Page 90 of Protecting Maggie
“Maggie!” Preacher repeated.
“You need to leave, sir,” the officer tried again. The man who’d been called back for his appointment was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. He didn’t seem alarmed in the least by Preacher’s actions. In fact, he seemed amused.
“I came here with my girlfriend. Her name is Maggie Lionetti. Where is she?” Preacher demanded.
The officer wasn’t the same one who’d retrieved Maggie. He shrugged. “No clue.”
“Find her.”
“You’re going to be in big trouble for coming back here,” the officer said, instead of doing what Preacher asked.
“Maggie!” Preacher shouted yet again.
A middle-aged woman came out of an office and headed toward him. “What’s going on here?” she asked.
“I’m looking for Maggie Lionetti. She came back here ten minutes ago for an appointment with her PO. I’m trying to find her.”
The woman frowned. “I’m her probation officer, and Maggie’s not on my schedule for today.”
Every muscle in Preacher’s body tensed. He had no ideawhat was going on, but he had a feeling it had everything to do with Robertson. It wouldn’t have been hard for him to call Maggie, or have someone else call, and tell her she had to come in for a meeting, intercept her, and take her right out from under his nose.
“Are there stairs in here?” he barked.
The woman still looked confused, but she turned and pointed toward a door at the end of the hallway.
Preacher ran toward it, ignoring the male officer telling him to stop.
The felon who’d watched with amusement joined in the confusion by saying loudly, “You go, man!”
Bursting through the door, Preacher cursed. It would’ve been easy to get Maggie out of the building without anyone seeing her leave. He pulled out his phone as he ran down the stairs. He wanted to call his team, their assistance would be invaluable right about now. But there was only one person on his radar. Tex.
“I just got the recording,” Tex said in lieu of a greeting. “I haven’t had time to analyze it yet.”
“He’s got her!” Preacher practically yelled as he raced down the stairs.
“Fuck!” Tex didn’t ask who; he knew.
“I slipped one of my trackers into her purse,” Preacher said. “I didn’t want to freak her out, so I didn’t tell her. I need you to find her.”
“On it,” Tex said.
Preacher heard the man’s fingers clacking on a keyboard as he burst out of the government building. Helooked up both sides of the street as he stood on the sidewalk but saw no sign of Maggie, Robertson, or anyone who looked out of place. He took off at a dead run toward the parking lot where he’d left his Malibu not too long ago. Thank God the lot wasn’t too far away.
By the time he’d unlocked the door and thrown himself behind the wheel, Tex spoke.
“Got her.”
The relief that hit Preacher was instant. Her purse must not have been left behind in the abduction. There was still a chance it wasn’t with her now, but Preacher couldn’t even think about that possibility.
“She’s headed southeast. About to pass her apartment.” His voice was steady. This was the most important mission of Preacher’s life, and he was glad for Tex’s calm professionalism.
He tore out of the parking lot, ignoring the honks from the cars he’d cut off. He flew down the street, driving recklessly but with purpose. He could only hope a cop got behind him. He’d need all the firepower and witnesses he could get when he caught up to whoever Roman had tasked with taking Maggie.
“Where is she now?” Preacher asked. He was panting, breathing way too fast. He couldn’t control his emotions or his body’s reaction to the stress and fear he was feeling. Roman wasn’t going to give Maggie another chance to get away from him. This was it. If he didn’t catch up with her, and fast, he had no doubt she wouldn’t survive.
“Going the same way,” Tex told him. “She just passed the apartment complex.”
“Any ideas where he’s taking her?”
