by Susan Stoker
“Phantom went down to get them,” Ace reassured her. He’d heard Rocco telling the other man to head down there and check on the girls, so he knew they were in good hands. “How’d you get hurt? Did Paul do this? Did he cut you?”
Frowning, Piper brought a hand up toward her eye, but one of the paramedics caught it before she could touch the wound.
“Yeah, you’re hurt,” Ace said. “Do you feel sick? Have a headache?”
Piper nodded slightly. “Both.”
“Concussion,” one of the paramedics confirmed.
“Did he hit you?” Ace asked again, needing to know what that asshole had done to his wife.
“Yeah, but that’s not what caused the bleeding,” Piper said. “He punched me in the head, and it hit the bookshelves. We fought. I didn’t want him to get near Rani but he was too strong! He overpowered me and locked me out on the deck. I was going to go around the house to stop him, but I didn’t make it.”
“Explains the pool of blood over there,” one of the police officers said from behind them. Ace knew everyone was listening to what Piper was saying, but he could hardly think, knowing Paul Solberg had put his hands on Piper again. It was taking everything in him to stay calm.
“Ace, he sounded crazy,” Piper sobbed. “He was talking about taking what was his. He called me a kidnapper, and he kept calling Rani ‘Kalee.’ I think he truly believes Rani is his daughter! When I tried to remind him that Kalee had died, he went crazy. That’s when he smacked me. He was talking about me babysitting his daughter, said I was a bad influence on her. He said he was going to take Kalee somewhere that no one would ever find her. God, please tell me you found Rani! That he didn’t get far with her!”
The blood in Ace’s veins turned ice cold. He turned his head to look up at Rocco. His friend gave him a brief shake of his head, and Ace pressed his lips together.
Paul Solberg had taken their Rani. Not only that, but it sounded like was out of his mind. If he thought Rani was Kalee, he’d gone over the edge.
Then he thought about the amount of money Paul Solberg had at his disposal, and Tex’s words came back to him. The man could quite possibly disappear forever with their daughter.
“Ace?” Piper asked, and he could hear the terror in her voice.
He leaned over and pinned her with his gaze. “I’m going to find our daughter and bring her home to you,” he vowed.
“He was seriously acting crazy!” Piper cried. “He thought Rani was Kalee.”
He had to get her to focus. She was repeating things she’d already told him. “Do you trust me?” Ace asked.
Piper immediately nodded.
“Then trust me when I say that I’m going to find our daughter and bring her home to you.”
She stared up at him for a beat, silent. Then she nodded. “Okay.”
Ace heard movement from behind him, and he turned his head to see Phantom standing there with Sinta and Kemala.
“Come here, girls,” he said, holding out an arm. He knew the blood was probably scaring them, but they needed to see that their mom was ultimately all right. That she was awake and talking. He also needed Kemala to know how proud he was of her and how well she’d done.
The two girls slowly shuffled over to them. Sinta kneeled at Piper’s feet, much as Ace had done before she’d woken up, but Kemala got down on her knees right at his side.
“Piper’s okay,” Ace told the girls. “She hit her head, and that’s why there’s so much blood. But she’s all right.”
“Piper?” Kemala asked tentatively.
“Your dad’s right. I’m okay,” she said softly.
Sinta sobbed, but Kemala looked straight into Piper’s eyes. “I did what you said. Found phone. Called Tex. Help came.”
“You did perfect,” Piper told the teenager. “I had no doubt you would. I’m so proud of you. Thank you for getting help.”
“Rani?” Kemala asked.
“I’m going to find her,” Ace said once again. “Don’t worry about that. I’m going to bring her home.”
“The man take her, yes?” Kemala asked.
“Yes.” Ace wouldn’t hide the facts from either of his daughters.
Kemala looked back at Piper. “You stood in front of me and Sinta. You protect us from man.”
Ace wasn’t surprised at hearing what Piper had done.
“Yes, I did,” Piper agreed. “And I’d do it again.”
For a second, Ace thought Kemala was going to cry, but he saw her take a deep breath and get control over her emotions. She reached out and patted Piper’s hand. “No worry, Mom. I will take care of Sinta. You go to hospital. We be fine.”
Mom. Good God, Kemala had just called her Mom.
Ace was even more determined to find Paul Solberg and make him pay for taking what was his.
Piper obviously realized the importance of what Kemala had just said as well, but she merely reached for her daughter, grabbing ahold of her shirt when she couldn’t hug her. Ace still held her head in both of his hands, and he had no intention of letting go. One, it was making it easier for the paramedic still hovering on her other side to keep pressure on the wounds on her head, and two, he wasn’t sure if Piper had any other injuries, and he didn’t want her to move in a way that would exacerbate them.
“I love you, Kemala,” Piper said. “You and your sisters. I’ll always stand between you and whatever danger dares try to get to you. That’s a promise. I’m as proud of you as I could be, and I feel much better knowing you’ll be here taking care of Sinta until I can get home.”
Kemala patted Piper’s hand again. “Stop talking. Go to hospital and get better.”
Ace chuckled, amazed that he was able to find even an ounce of humor in the situation.
“Okay, I’ll go.” Piper looked up at Ace. “Will Phantom stay with them? I know he’d never let Mr. Solberg come back and take them too.”
“I will,” Phantom answered from above them. “Don’t worry. Your girls will be safe.”
“Thank you,” Piper said. Then she closed her eyes as the paramedic pressed a little harder on her wounds. But almost as soon as her eyes closed, they opened again and she pinned Ace with her stare. “Don’t come with me,” she ordered.
Ace blinked in surprise. “What?”
“I want you to figure out where he took Rani. She needs you more than I do right now. I need to know you’re out there looking for her.”
Ace hated to leave her, but he knew she was right. He needed to be looking for his daughter as much as Piper needed him to be looking for her. “Okay. But I’m sending Bubba with you to the hospital.”
“Okay.”
“Our family is in good hands,” he whispered.
“I know.” Tears filled her eyes. “I tried to stop him,” she whispered, when Kemala and Sinta had been led away by Phantom.
“Oh, sweetheart. I know you did,” Ace told her.
“I was so dizzy, and then I stupidly fell down the deck stairs. I didn’t even get to see what kind of car he was in or anything. I failed her. Failed you!”
“You did not,” Ace said firmly. “Remember what we talked about before? The only person at fault here is Paul. Not you.”
“You don’t hate me?” she asked.
“Never. I love you, Piper. Always and forever.”
“I love you too.”
“Go on now, let the paramedics take care of you. I’ll be in touch with Bubba and when we find Rani, you’ll be the first person I call.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
Nodding, Ace finally got to his feet. He watched as the paramedics strapped Piper onto the gurney and whisked her to the waiting ambulance, Bubba following.
The second she was out of his sight, Ace turned to Rocco and Rex. “Let’s find this son of a bitch.”
Chapter Sixteen
Three hours later, Ace was relieved to get a report from Bubba that Piper was fine. She had to have three stitches in the cut over her eye, and she had a slight concussion,
but otherwise she was good. She’d be sore, but she didn’t have any major injuries. He’d be bringing her home soon.
It was dark outside, nearly midnight, and Ace hated that somewhere out there, his little girl was probably scared out of her skull and at the mercy of a stranger. She didn’t even speak, for God’s sake. So it wasn’t as if she could yell for help if they stopped somewhere.
Tex was doing all he could to dig up information about Paul Solberg and to find his car. Ace had no idea why Solberg thought Rani was his daughter. Grief did different things to different people, and Solberg had been acting erratic. He had to guess that the man had finally broken.
The only thing that kept Ace from absolutely losing his mind was the fact that if Solberg thought the little girl was his daughter, he probably wouldn’t hurt her.
But that led to the next issue. Where the hell were they? They all knew if he wanted to go into Mexico, it was likely he’d have no problem doing so.
Even though Rani hadn’t been his that long, she’d wormed her way into his heart all the same. He’d signed the papers saying he’d be responsible for her for the rest of her life, and by damn, that was what he was going to do.
No, he’d just have to keep looking. If he couldn’t find Solberg himself, he’d hire as many private detectives as it took, spend every penny to his name to bring Rani home.
Tex had been poring over as many surveillance cameras as he could get his hands on. He’d tracked Solberg’s black four-door rental sedan from his house, through downtown Riverton, then lost him on the interstate heading south.
His stomach churning, Ace refused to believe they were gone. Tex would work his magic…he had to.
Paul Solberg sat in his car and stared down at Kalee as she slept in the seat next to him. He didn’t have a car seat for her, but he’d make sure to take care of that when they got into Mexico.
He hadn’t been prepared to get custody of his girl so soon, and so late at night. He hadn’t packed for their adventure either. So he’d made several stops so they’d have everything they needed.
First was cash. He’d stopped at a few ATMs to get plenty of money for them to use. Paul wanted to make sure he could get his baby girl anything she wanted while they were gone. Then a lengthy visit to a department store. Finally, they’d gone back to his house, where he packed. Kalee had followed him around their home without a word, watching as he first did laundry, then neatly and methodically packed a suitcase with clothes for himself.
Then he’d pulled out the suitcase he’d purchased for Kalee. He sat her down next to him and showed her each and every piece of clothing he’d bought for her, and all of the toys as well. She smiled after seeing each one and seemed happy, which made Paul smile as well.
After he’d put their suitcases in his car, he’d driven to the grocery store and pulled up an app and ordered food to be delivered to their car. It took a while for the order to be ready, but that just gave Paul more time to tell Kalee all about the adventures they were about to embark on. Now they had a few bags full of groceries to tide them over until they got into Mexico, and he’d been sure to order all of Kalee’s favorites.
He had no idea how much time had passed since leaving his house. It was just him and Kalee against the world now. Nothing else mattered.
But he had to admit, he was exhausted. He hadn’t slept in a long time. It was so dark outside, and he needed to close his eyes. Just for an hour or so. Then they’d be on the road once more. He’d cross the border and make his way toward South America. It would take a while to get there, but he had plenty of money and it would be a fun getaway for him and Kalee. He had a suitcase full of everything his daughter needed, so she’d be just fine until they got to their final destination, and he could go shopping again.
Paul drove to a more secluded area of the grocery store parking lot. The little girl next to him shifted on the seat, and he couldn’t help but smile. He’d missed his baby so much, and it felt so good to have her with him again.
Something in the recesses of his mind threatened to interfere with his good mood, and he ruthlessly pushed it back. Nothing would get in the way of him and his baby girl living the best life they could.
Yes, this was a grand adventure. He had his little girl back and they were going to live happily ever after.
“What do you mean you can’t find the car?” Ace asked Tex. He was exhausted and worried sick, and when Tex called, he’d hoped the man had a lead on Solberg’s whereabouts. But instead, he was calling to tell them that he’d lost him.
“Just that. I’ve combed all the traffic cameras and used my software to look for the license plate, but nothing has hit. Nothing.”
“Which means what?” Rocco asked. All four men were huddled around the cell phone sitting on Ace’s dining room table. The girls were asleep in Kemala’s room and Bubba would be walking in the door with Piper any second. They’d been doing their best to brainstorm and use their connections to find Kalee’s dad…with no luck.
“That he either dumped the rental car he’d been using and found another vehicle somehow, or that he changed the plates.”
“Fuck!” Ace swore. He could tell the others weren’t happy either, but it wasn’t their child missing. He’d wanted to have some good news to share with Piper when she got home, but they weren’t any closer to finding Rani than when she’d left for the hospital. He couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms, but he hated that he’d have to tell her they still had no clue where Solberg had taken Rani.
“I’m still looking,” Tex told them. “Customs is well aware of what’s going on, and they’re doing what they can to make sure he doesn’t slip past them.”
“How many places are there where he could cross?” Phantom asked.
“Eight. Some are foot traffic only, and others are a bit of a drive to get to, but if he was trying to stay under the radar, he might decide it’s worth driving a couple hours out of his way. But there are other places where the border is vulnerable and he might be able to sneak across without going through official channels,” Tex said. “Although I’m guessing he wouldn’t try to take a four-year-old across at any of those. But even though they’ve been notified of the fact Paul has kidnapped a child, the issue is that border control is more concerned about people sneaking into the United States, not out of it.”
“Dammit,” Rex swore.
Ace couldn’t say anything, his teeth were clenched together so hard.
“And the San Ysidro crossing is huge. Five lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper. I’d have to guess it would be fairly easy to smuggle someone into Mexico, even with the border control agents on the lookout. Solberg could dye both his and Rani’s hair. Put on a pair of fake eyeglasses, put Rani in some expensive clothes, and no one would look twice.”
Ace pushed back his chair violently and stood. The sound of the chair back hitting the floor was loud in the quiet house. He paced back and forth, running a hand over his head in agitation. “So you’re telling me I’ve lost my little girl? That a man who is obviously mentally deranged has succeeded in stealing her from right under my nose?” he asked in a low, deadly tone.
“No,” Tex said, and it was easy to hear both the frustration and determination in his voice. “I’m simply not sugarcoating the situation. Unfortunately, the search for Rani might not end tonight. Or tomorrow. We all know the man’s got the resources to stay on the run and under the radar for a long time. But that doesn’t mean he eventually won’t need more money. I’ve got eyes on every single one of his accounts. He won’t be able to withdraw one fucking penny without me knowing where the request came from within a quarter-mile radius. We’re going to get him, Ace. I swear on the life of my own adopted daughter, we’re going to find him.”
Ace took a deep breath and clasped his hands together behind his neck. He stared up at the ceiling and resisted the urge to scream bloody murder. That wouldn’t help Rani, and it would scare the shit out of his other two daughters sleeping upstairs.
; He heard his teammates resume talking with Tex, and he wandered over to the sliding door leading out to his deck. He stared out at the sky and wondered if Rani was looking up at the exact stars right now. It somehow made him feel closer to her.
“Hang in there, baby,” he whispered. “Daddy’s gonna find you.”
“You have to eat, Kalee,” Paul told his little girl.
She was sitting on the seat next to him with a frown on her face as she stared down at the cherry Pop-Tart he’d given her.
“I got your favorite. Go on, eat.”
Big brown eyes looked at him, and she shook her head.
Paul stared into his daughter’s eyes and, once again, his stomach felt uneasy. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Kalee wasn’t acting right. She’d seemed confused and wary of him when he’d woken up less than an hour after closing his eyes for a nap. His daughter had never been scared of him. Ever.
And something about her eyes also wasn’t right. They were the wrong color…
No…it was the lighting in the car making them look brown instead of dark green.
“You don’t want Pop-Tarts?” he asked, then dug inside one of the bags with the groceries he’d ordered. He pulled out item after item, offering them to Kalee, and each time she wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
Paul was stymied. What in the world was going on? His daughter had never been so picky before.
It was all that woman’s fault. She’d somehow made Kalee not want to eat her favorite foods anymore. One more offense to lay at her feet!
“Fine. Later, you’re going to have to eat something. But for now, how about a chocolate bar?”
He was thrilled to see Kalee nod enthusiastically and eagerly reach for the chocolate. His stomach settled when she tore into the packaging with her little fingers and took a huge bite of the candy bar.
