Page 104 of Choosing Us

Ryan steps off the elevator on the fourth level of the parking garage, and then … nothing.

“Where did he go?” Walker barks as Mason types furiously.

“I don’t know, this doesn’t make sense. The footage just stops.” Mason keeps trying to override whatever is happening, but he can’t make the footage appear. It glitches for a moment with static, then drops off the screen completely.

“You won’t find it because there isn’t any. I bet he used a jammer of some sort to block the video feed,” I say as I grab my phone and look for another number. I glance at Walker, and he nods as though he can read my thoughts.

Plausible deniability.

I’ve heard the Callahans joke about it with Walker, and how they will use the phrase when they want to shield him from being put in a position where he would potentially have to pick between the badge and the family.

They can have my badge right now. I don’t care. I don’t need the badge—I need Ryan.

I step out of the conference room and briskly cross the hallway to my office, then shut the door behind me and lean against it. I press connect and wait for three rings before he picks up.

“Hey, Harlow, what’s up?” Liam’s voice is the spark of hope I need right now.

“Liam, I need to know if you’re in the country and if there’s any way to track Ryan outside of his cell phone or car.”

“I’m not right now, but what happened?”

“You said if I ever needed anything I could call and ask, so I’m cashing in every favor I could ever possibly ask with one simple request: if you can track Ryan somehow, I need you to do that right now. He’s missing and we can’t find him after he left the airport.”

“I will need more information when we have time but hold on.” I hear him yell for Sophia and put the call on speakerphone. “Harlow’s on the line and we need to track Ryan.”

“Hi, Harlow, give me a second to get his tracker online. Hang tight, honey, we’ll find him. And then we will make whoever is behind this pay for stressing you out. Okay … I’ve got him. He’s in a warehouse district just southeast of Nashville. He looks stationary. I can send you his exact tracking location to your phone. What else do you need?”

“I think we have it from here. I just needed his location.”

“Harlow, we are changing our plans immediately to get back to the states as soon as possible, but you’ll call me when this is all settled or let me know if there’s anything else you need. I’m not there, but I have people everywhere.” Liam’s vow only furthers the terror I’m trying to push back. I don’t want to need to call in more favors. I don’t want to have to hunt down whoever took Ryan, but this is happening.

And right now, I have to mentally and emotionally stay in this moment.

I can break later.

But first, I need to get my man.

“I will keep you in the loop as much as I can.” My voice sounds braver than I feel at the moment.

“That’s all I’m asking, Whiz Kid. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Liam and I disconnect, and I’m sure he’s moving heaven and earth to get back from wherever he is—but I’m not waiting for Liam to get here to try and find Ryan.

I will not stop until we find my man.

I rush across the hall back to the conference room as a video feed of Ryan’s car is on the screen. “He isn’t in his car, Harlow. Airport security can see his phone and his luggage in the backseat, but there’s no sign of him.” Kelly immediately calms my fears, even though I know he isn’t there.

Knowing what kind of psychopathic need for control Graham has, he isn’t going to rush this. Ryan is still alive—for now, at least.

“I know where he is. And don’t ask me how, but Mason, can you somehow get this location off my phone so you can have it, too?” I give him my phone that has a text link from Sophia.

A small green dot labeled ‘Ryan’ shines steadily on the map, unmoving in an industrial area.

“This is great, let’s go. I’m calling the strike team now.” Walker grabs his cell phone and is already talking away before stepping back to me and covering the phone. “We will find him, Harlow. I promise.”

“I know. Thank you.” My friend nods at me before we file out and head to our offices to grab our vests and gear.

Kelly is driving the SUV I’m in with my team as Mason continues to work on his laptop.

“Harlow, remember that offshore account that was wonky and only had the single transaction for that auction mix-up you dealt with in December?” Mason calls from the backseat.