I can’t wait to make you mine, baby girl. See you soon.
Sarah quickly thumbed a response.
See you at the end of the aisle! xoxo
“Men have it so easy,” she said. “Ryan’s basically got nothing to do to get ready—shower, shave, and throw on his uniform. We’re spending the entire day getting ready.”
“Special delivery for Ms. Foster!” Bree said in a sing-song voice. She walked in carrying a vase of white and red roses and a small velvet box.
“Oh!” Sarah squealed, jumping up. “Guess it wasn’t the makeup artist.”
She took the flowers and set them on the dresser, opening up the little card with shaking hands.
I love you forever.
Ryan
Opening up the small velvet box, Sarah saw that there was a gorgeous heart pendant encrusted with tiny diamonds. Her heart pounded in her chest as she lifted the necklace up and undid the tiny clasp. “This is gorgeous,” she breathed. “It will go perfectly with my wedding gown.”
“He’s so romantic!” Morgan said.
Sarah clasped it around her neck and looked at herself in the mirror. “It goes perfectly with my fluffy robe,” she joked.
“Oh, there’s the makeup artist,” Bree said as there was another knock on the door.
“And there’s my phone! I bet it’s Ryan texting again.” Sarah grabbed her phone and scanned over the text from the hairdresser. “Oh, I need to run upstairs a minute to see the hairdresser.”
“What? No, tell her to come down,” Bree said, walking back into the room. “Everyone else is here.”
“Okay.” Sarah texted the woman back and then waved hello to the makeup artist. A few minutes later, the hairstylist arrived with her supplies, looking somewhat flustered.
“Is everything okay?” Sarah asked as the woman came in and nearly dropped what she was carrying.
“Yes, of course,” the woman assured her. “I just had to bring everything down from my own room.”
“What’d you need your own room for?” Morgan asked as she settled into her chair. “This suite is huge.”
“I just thought it might be too crowded in here, but you’re right, this is fine,” she said, excusing herself to answer her cell phone.
A few minutes later, Sarah sank into a plush chair as the hairstylist began to curl and spritz her hair. She wanted to wear her hair down, so that it could blow in the breeze, but the woman was seriously performing miracles. She turned to look at herself in the mirror, amazed at how soft and flowing it looked.
“And now the veil?” she asked.
“Right here!” Morgan said, grabbing it from the dresser and crossing the room.
“Are you sure we should put it on now?” Sarah asked. “What about my makeup?”
“It’s fine,” the makeup artist assured her. “I can clip it back if needed, and I promise to be careful. Let her finish and get it secured, and then I’ll get to work.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, taking a deep breath. Her stomach was beginning to flutter with nervous butterflies. This was all really about to happen. She was excited and thrilled yet nervous, too.
An hour later, her bridesmaids were zipping her into her wedding dress. It was exactly the beachy, ethereal look she was going for. She almost wished she and Ryan had arranged to do photos before the wedding while everything was picture perfect, but she couldn’t wait to see his face when she walked down the aisle.
She nervously smoothed her gown and examined herself in the mirror as Morgan and Bree got dressed. A few minutes later, her bridesmaids emerged from the living room in their dresses.
“Eek! This is really happening!” Sarah said.
“It is!” Morgan said. “It’s time, hun!”
“I’m going to run down and check to make sure the photographer is here,” Bree said. “I think Ryan and his groomsmen are in the lobby getting ready to head down to the beach. Once they’re outside, we can go wait down there.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, her heart racing. It was crazy to be so nervous all of a sudden. She was marrying Ryan, the man of her dreams. There was absolutely nothing that could go wrong now.
“I’ll wait here with Sarah if both of you want to go check on things,” the hairstylist said as she packed up her equipment.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Sarah’s mom was planning to come up here, so I’ll go look for her in the lobby,” Morgan said.
Sarah snuck over to the balcony to look outside as her friends headed out of the hotel suite. She could see the canopy arch on the beach where she and Ryan would marry, with the white tulle blowing in the ocean breeze. Flowers were scattered about, and white folding chairs were set up for their friends and family to watch. Her father would walk her down the aisle, and then that would be it.
She and Ryan would say their vows and be married.
A knock on the door caused her to turn, and a moment later, her hairstylist was walking over with a small tray of food. “Why don’t you have a little something to eat before the ceremony? You looked a little bit nervous. Crackers and tea?”
“That sounds perfect,” Sarah said. “Did you order this?”
The woman nodded, and Sarah took the tea kettle and poured herself a cup, smelling the aromatic scent as it filled the air. “This smells heavenly,” she said, raising the cup to her lips and taking a small sip. The taste was slightly sweeter than she expected since she hadn’t added any honey or sugar, and she wondered if it was some herbal blend she hadn’t tried before.
“Hmmm, I think I hear someone at the door. Have another sip, and I’ll be right back.”
Sarah nodded, taking a tiny sip to settle her suddenly quaking stomach. Her palms began to sweat and skin started to feel clammy. Suddenly she knew something was very, very wrong. The world started to spin, and she grasped for the dresser.
“I need help,” she said weakly, her knees buckling.
The tea cup fell to the ground, the hot liquid staining her white dress. She heard a male voice in the background and tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate.
The entire world faded to black.
Chapter 18
RYAN STOOD ON THE PATIO of the hotel, readying to walk down to the beach with his groomsmen. They weren’t doing the formal walk the mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom down the aisle, so their families were already gathering near the chairs to sit down.
He’d booked an oceanfront room and wanted to look up to the top floor in hopes of getting a glimpse of Sarah peeking out the balcony doors, but he didn’t want to ruin the surprise of seeing her for the first time as she came down the aisle.
“Look, a wedding!” a woman nearby said excitedly.
People strolling down the boardwalk were stopping to pause and smile as the guests gathered, and those on the beach were remaining a respectful distance away.
It was crazy as hell that in mere minutes, Sarah would be his wife.
Ryan nodded at the officiant in the distance, watching as the florist was scattering flower petals around and making last-minute adjustments.
“Congratulations, sir,” Evan said as he walked by with Alison on his arm. She beamed and flashed him a smile as well.
“Thank you,” Ryan said, watching as they joined some of the others heading down to the beach.
Lexi waved at him as she and Christopher approached from the other direction and headed to their seats. Both SEAL teams were gathering with their wives and girlfriends, and along with the officers from base, it was great to see all of his men here. Sarah’s parents were talking in the distance with Rebecca, and he noticed his own family sitting down on the side reserved for the groom.
“All set?” one of his groomsmen asked.
“Yes. Just taking it all in,” Ryan said, his mouth quirking. He might be used to running ops and commanding SEAL teams, but this was the biggest damn show of his life.
Patrick was already standing near the officiant, ready to stand up there as one of his groomsmen, and he s
aw an officer friend from base heading toward them.
He glanced down at his watch, readying to head down there, his blood pumping with adrenaline. This was it. Go time.
“Ryan!” a female voice suddenly called out, and he turned to see Morgan hurrying his way in her bridesmaid’s dress. She looked flustered, and he frowned, walking across the patio toward her.
“What’s wrong?” he immediately asked.
“We can’t find Sarah. She was up in the room earlier, and when Bree and I went back up to get her, she was gone.”
His heartbeat slowed. “Sarah does have a horrible sense of direction, but I’m sure she can find her way downstairs in the elevator,” he commented dryly. “Did you look around the lobby?”
“Yes, she’s not anywhere!”
“When did you last see her?”
“Just a few minutes ago! Bree and I came down to check on the photographer and see if the lobby was clear for Sarah to come down, and when we went back upstairs, she’d disappeared.”
Worry began to niggle at the back of his mind, but it was exactly like Sarah to wander off and get distracted by something. Knowing her, she was probably standing in the hallway talking to some hotel guests or had stopped to snap a few selfies. “Go back and look around the lobby again,” he instructed. “She probably came down and just didn’t want me to see her—it’s supposed to be a big surprise and all when I watch her come down the aisle in her wedding gown.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Morgan said, biting her lower lip. “I just thought she’d wait up in the room.”
Ryan nodded, and out of habit, his gaze began to sweep the area. People were everywhere—beachgoers, hotel guests, locals out for an evening walk. But no one was acting like anything was amiss, and certainly a bride wandering around in a wedding dress would draw attention. If she was out here, he’d know it.
His eyes narrowed as he saw Sarah’s other bridesmaid Bree rushing toward them. “Something happened,” she said quickly. “I went up to the room again, and it looks like she ordered room service or something. There was a tray there on the dresser and tea spilled all over the floor.”
“Damn it,” Ryan muttered.
“Maybe she got it all over her dress and freaked out,” Morgan said. “But where would she go? Are you sure she’s not in the bathroom or something trying to clean it off?”
“I checked the whole suite again—she’s not there.”
“Did she have her phone with her?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Morgan said, shaking her head. “There’s nowhere to put it in her wedding dress.”
Ryan pulled his phone from his pocket and called Sarah’s number. “I’ll try calling her anyway,” he murmured in a low voice to the women as the phone began to ring. It rang several times but then went to voicemail.
“No answer,” he said as he ended the call, typing a quick text to her instead.
Morgan looked around again. “I don’t think she’s down here. Not if she spilled something all over her wedding dress. Plus, she knew we were coming right back. Wouldn’t she wait for us if something like that happened?”
“I agree. I don’t know where she’d go,” Bree said.
“I’ll tell them that we’ll be a few minutes,” Ryan said. “Everyone’s sitting down and probably wondering what’s going on.” He quickly texted Patrick.
We can’t find Sarah.
Patrick looked at his phone, said something to the officiant, and then began walking toward them at a clipped pace, his jaw clenched. Some of the guests turned to look back at them and began talking amongst themselves.
Ryan eyed them for a moment and then returned his attention to the women.
“We should go up to the room and check again,” Morgan said. “Maybe she came back.”
“Sarah’s gone?” Patrick asked, his voice gruff as he came to a stop beside them.
“We left her up in the room, and when we came back a few minutes later, she wasn’t there,” Bree explained. “It looks like she spilled tea all over the carpet.”
“Something’s not right,” Patrick said. “She’s been here all day getting ready. She wouldn’t just disappear minutes before her wedding ceremony.”
“She wouldn’t,” Ryan agreed. “Morgan and Bree left her in the room earlier and can’t find her anywhere though. Let’s all go upstairs and look around.”
“But then you’ll see her dress!” Morgan said, grabbing his arm to stop him.
“Isn’t she wearing it? If something’s wrong, I’m going to find her. I need to make sure she’s okay. Damn it all to hell,” he muttered. He hurried into the lobby of the hotel, Patrick, Morgan, and Bree hot on his heels. “We’ll check the room and lobby again. If she’s not in either of those places, we’ll have everyone start searching the hotel.”
The elevator dinged as it reached the lobby, and the four of them hurried on.
“What’d you tell the officiant?” Ryan asked, punching in the number and glancing toward Patrick.
“Just that there was a minor problem and I’d be right back. Let’s hope like hell it’s nothing and she just got stuck in an elevator or something.”
“That’s not nothing,” Bree said. “It sounds like a nightmare.”
Ryan nodded, his jaw ticking. Something wasn’t adding up. “Did Sarah order room service when you were both up there? Why would she wait until minutes before the ceremony?”
“No,” Morgan said, shaking her head. The elevator finally dinged for the fourteenth floor, and they rushed off. “I didn’t hear her order it. We were all dressed and ready to come down. Bree and I just came first to check and make sure you were outside.”
“Maybe she thought she’d meet you down in the lobby,” Patrick said. “Did you check the ladies room downstairs?”
“No, we should’ve looked there,” Morgan said, her face crumpling.
“It’s fine,” Patrick assured her. “I’ll try calling Sarah’s cell. We’ll head back downstairs in a minute after we check the room again.”
Ryan palmed his pocket, pulling out his wallet and grabbing a key card. He slid it into the door and pushed it open. “Sarah! Are you in here?”
He looked down at the floor, frowning. “What is all this stuff?” he asked, glancing at the bags near the doorway overflowing with hair products and styling tools.
“The hairstylist’s bag. Where’d she go anyway?” Bree asked, looking around. “She was up here with Sarah. She said she’d wait with her while we checked on things downstairs.”
“She’s missing, too?” Patrick asked with a frown.
“I guess. I mean, she was here earlier and wouldn’t just leave all of her things.”
Morgan paled. “She’s friends with that creepy guy, Juan.”
Ryan and Patrick’s heads both swiveled toward her. “What creepy guy?” Ryan asked, his voice deadly.
Morgan looked momentarily startled but began talking. “Sarah met him on the beach or somewhere near her office. She mentioned needing a hairdresser for her wedding, and this guy had a friend who was a hairstylist with an opening today....” Her voice trailed off as she exchanged a glance with Bree.
“We all met her,” Bree said. “We went there one night to try out wedding hairstyles. She has a salon here in Virginia Beach. Other stylists work there, too—it’s legit.”
“So what was wrong with this guy Juan?” Ryan asked, narrowing his gaze. “Sarah never mentioned him.”
Morgan blew out a breath. “Well, nothing specifically. I just got a weird vibe from him. Sarah met him by her office, but then we ran into him at the bridal shop one day which is all the way across town.”
“He was in the bridal shop?” Patrick asking, raising his eyebrows.
“Just outside of it,” Morgan clarified. “It’s not anywhere near her office, so I thought it was kind of strange that he saw us there. He said he was getting a massage nearby. Anyway, he just seemed too interested in things if that makes sense.”
&nbs
p; “Do you know his last name?”
She shook her head. “No, and I don’t even think he lives around here. Sarah said he was on vacation or something.”
Ryan nodded, processing this information. He walked further into the room, his gaze sweeping the area.
If Sarah wasn’t here in the hotel, he’d need to pull surveillance footage from near Sarah’s office or the bridal shop to get an ID on this guy. Or ask around and see if anyone knew who he was. He was getting ahead of himself though, because there was still a possibility Sarah was around here trying to clean her dress or sick from something she’d eaten. “Where’s the room service tray?” Ryan asked, looking around the living room.
“Oh, in the bedroom—” Morgan didn’t even finish her sentence before Ryan and Patrick were moving. Patrick knelt down on the ground by the teacup and soiled carpet as Ryan’s eyes darted around, not missing a thing. Sarah’s cell phone was on the dresser, her purse off to the side. Her suitcase and garment bag were near the closet. She hadn’t been robbed or run off somewhere. She was just gone.
Ryan peered out onto the balcony but didn’t touch the sliding glass door just in case they’d need to fingerprint it.
“She was drugged,” Patrick said.
“Drugged?” Ryan asked as he whipped back around, his pulse pounding.
“By her hairdresser?” Morgan asked in disbelief.
Patrick nodded from where he still knelt on the floor. “Something smells off. I know Sarah likes weird tea, but this isn’t right. And we don’t know who drugged her,” he said, looking at Morgan. “The hairdresser seems to be missing as well.”
Ryan crossed the room to Patrick, clenching his jaw. His gaze landed on the teapot and tray, the assortment of food and crackers, and the lone teacup lying on the floor. He’d been downstairs ready for their wedding ceremony to start without a care in the world, and someone had been up here, in Sarah’s hotel room.
Someone had taken her.
His stomach churned.
“You said you didn’t hear her order any room service?” Patrick asked as he stood.
“No,” Bree said, shaking her head. “She was all ready to come downstairs and seemed fine.”
SEAL Ever After Page 10
