the back alley.”
Brendan pocketed his phone.
“The cops are on the way.” He pointed at a frontal shot of the man’s face frozen on another screen. “He’s been coming in here for over a month, leaves about fifteen minutes before we close, and I’ve tried more than once to see where he goes, but he always disappears in the crowds. I’m going out the back door to see if anyone’s in the alley. Maybe they saw something.”
All of a sudden, they heard footsteps coming down the hall, and before Brendan could leave, Grayson March strode into the office. It was obvious by his mode of dress that he’d been at some formal affair.
“What’s the plan? Have you talked to anyone at the fire department? Do we know if the fire has jumped buildings yet?”
When no one answered, he realized something else was happening. “What? Talk, damnit! I’m not a mind reader!”
“Juliette was kidnapped,” Jack said.
Grayson gasped, reached for the edge of the desk to steady himself and then all of a sudden turned on Brendan.
“God damn you!” he said softly.
Brendan blinked. The first thing he thought was what the hell? And then it hit him. Anson. He thinks Anson did it and her association with me is to blame. He felt the accusation as surely as if the words had been spoken.
“You don’t understand,” Brendan began,
Grayson pointed a finger in Brendan’s face.
“Don’t fucking talk to me,” he whispered, grabbed his cell phone and make a quick call.
Jack frowned. “What the hell’s wrong with you, Grayson? Bren didn’t—”
But Grayson held up a hand for silence, waiting for his call to be answered.
“This is Parker.”
“It’s me. Where the fuck is Anson Poe?”
Parker was still standing across the street from the restaurant. “He’s still inside Adelaine’s.”
“I need his whereabouts verified. Go into Adelaine’s and get eyes on him now! Call me back as soon as you know.”
Brendan was stunned. He had feared all along something would happen that would turn Grayson March against their relationship, but nothing like this. And he was also pissed. Julie was missing, and the window of opportunity to stop this before it was too late was very brief. As far as he was concerned, they were wasting valuable time. He pointed at Marco.
“Go out front to wait for the police. I’m checking the alley.”
Grayson grabbed him by the arm. “You go nowhere until I—”
It was all Brendan could do not to hit him. Once again, he had been judged and found guilty because of his father’s name.
“Take your hand off of me,” he said softly. “We already know who took Julie. It’s on the fucking security camera,” he said and ran out of the office.
Shock swept across Grayson’s face, but before he could answer, his phone rang.
“What?”
Parker spoke quickly, sensing the urgency without understanding the need.
“Roberts said the back was clear. No one’s been in or out but kitchen help dumping garbage. Poe is inside at his table eating his meal.”
“Someone kidnapped Juliette. Don’t lose him,” Grayson said and disconnected.
Jack was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“What the hell did you just do? Brendan didn’t deserve any of that.”
Grayson wouldn’t admit he’d been wrong. He was in too much of a panic about what had happened. “Show me the security footage,” he said shortly and watched all the way through from the moment of panic in the bar, to the actual attack. When he saw the man knock his daughter out and carry her out of the bar in front of everyone, he was so frantic he was shouting.
“Why the hell didn’t someone stop him?”
“Because the place was in obvious panic as you can see, and I had the men evacuating the bar,” Jack yelled back. “You want to blame me for this now, too? Damn it, Grayson. I thought you were better than this. You owe Brendan Poe an apology.”
“You still don’t know that!” Grayson roared, and then began to pace. “We
Brendan pocketed his phone.
“The cops are on the way.” He pointed at a frontal shot of the man’s face frozen on another screen. “He’s been coming in here for over a month, leaves about fifteen minutes before we close, and I’ve tried more than once to see where he goes, but he always disappears in the crowds. I’m going out the back door to see if anyone’s in the alley. Maybe they saw something.”
All of a sudden, they heard footsteps coming down the hall, and before Brendan could leave, Grayson March strode into the office. It was obvious by his mode of dress that he’d been at some formal affair.
“What’s the plan? Have you talked to anyone at the fire department? Do we know if the fire has jumped buildings yet?”
When no one answered, he realized something else was happening. “What? Talk, damnit! I’m not a mind reader!”
“Juliette was kidnapped,” Jack said.
Grayson gasped, reached for the edge of the desk to steady himself and then all of a sudden turned on Brendan.
“God damn you!” he said softly.
Brendan blinked. The first thing he thought was what the hell? And then it hit him. Anson. He thinks Anson did it and her association with me is to blame. He felt the accusation as surely as if the words had been spoken.
“You don’t understand,” Brendan began,
Grayson pointed a finger in Brendan’s face.
“Don’t fucking talk to me,” he whispered, grabbed his cell phone and make a quick call.
Jack frowned. “What the hell’s wrong with you, Grayson? Bren didn’t—”
But Grayson held up a hand for silence, waiting for his call to be answered.
“This is Parker.”
“It’s me. Where the fuck is Anson Poe?”
Parker was still standing across the street from the restaurant. “He’s still inside Adelaine’s.”
“I need his whereabouts verified. Go into Adelaine’s and get eyes on him now! Call me back as soon as you know.”
Brendan was stunned. He had feared all along something would happen that would turn Grayson March against their relationship, but nothing like this. And he was also pissed. Julie was missing, and the window of opportunity to stop this before it was too late was very brief. As far as he was concerned, they were wasting valuable time. He pointed at Marco.
“Go out front to wait for the police. I’m checking the alley.”
Grayson grabbed him by the arm. “You go nowhere until I—”
It was all Brendan could do not to hit him. Once again, he had been judged and found guilty because of his father’s name.
“Take your hand off of me,” he said softly. “We already know who took Julie. It’s on the fucking security camera,” he said and ran out of the office.
Shock swept across Grayson’s face, but before he could answer, his phone rang.
“What?”
Parker spoke quickly, sensing the urgency without understanding the need.
“Roberts said the back was clear. No one’s been in or out but kitchen help dumping garbage. Poe is inside at his table eating his meal.”
“Someone kidnapped Juliette. Don’t lose him,” Grayson said and disconnected.
Jack was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“What the hell did you just do? Brendan didn’t deserve any of that.”
Grayson wouldn’t admit he’d been wrong. He was in too much of a panic about what had happened. “Show me the security footage,” he said shortly and watched all the way through from the moment of panic in the bar, to the actual attack. When he saw the man knock his daughter out and carry her out of the bar in front of everyone, he was so frantic he was shouting.
“Why the hell didn’t someone stop him?”
“Because the place was in obvious panic as you can see, and I had the men evacuating the bar,” Jack yelled back. “You want to blame me for this now, too? Damn it, Grayson. I thought you were better than this. You owe Brendan Poe an apology.”
“You still don’t know that!” Grayson roared, and then began to pace. “We
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