Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2) by Candle Sutton (best motivational novels txt) 📕

Her hands had been tied. Was it even possible for her to swim away?

Maybe she’d hit her head when she went in. She might’ve gone straight to the bottom.

His stomach churned.

Whatever had happened to her, it was out of his hands now.

The dim lights from the cabin cast Tio’s face in a cold blue glow. His lips set in a hard line.

Tio had always hated it when things didn’t go according to how he’d planned.

No one tried to speak as the boat bumped along the waters, headed out to sea.

He didn’t know what Tio was thinking or how far they were going on this cruiser. Nor did he know Tio’s plan for how they were going to move all the equipment and gear that hadn’t fit on this vessel.

The days when Tio confided in him seemed to be behind them.

Water sprayed him as they hit a wave, the chill sending a shock through his body.

Kevyn had jumped into that cold water. How long would it take for hypothermia to set in? Had she even been able to move when she hit the water? Or had the cold immobilized her?

It was his fault. If only he’d never gone to see her that night.

His attention went back to Tio.

No. This wasn’t his fault.

It was Tio’s. Tio was the one who’d involved his family. Tio was the one who’d been careless enough to be followed. Tio was the one who’d chosen to abduct her, chosen to bring her.

Heat flooded through him.

His pulse pounded in his ears and his vision tunneled.

Tio. He needed to pay for what he’d done.

For a second, he considered jumping up and pushing Tio overboard. Let him see if he could survive in the cold water that he’d practically forced Kevyn into.

Reason settled his mind.

If he attacked Tio, every man on this vessel would turn on him.

Better to bide his time and wait for the right moment.

Tio would pay. Sooner rather than later.

Twenty-Two

The ambulance was the first thing Dak saw when they pulled into the parking lot.

An ambulance?

Kevyn.

She hadn’t sounded good over the phone, but somehow he hadn’t even thought about her being taken away by ambulance.

SWAT had already arrived and was suiting up in the parking lot. He immediately spotted Pete standing a head above the rest. Caiden poked his head out of the back of the SWAT vehicle and nodded at him.

All the SWAT teams were good, but he especially appreciated knowing Pete and Caiden had his back.

He’d touch base with Kevyn about their destination, but he was reasonably sure she’d point him to the abandoned warehouse that was current on taxes.

It hadn’t taken much research to discover that the warehouse had a large utility bill each month. Much too large for an abandoned warehouse, yet there was nothing on paper about a business operating out of there.

He’d sent Felicia down to watch the warehouse specifically, and she reported seeing new locks on all the doors and a boat entering the boatshed.

Abandoned? Yeah, right.

He, Sid, and JD each grabbed a Kevlar vest. As he put his on, he looked at JD and Sid. “Touch base with SWAT and get everyone organized. I’ll check with Kevyn and meet you there.”

JD nodded, then slipped a com into his ear.

Breaking into a jog, Dak headed toward the end of the pier.

Felicia had called him not five minutes ago and said Kevyn was okay, but he wanted to see for himself.

The heavy clouds made the evening darker than usual, the light dim enough that bright security lights had clicked on, flooding the area with unnatural light.

He was passing the semitruck where they’d found the blood when he heard a rattling sound approaching.

Even before he saw anything, he knew he was hearing a gurney.

How bad off was she? Somehow, he’d envisioned her strapping on the Glock he’d brought her and joining them in their raid. Stubborn as she was, he couldn’t imagine her letting herself be sidelined.

Two EMTs came into view, the gurney between them.

Dak slowed as he approached.

Damp hair was plastered to Kevyn’s head and her whole body trembled beneath the thin blanket. Her face was whiter than the clouds on a summer day. Even from here, he could see her teeth chattering.

Felicia trailed a few steps behind, service weapon in her hand. With her chin held high and her shoulders drawn back, she looked ready to take on a small army to make sure the EMTs made it through.

Kevyn’s eyes were open, on the move until she saw him.

He fell into step beside the gurney. “You okay?”

She nodded, the movement jerky.

He glanced up at the EMT walking across from him. “She okay?”

“A touch of mild hypothermia and shock. A nasty foot injury. But she should be fine.”

“Ge-get them.” Kevyn’s voice seemed stronger than when she’d spoken to him on the phone.

“Which warehouse?” While he was confident the warrant they’d gotten was for the right place, hearing her confirm it would ensure they didn’t waste any time.

“Last one. L-loo-ooks empty.”

“It’s the one I was watching.” Felicia’s voice broke in.

Good enough.

He squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll see you at the hospital later.”

“Be c-care-ful.”

Stepping aside, he joined Felicia at the rear.

“She escaped when they tried to load her on a boat. Swam out. I’m mad at myself for not seeing her in the water.” Felicia’s voice was tight, her brow furrowed. “How could I have missed that?”

Swam? That explained the wet hair and shivering. The Sound was maybe around sixty degrees. Maybe less.

Dak put his hand on her shoulder. “You were watching the warehouse, not the water. Besides, you didn’t have a good view of the Sound from