He reached out and gripped her upper arm, feeling she might run from the ball like Cinderella if he didn’t. “I can’t let it lie, Jade. This is my job. A job I was hired for because of you. And I was hired to find out the truth. I’m going to do that whether you want me to anymore or not.”
A flash of pain danced across Jade’s pale face before she jerked herself from his grip. Her dark eyes grew glassy as she slowly shook her head in disbelief and heartache.
“Jade...” He reached out again.
“No. Don’t,” she argued, stepping out of his reach. “You have your priorities and I have mine. I thought I might rank higher on your list, but that was foolish of me. I wasn’t Lance’s priority, either. He was more interested in getting high and you’re more interested in the thrill of the chase.”
The crowd applauded loudly and the orchestra started playing again. They both turned to see the Steeles step down from the stage and return to mingling with their guests and donors. If Harley was going to talk to Morgan, he needed to do it soon. If he could just convince Jade to give him ten minutes... Just ten minutes could make all the difference in the world.
He turned back to her with pleading eyes. “That’s not true.”
She shook her head more adamantly. “We’ll see about that. Go on, go be the badass who saves the day. But I’m going home, Harley. Home to my own house. I’ll ask one of the valets to call a cab to pick me up.” Jade spun on her heel, a blur of crimson beading, and then made a beeline for the ballroom entrance.
Harley reached out for her, about to chase her down and beg for her to wait a little bit longer. That’s when he saw it. His moment. His chance.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he spied Patricia Steele setting her empty champagne flute on a nearby table. If he could pick up the glass before a waiter got to it, he could get a DNA sample and confirm his suspicions even if the family wouldn’t cooperate. They’d answer the phone when the hospital’s attorneys called, he was pretty sure.
He tore his gaze away from the glass for a moment to see Jade slip out of the ballroom and toward the front of the house. If he moved fast enough, he could get the glass and reach Jade before she could arrange a ride back to her house. She wouldn’t be happy with him for grabbing the glass after she’d asked him to stop investigating and leave the party, but that was a risk
he was willing to take. An opportunity didn’t come wrapped in a bow like this very often.
Darting through the crowds of milling people, he reached the table and snatched up the flute. Holding it as though it were his own, he slipped away and headed toward the door. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then tucked it in his coat’s inner breast pocket. It would go in an evidence bag the first chance he got without a crowd of witnesses.
But first, to catch up with Jade.
This evening was not going at all the way he’d hoped. It was supposed to be a night of breakthroughs. They were supposed to connect with her family and usher in that happy reunion. He had even been on the verge of telling her how he felt about her when they were out on the dance floor.
If the speeches had come even a minute later, the words that had been lingering on the tip of his tongue would’ve gotten out. He would have told Jade that he loved her. And maybe then, when the fear got to her, she would’ve known that he was doing this for her. Not in spite of her.
Harley made his way through the house. He paused at the registration desk near the entrance. “Did a woman in a red dress come by here just now?” he asked. If she’d hidden in the restroom instead of going outside, they wouldn’t have seen her.
There were two women at the table and they both nodded. “She went out about a minute ago. She seemed upset,” the older lady said with a look of disapproval.
He went past them and down the front stairs to the circular driveway, where the valets were mostly sitting idle. Jade was nowhere to be found. “Which way did the woman in red go?” he asked.
The group of men all pointed to the far side of the house. Perhaps she’d gone that way trying to get better cell phone reception.
Harley jogged to the end of the building, expecting to see her there calling for a ride. And she was. But before he could say anything, a white van pulled to a stop in front of her. The door flew open and in a blur of red, Jade was pulled inside by two men in dark clothes. The door slammed shut and the van’s tires squealed loudly as it took off from the driveway and roared down the narrow lane away from the house.
Harley took off on foot after it, shouting Jade’s name, as though he had a chance in hell of catching it. But as the taillights disappeared into the distance, he came to a stop. His lungs burned in his chest even as his heart ached just as fiercely. He’d promised Jade he would keep her safe. He’d promised he would solve the case quickly so she wouldn’t have to live in fear of the threats any longer.
Turning on his heel, he ran back to the house, yelling for the valets to call the police and report the abduction. He couldn’t take back what had just happened, but he could redeem himself in her eyes and his own by doing everything he could to bring her home safely.
She’d thought she was safe with him. He’d taken his eye off her for only a moment. A big mistake, especially after she’d asked him to leave with her.
But Jade was right. He’d chosen the job and the glory over her. He just hoped he wouldn’t regret that decision for the rest of his life.
Twelve
Jade rolled around the back of the van and hit her head against the metal wall with a dull thud. At least she thought it was the wall. It was hard to tell with the blindfold over her eyes. She wasn’t thinking too clearly anyway. Her head was already throbbing from the strong whiff of chloroform they’d used to disable her. They hadn’t given her enough of a dose to knock her out cold—that took a few minutes and some dedication—but it did its job in disorienting her enough that they could drag her into their vehicle. Now she was dizzy, with a pounding head and a bad attitude.
“Ow!” She groaned loudly as she felt the knot rise up on her forehead and a warm trickle run down the side of her face. It was probably blood. And with her hands tied together, she was unable to stop the bumping and brace herself as the van sped around corners. She was like a rag doll back here, feeling the beading of her dress catch and snag as she slid across the unfinished floor.
Abduction aside, the thought of the beautiful gown Harley had bought her being ruined brought angry tears to her eyes.
“Slow down or we’re gonna get caught,” one man hissed, presumably at the driver. His voice was gravelly, like he’d smoked three packs a day for thirty years.
“If I slow down, we will get caught. We’ve got to get the hell away from the Steele mansion first. That guy is crazy enough to follow us.”