into a truck with a male.”
Jayden snarled. “What did he look like?”
“Hard to tell, he had a baseball cap on and his face was in the shadow,” Damon offered up.
Haley’s phone rang. Everyone looked at Ava. She looked at the caller ID. “It’s from a Dana.”
“Give it to me.” Jayden answered the call.
“Dana.”
“Jayden, why are you answering Haley’s phone?” Dana’s voice sounded shaky.
“Because she’s not here. Is she with you, Dana?” Jayden knew he sounded sharp, but he didn’t’ really care. He needed to find Haley.
Dana inhaled loudly. “No. That’s why I was calling. I really need to talk to her. Mark told me something today that is very upsetting and I …” She broke off into pitiful sobs.
“What? What is it? Dana, this is serious. I really need to know.” Jayden was aware that every eye in the room was on him.
“Mark broke up with me.”
Jayden fought the urge to roll his eyes. Haley was missing and this girl was upset over a breakup. “Sorry to hear that.”
“I know! He said the reason he was breaking up with me was because there was someone else.” Dana started up the water works.
“Dana…”
“He said he’s in love with Haley.”
Jayden froze and every sound went mute. It was like someone had turned off the volume.
“What?”
“He said he’s in love with Haley. Did she ever say anything to you? I don’t understand how this could happen.”
Jayden walked over to the coffee table and snatched up the photo of the Codis hit.
“Dana. What’s the name of your boyfriend?”
“You mean ex!”
“The name, what’s his name?”
“Mark Boulland.”
Jayden let the phone slip out of his hand. Someone must have caught it before it hit the floor because he was vaguely aware of Ava speaking to Dana.
All he Jayden could see was the name at the bottom of that white piece of paper.
Mark Boulland.
#
“Shit. He was hiding in plain sight. The whole fucking time. He was a student at the same university as Haley, yet I didn’t see him.” Jayden loaded every weapon he had into the RV. The plan was to shift in to wolf form and sniff out Haley’s scent while the RV followed. They would then weapon up once they were in human form again.
“Sociopaths usually are pretty fucking genius. We miss them all the time. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Damon slapped him on the back as he walked through the RV checking out any updates from satellite images as to where Haley might be.
Ava boarded. “Okay, here’s what I got. Dana said Mark has a cabin near the lake. She’s only been out there one time and it’s pretty isolated. Here’s the address. She handed it to Braxton who punched it into the RV’s Navigation. An address popped up.
“I also told her if Mark calls her to be sure to let me know.” Ava slid her cell phone back in her pocket.
“I’m repositioning all our satellites within a hundred-mile radius. “ Barrett punched in some kind of code on the keyboard of the computer and automatically aerial pictures popped up on the screen.
“We have satellites?” Braxton murmured to Damon.
“Apparently.” Damon nodded in appreciation.
“Just give me the coordinates.” Jayden clenched his fists as rage filtered into every cell of his body.
“Hang on.” Barrett shifted through some pictures as Damon cross-checked the addresses.
“Come on.” Jayden narrowed his eyes, trying to force the damn computer to hurry the hell up.
“I said wait. If you bust up in the wrong fucking house you are only going to waste time getting to Haley.” Barrett cut his eyes at him.
Jayden gritted his teeth.
Barrett was right. He knew it. But all that mattered to Jayden right now was getting Haley back safe and sound.
#
Haley shifted in the front seat of the beat-up Ford truck. She hadn’t noticed the smell when she first got in, but she was no longer able to ignore the stench.
“I didn’t know you had a truck, Mark. I’ve only ever seen you drive your Prius.” She swallowed and tried breathing through her mouth. Maybe he’d hit a skunk.