“Jean committed suicide, Dad,” I say, sighing. “I don’t know how much you cared about her or if you loved her, but I thought you should hear it from me. Her daughter asked Nadia to look for her, and we found her when we were reviewing records of unidentified decedents. Maybe she’s sitting with you right now. I don’t really know.”

   I don’t know how to feel about the whole thing. I never thought this would be the outcome when we took on this case, and now that we’ve gotten to the bottom of it, I just feel sad about how it all turned out.

   “This is the first time I’m bringing Quinn to your headstone, but I’m going to make sure we come every week at least. I wish you could have held her. She’d have you wrapped around her little finger,” I say, smiling sadly. I take a deep breath. “I miss you, Dad, so much. But I know that you are watching over us.”

   Not too closely, because Crow and I have been all over each other every single night as of recent, and I hope he can’t see that.

   “And just know that you are so loved, and that you’re the best dad I could have ever asked for. I love you. We love you.”

   We sit there for a while longer, and then move to Billie’s headstone. I place her flowers down and talk to her until Quinn gets a little fussy, so we head home. I’m putting her in her car seat when, in a flash, I’m pushed into the back seat, and the door is slammed behind me.

   Two people get in the front: a blond woman and a dark-haired man.

   “What are you doing? Let us out, please, you can take the car and anything else in it,” I beg them, looking at Quinn safely strapped in her car seat. Fear fills me, and I don’t know what to do.

   They start to drive off, and I could easily jump out, but not with Quinn.

   “Help!” I yell, trying to get someone’s attention. There is no one close by, and the ones on the other side of the cemetery can’t hear me.

   “Stay quiet, shut up!” the woman yells. “Or your daughter won’t make it.”

   Pure panic takes over me, and I start to freak out. I figure if they kick me out, maybe it’s better to have my daughter in my arms? Letting them drive off with her isn’t an option—there’s no saying what they would do to her. I unbuckle Quinn’s belt but then reconsider. What if they crash the car? I don’t know what to do. Which is going to be the safest option for us?

   “Please don’t hurt her,” I say, glancing between them as they speed off. I realize that I recognize the woman—she’s the one who came up to us in the grocery store to tell me how cute Quinn was. Has she been following me that entire time? That was months ago.

   I pull out my phone and send Crow a quick message. I know that he can track me from my phone. Just in case he doesn’t check his, I send the same message on the group chat with all the Knights in there.

   Someone will come for me, I know that, but is it going to be in time?

   The two of them obviously aren’t professional criminals—they didn’t take my phone away from me—so I have no idea what they want. They haven’t stolen anything. What is their motive?

   “Just stay quiet,” the woman says. “You’ll get what you deserve.”

   What I deserve?

   What have I done to any of them?

   I’m missing something, and I need to figure out what it is before it’s too late.

   What is the connection here?

   This has to be one of the boldest kidnappings in broad daylight, but because of Quinn there’s not much I can do. I can’t fight both of them off, I can’t take her and jump, and I can’t kick and scream and attack them in case they crash the car and hurt my baby. I’m vulnerable, and they know it.

   “I don’t even know who you are, but whatever you want, please. I will give it to you, just do not hurt my daughter,” I continue, hoping they can get it through their thick skulls.

   I’ll give anything to keep her safe, even my life without a second thought.

   “Put this on your head, and she will get to our destination safely,” the man says, handing me a fabric sack.

   I hesitate for a second, and he starts yelling, saying he will hurt Quinn if I don’t comply.

   I don’t have much of an option.

   Praying, I put the sack on my head, and all I can see is darkness. I hold on to Quinn’s leg so that I know she’s still there right next to me. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life. My daughter wakes to all the noise, but luckily goes back to sleep, completely unaware of the danger we are in.

   I want to cry and scream, but it’s not going to help me right now. I need to think and stay calm. I have no idea where they are taking us, or why they targeted us. I don’t care what I have to do to make sure it happens, but I’m going to find a way to survive this.

   Or at least make sure my daughter does.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

   The car comes to a stop and I’m told I can remove the sack. When I do, I see that we are parked in a garage now. It’s a small space, just enough to fit in two cars, and that’s about it. I wonder who lives here.

   “Take her and come inside,” the woman says. She’s obviously running the show, and is the mastermind behind this whole plan. She’s going on her emotions, which makes me think this is personal. “And if you try to run, we will shoot you down.”

   I don’t know what kind of monster would harm an innocent baby, but I know people like that are out there. I don’t get what a young woman and man would benefit from it.

   Revenge.

   It must be.

   The garage door is closed, so there’s nowhere for me to run anyway. I could try to open it, but I wouldn’t make it out in time. With my baby in my arms, I don’t want to do anything reckless, but I might have to if it increases my chances of getting out of here alive.

   “Can you tell me what you want?” I ask as I get out of the car, Quinn held against my chest. With one of them in front of me and one behind me, we walk inside the house, which seems to be well kept, tidy and normal, from what I can see. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.

   Nothing makes sense.

   “We will,” the woman replies, gesturing for me to sit down on the couch. I do so, cradling my daughter. There is anger and hate in her eyes, and it’s all directed at me.

   “Do you have something against the Knights?” I ask, trying to figure out why she hates me so much.

   Is that why I’m here? Or did my uncle do something and they found out that tie?

   Why am I here?

   “No, I don’t. I have something against you,” the woman says, snarling. “You have no idea, do you? You ruined my life. Because of you, my mother killed herself, because she couldn’t live with the guilt over your father’s death. And you sit there all happy, enjoying your life with your family. If I don’t have my family, why should you have yours? My dad is in prison because of you. You’ve fucked up my entire world, and now you’re going to pay for it.”