Guarding Hearts (Living Again #3)

by L. L. Collins

  Ellis paced the room, wracking his brain. There had to be something that he left as a clue. “Samuel, what about Tanner?”

  “What about him?”

  “Well, it seems like he took the fall for Sean. So what’s to stop him from rolling over on him now? It could be a lot better for him if he cooperated.”

  Samuel thought for a moment. “Call the Knoxville PD. Let me see if I can find that card that the detective gave me when Sam was done with her statement.” He handed it to Ellis. “Worth a try, I guess.”

  “We have to try any lead we can,” Ellis explained. “If we ever want to see her again.”

  He got on the phone, waiting to be transferred several times before he got the lead detective on the phone. “Vince, Ellis Warner, representing Samantha Kerrigan. Have you heard what’s happened?”

  “Yes, I have Ellis. Anything I can help with? Do you have any leads to where she is?”

  “We think it’s her bodyguard, Sean, who has her. There are some things about him not adding up, and it starts with Tanner Bauer. Is he still in your jail, or has he been transferred out yet?”

  “He’s still here. You mean he was in on this with her bodyguard? Wow, this is the kind of stuff you see in a movie.”

  “I’m in Baton Rouge, but I’m going to fly into Knoxville as soon as I can with her dad and the rest of our security team. Can I see him as soon as I arrive?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Just call me when you know times and we’ll arrange to pick you up at the airport.”

  Ellis thanked him and hung up. “Let’s get a flight to Knoxville as soon as possible. If Tanner Bauer knows anything, we’re going to find out.” He turned to the detectives that had been so helpful here in Baton Rouge. “I guess we’re moving out, guys. Thanks so much for everything.”

  They shook hands, each of them saying that if there was anything they could do here in Baton Rouge, to let them know. Sam’s team quickly packed up. Lacey was arranging flights for everyone, including herself. She wasn’t going home with her best friend missing.

  His phone rang and he saw it was Carl. “Carl.”

  “What’s the latest?”

  “We’re heading to Knoxville to try to get Tanner to roll over on Sean. We’ve gotten some intel that says it’s him that took her.”

  “Her bodyguard? Brian’s son?”

  Ellis sighed. “Yes. I was so stupid, Carl. I hung out with this guy. I never had a clue.”

  “He’s probably a sociopath,” Carl reasoned. “I’m going to catch a flight there if that’s okay with you.”

  “That would be great. Samuel and I can use all of the brainpower we can. Andrew is waiting until we get some idea where Sam might be, then he’s going to get a team together.”

  “I’ll call you once I know when my flight will be there. We’ll find her, El.”

  A lump formed in his throat, and he struggled to work around it. “I can’t lose her,” he whispered.

  “You won’t,” Carl declared. “You’re going to have a whole team looking for her. And one man in love is better than twenty regular men.”

  Ellis laughed. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

  “It’s about time you admit it to yourself,” Carl said. “Ellis, you know it’s okay to be vulnerable to someone, right? She isn’t the enemy. She’s not your mom.”

  Ellis walked away from the group, afraid they were all going to see him being soft. Tears filled his eyes, and he fought to keep them where they were. When he was silent, Carl spoke again.

  “I’ll be there soon, son. I love you, and so does she. We’ll get her.”

  The whole team stood in the lobby of the Knoxville Police Department, waiting for Tanner to be brought in from lock up. Brian had arrived and was extremely apologetic, to which all of them reassured him, telling him that Sean had fooled all of them. Brian was distraught, understandably, since it was rather certain that his own son had killed his wife as well as kidnapped Sam. Ellis couldn’t imagine having to deal with that from his own son.

  Mason. He had been so consumed with what was happening here that he had forgotten he hadn’t heard anything about what was going on in New York. He knew he had to find Sam first, then he would figure out what had to be done with Mason.

  “How are you holding up?” Carl asked.

  “I’m dying inside,” he admitted. “Every hour that goes by scares me more and more. What is he doing to her? Where is she?”

  Carl smiled thinly. “I know, son. All we can hope is that if he really thinks he loves her, he may not want to cause her any harm.”

  “She’s a tough girl,” Ellis said. “She won’t just take what he wants lying down. So if she fights, what will he do then?’

  “Ellis,” the detective came out. “Tanner’s in Interrogation One. You ready?”

  “I’m going in,” Brian announced, and Ellis and Carl nodded. They would be in charge of this interrogation, along with Detective Adams from the Knoxville PD. They had been authorized by the DA to allow lesser charges for Tanner if he cooperated and they found Sean and Sam because of his information.

  The men followed the detective down the hallway, silence taking over as they all thought about what they had to lose here, and the importance of figuring out where the hell she could be.

  She cringed as she felt Sean’s arm come over her, heavy with sleep. She had been here twenty-four hours, and all she could do was wrack her brain to try to figure out how to get out of here. She was sure that Ellis had to know by now. He would help look for her, right? Even if he hated her?

  Sean pulled her body to him, and she bit her lip to keep from sobbing. She felt his erection pressed against her back. He had hinted about them making love, but hadn’t pushed her. She had to figure out how to get away from him before he did. Meanwhile, she had tried to pacify him. Arguing with him wasn’t going to get her anywhere, she learned that right away by begging for him to let her go. She had no idea who this man was that he had turned into, but she knew she couldn’t push him.

  “Are you ready yet?” he breathed into her ear, and she couldn’t stop the gasp that left her mouth. He ground into her backside. “I can’t wait to show you how much I love you.”

  “Sean,” she whimpered, trying to move away but his arm was too tight around her.

  “I’ve waited so long for this,” he grunted. “I had to watch that video of you and Ellis, him touching you and you getting off. I knew that I could do so much better, and I’m ready to show you.”

  Sam cringed, knowing she had to think fast in order to keep him from doing what he wanted to do. She thought of Ellis, his touch, and it made her want to sob and do anything to get the hell out of here. But she knew they were in the middle of nowhere. “Sean,” she said quietly. “You know I want to show you how appreciative I am for you loving me, caring for me, but I have a problem.”

  “What’s that, sweetheart?” Her stomach roiled at his term of endearment.

  “I-I need some stuff,” she said.

  “What kind of stuff? If you’re worried about protection, I’ve got plenty here.”

  She cringed, glad he couldn’t see her face. “No, not that, Sean. I need—womanly products.”

  He groaned, and she knew she had done it. He was going to have to leave the house. “Seriously? What a kill joy you are. I’m not making love to you in all that. I love you, but that’s gross.”

  She smiled, awarding herself a small victory. “I’m sorry, Sean. I’ll be sure to make it up to you as soon as I can. But, is there a store nearby? I really need to get something, and soon.”

  Sean rubbed against her again. “You could do something for me, then I’ll go do something for you.” Bile rose in her throat. There was no damn way she was doing that or anything else with him.

  “How about this,” she purred, turning to face him. “I go with you to the store, then I’ll make it really worth your while later.” She wiggled her eyebrows for extra emphasis.

&nbs
p; He looked at her face, seeming to think about her request. “You aren’t going anywhere,” he said finally. “You have one of the most recognizable faces in the country. You write down what you need, and I’ll go.” He rolled out of bed, and she noticed that he was naked, his erection standing at attention. She averted her eyes, feeling sick at just the sight of him. “You like that, baby? Want a little taste?” He took himself in his hand, stroking himself in front of her.

  “Please, Sean,” she pleaded. He laughed, making her blood run cold. She had no idea what she was going to do while he was gone, but damn it, she was going to find a way out of here. He walked over to the dresser and got a piece of paper. “Write down what you need. I’m going to buy a whole truck load of it if I can, that way we don’t have to be interrupted during your time. Isn’t there a way to stop that?”

  “No,” she said, hoping he didn’t ask her to prove that she was having ‘her time’. She was lying through her teeth, but it was all she could think of to keep him away from her. She wrote the names of the products for him to get while he was dressing. She was never so glad to see clothes on someone in her life.

  He walked over to her and smiled. She handed him the paper. “I’ll be back in about an hour,” he said. “The store is far from here.” He leaned over to brush her lips with his, and she kissed him back, afraid not to.

  “Hmm, you’re so damn delicious,” he said against her lips. “I can’t wait to have this mouth around me. I’ll be back, and I’ll be ready, sweetheart. You owe me for having to go out of my way to get this stuff for you, so be ready to pay up.” He traced her lips with his fingers. “Oh yeah. That’ll do until I can get into that sweet spot of yours. I’m sure your mouth is rather talented. Ellis could probably vouch for that, right? Never mind, don’t answer that. The idea of his dick in your mouth makes me want to punch something.”

  She watched as he made his way out of the bedroom, and she sighed with relief. “Oh, and Sam? Don’t even think about trying to find a way out of here. There’s nowhere for you to go and I’ll find you before anyone else does. You wouldn’t want to make me upset, would you, Sam?”

  She closed her eyes, knowing she was going to take the hour he was gone to do whatever she could to find a way to contact someone. She waited until she heard the engine of the car start up and drive away, and she wondered what car he was driving and if he could be recognized in it. She prayed that was so, and that instead of him coming back, it would be the police.

  She forced herself to wait five minutes to make sure that he truly was gone and wasn’t tricking her, then she flew out of bed. He had to have something somewhere that would tell her where she was.

  She ran into the kitchen first, rummaging through the drawers. Nothing. She made her way to the office, looking through the drawers of the desk. Nothing. Sam growled in frustration. She looked around wildly. Running to the front door, she flung it open and walked outside. Looking around, she knew she was in the mountains. She had known that since she woke up here yesterday. But as far as where exactly that was, she had no idea. She’d grown up in Tennessee, and the landscape looked familiar, but that didn’t mean that’s where she was. The landscape could look similar in several surrounding states.

  Sam noticed that Sean was indeed right. She couldn’t see anything but trees for as far as she could see. She wondered if she set out on foot how far she could get before Sean came back. If she stayed in the woods, he wouldn’t see her on the path. But she knew that would never work, because when it got dark and she had nothing to keep her safe, she was actually better off being here with Sean. She didn’t think he would hurt her, but then again, who knew. He had killed his stepmother, for God’s sake, and kidnapped her. She had no idea what he would actually do.

  She walked the perimeter of the house, looking for anything he could’ve hidden that would allow her to call someone. He was thorough. There was nothing in this house or outside of it to tell her where she was, or allow her to contact anyone. She was so screwed.

  “A tip was just called in to Stop Crime,” Carl shouted. “They think Sean has been spotted in a rural town in Tennessee.” The men all rushed to him to see what had been reported.

  The men had just finished interrogating Tanner for upwards of two hours, where he admitted that Sean had forced him to help him with stalking Sam in exchange for him not arresting him and putting him in jail for his warrants. The only crime he had actually committed was being in Sam’s dressing room and attacking her, but the whole thing had been set up by Sean. He had let him in the back door and told him where to go to wait for her, and also sent away her friends so they wouldn’t be there. Sean had told him that if he didn’t admit to all of the crimes regarding Sam, Sean would implicate him in the murder of his mother. Because of his cooperation, he would get a lesser sentence and some of the charges dropped that they all knew he didn’t do.

  “What is it?” Ellis said, pushing through to get to Carl.

  “A car has been spotted at a Wal-Mart outside of Sevierville, Tennessee that matches the description of Sean’s car and tag. A source is pulling the tapes from Wal-Mart right now to see if it was him, and if she was with him.”

  His heart began pounding at the possibility that they had found her. The second he laid eyes on her, he knew exactly what he was going to do. “Okay, so assuming it is him, we need to check cabin rentals in the area. That’s a rather popular tourist destination, so it may take a while to find out if he has rented one, but it at least gives us something to do while he’s waiting.”

  Brian gasped, and everyone turned to look at him. He was white as a ghost. “I know where he is.”

  “Where?” Ellis wanted to shake him.

  “Before his mother died, we rented a cabin there. God, it’s been over twelve years since we were there. But he loved it there, said he was going to live there with his family when he grew up.”

  “Could you find it?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s been so long.”

  “Think!” Ellis boomed, and everyone jumped. Carl put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

  “The company I rented it through was called Prime Time Rentals. I only remember that because a buddy of mine worked with them and got me a great deal and we rented several other cabins through his company over the years, just not there.”

  Ellis looked at the clock. It was just after noon. “Let’s find the number.”

  “Tapes are in,” Detective Adams called. He clicked a button and they popped up on the screen. Everyone watched in silence to see if Sam would appear on the screen.

  “That’s him,” Ellis saw him first, pointing at the screen. Sean was wearing a black hat and dark clothes, but Brian confirmed that it was him. “She’s not with him.” He had hoped for a glimpse of her, so he knew that she was okay. But he figured he wasn’t dumb enough to take her into public. He had been smart enough to orchestrate this whole thing while flying under the radar.

  “He’s buying tampons,” Ellis said, zooming in on the video. He started laughing and couldn’t stop. Everyone looked at him a moment before joining in. “That was totally Sam. I can guarantee you that she’s at that house trying to find a way out while he’s shopping for tampons.” He was laughing so hard that tears were coming to his eyes. That was his girl.

  “They’re looking up the records now,” Brian said. “They had to go back to archives to find it, but when I mentioned Samantha’s name, they were very willing to accommodate me.” He paused. “Yes, I’m here.” He indicated for paper and Ellis shoved a pen and paper at him. He scribbled the address, thanked them, and hung up.

  “I’ve got it,” he said, waving the paper in the air.

  “Detective, can we mobilize the closest SWAT team?”

  “I’ll get mine ready. I hope you understand that I can’t let you be part of the team. It’s a conflict of interest.”

  Ellis nodded. “I understand, but I’m going to be there regardless, even if I have to stand in the driveway. There’s no da
mn way they are going in to rescue her without me there.”

  Brian nodded. “Same here. Ellis and I will be there with the team.”

  “This is your son, Brian, are you sure you want to be a part of this?”

  “My son more than likely murdered my wife and has taken Samantha against her will. She’s been like a daughter to me her whole life. I’m going to be there to see that justice gets served.”

  Ellis was impressed. The urge to protect your child was usually an innate one, but in this instance, Brian was able to put it aside to see that his son was captured for what he had done. His fingers tingled and he felt restless. He was not far away from getting her now.

  “How long will it take your team to get ready, and how far away are we from Sevierville?”

  “From where this is, probably around an hour. I’ll have my team ready in fifteen minutes.”

  I’ll be there in an hour, he told Sammi. Hang on for me, my love.

  The team stopped a half mile from the house. Ellis could see it in the distance using binoculars. The car Sean had taken was in the driveway. He knew why he had picked this location, because there was absolutely nothing around. He watched as they all made their way through the trees on foot, not making a sound. It felt weird to be on the outside watching, and he couldn’t help but feel terrified. He thought of his friend Devin when he burst in to rescue a woman from a psychopath and it turned out to be the love of his life. At least he knew that Sam was in there, and as long as everything went well, she’d be out of the clutches of this guy very soon.

  “It’s going to be okay, son,” Carl stood next to him, watching as the team made their way quietly closer to the house. Ellis paced the ground, not able to stand one more second without her. Nothing could happen to her. And he couldn’t stand here and wait, no matter what they said.

  Sean was in the kitchen, not far from where she was sitting. He had been back from the store about an hour. Much to her dismay, she got absolutely nothing accomplished while he was gone other than getting overwhelmed and discouraged. Sean had done his homework. She wasn’t going down without a fight. He wasn’t going to keep her here.