Breaking the Ice by Esme Taylor

CHAPTER THIRTY

Reid

I stared at the flurry of screenshots Hettie had sent me. From what I could tell they were from a text conversation with someone. Before I had the opportunity to read through them, another text came through that would change everything.

HETTIE: I need you Viking.

What the fuck? I thought as I scanned through the screenshots she’d sent me. Why would someone send these to her? And why are they calling her a bitch? My fists clenched in anger seeing someone speak to her like that. If I get my hands on whoever sent them I am going to rip them apart.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself before clicking the call button. “Answer the phone, Etta!” I muttered as I paced the floor while trying to figure out what to do next.

Suddenly, an alert popped upon my phone informing me that the front door alarm at Hettie’s house had been triggered. I’d forgotten that I had her security app set up on my phone. But at that moment I had never been more grateful.

I clicked on the app and quickly typed in the code to access the security cameras. As I scanned back through the footage, my heart came to a screeching halt.

I watched helplessly as a man carried an unconscious Hettie out of the house, throwing her into the back seat of a car before driving off. In an instant, the woman I loved disappeared from my life with God knows who. And I had no idea how to get her back.

Anxiety grabbed me by the throat in an attempt to suffocate me, but I forced it back down. I will not let some fucker take her from me.

I needed to think. I needed to do something. I needed to find Hettie.

I called Mike and instructed him to bring the car around front, and hurried out the door as a plan began to form in my mind. But I also knew that if wanted to have any chance of success I couldn’t do this on my own. I needed help.

“Mike, can you call Tom and Billy?” I asked as I slipped into the back seat. “Tell them it’s urgent and give them Hettie’s address. Don’t let Thomas give you any bullshit either. I need them there. Now.” Mike nodded, pressing a button on the steering wheel to connect the call.

While Mike relayed my message to Thomas and Billy, I Googled the number for Heather’s coffee shop.

“Deja Brew, Heather speaking.”

“Heather, it’s Reid Hudson. It’s Hettie…”

“Mother Fucker,” she whisper-shouted, cutting me off mid-sentence. “You broke that poor gir––” Before she could say another word, I interrupted.

“Someone has taken her.”

The line was silent for a few seconds. “Wh–What? Taken her where?”

“Heather, I think she’s in trouble. No, I know she is. She’s in danger and I need your help.”

“Is this some sort of game, Reid?”

“Look, you can hate me all you want once I know she’s safe. But right now, I need your help.”

“Bloody hell! Are you for real? Never mind––of course, you are. What can I do?”

“I need you to meet me at her house right away.”

“Right, I’m on my way. I’ll call Max and Lou and have them meet you there.” The line disconnected just as we pulled up outside Hettie’s house.

Mike and I cautiously climbed out of the car and slowly made our way towards the front door. As we neared, the broken door came into view and the two of us exchanged a knowing glance.

“Mike, call the police. Get someone out here immediately.” He nodded, his phone already in his hand.

While Mike spoke with the police, I made my way to the front of the house, pushing what was left of the broken door aside and stepping inside. I didn’t immediately notice anything out of place. If it weren’t for the front door, someone might have thought Hettie just stepped out for something.

Moving from the door, past the kitchen and living room, I made my way down the short corridor to her bedroom. And that’s when I saw it. Tucked under her pillow, just barely visible, was an envelope with my name on the front.

I wasted no time tearing it open and was surprised to find her phone, a letter, a card, and a list of things she apparently needed to tell the police. As I read through the things she’d left me, I began to understand what she was trying to tell me.

My amazing, clever, beautiful Etta had left me everything I needed in order to find her. I just had to work out how to put the clues together.

I carried everything back into the dining area and spread it out on the table. As my eyes settled on the card from the florists I remembered the night she had thanked me for the flowers I’d sent her. And now, seeing the card in person, I could see why she thought I’d sent them.

I pulled out my phone to call the florists to track down the person who’d paid for the flowers. Unfortunately, according to them, they'd paid in cash.

I gripped the back of the kitchen chair in frustration as I continued to stare at everything Hettie had left me. It was obvious that someone had been stalking her. They’d been watching her and following her for God only knows how long.

Did they hurt her deliberately or did this start because they’d mugged her and decided they wanted more? My blood boiled as I whispered a silent promise of all the things I would do to this bastard once I got my hands on him.

Just then I heard a knock on what remained of the broken door as two police officers stepped inside, followed moments later by our friends and Mike.

“Someone has taken Hettie,” I informed them all, the enormity of the situation washing over me and causing my voice to wobble.

The police officers moved closer and I vaguely remember them shaking my hand as they introduced themselves. Although I was too lost in my own thoughts to recall anything they’d said.

As if running on autopilot, I pushed my phone into their hands and pressed play on the security footage. When they had finished viewing that, I pulled up the screenshots she had sent to me moments before the abduction, as well as everything she’d included in the envelope. One of the officers reviewed everything carefully, looking for any clues that might lead us to Hettie’s location. Meanwhile, his partner stepped outside to talk on her radio.

When she returned a few minutes later, her face was set in a hard line so as not to show any emotion. “Mr. Hudson? Can you take a seat for me?” My legs buckled, fearing the worst.

“What is it? Have you found her?”

“No, I’m sorry to say we have not. Mr. Hudson, we spoke to Miss Saunders just over a month ago, and we are well aware of the mugging, the attempted break-in and the data breach at her work––”

“Wait––data breach?” I interrupted in confusion.

“Yes, Sir. From what we understand, her work’s systems were hacked and the only thing the perpetrator seemed interested in was Hettie’s personnel file. We looked into it but were unable to find anything. She also gave us her list of suspicious things that had happened to her in the past few months. But because she hadn’t reported anything further, we recently closed the case.”

“Closed?” I roared as I leaped from the chair. “Does this look fucking closed to you? Someone kicked in her front door, entered her home, and took her. I’d say that’s a pretty open fucking case, wouldn’t you?” I could feel the rage rushing through my body. I clenched my jaw to stop myself from saying anything else.

Suddenly, I felt a reassuring hand on my arm as Lou stepped up next to me. “Reid, calm down. This isn’t helping Hettie. Let the police do their job and we will do ours.” She winked at me, nodding at the chair I’d just been sitting in. “Let’s work out what clues our clever girl left us.” I nodded in agreement.

While the police excused themselves outside to arrange for more officers to be sent to help look for evidence, the seven of us huddled around the table to try and figure out where Hettie was and who the fuck had taken her.

“Right, what do we know?” Max began trying to put all the pieces together. “We think that all of this started the night of the ball. She was mugged and they stole her phone, her keys, and her ID. Which meant they knew where she lived.” He paused, thinking about what happened next.

“Reid, you had the locks changed later that evening. Is there any chance it could be the locksmith?”

“No,” Thomas shook his head. “I’ve known him for years, and I only employ people I trust.”

Max nodded as if ticking a suspect off his mental list.

“This first message came when she was with you, Reid, but you’d bought her a new phone. So, how did he get her number?” Heather questioned.

“That’s why he wanted her personnel file,” Billy responded as the pieces begain to click into place.

“Which brings us to the flowers,” I offered, running my hand through my hair. “I called the florist as soon as I got here and the person paid for them in cash. So, that’s a dead end.” I sighed, knowing time was running out and we were no closer to finding her.

“Okay, so the security breach was at her work, the flowers were sent to her work, and one of the most recent messages talks about Hets leaving him…” Lou’s eyes lit up as if she’d just figured it out. “Hettie quit her job a couple of weeks ago. It has to be someone from her work. We need to speak to Lewis. Maybe he knows something?”

“Hettie quit her job? Why?” I asked in confusion. “Never mind that. Right now, we just need to focus on finding her.” I wanted to understand her reasoning for lying to me or what she was looking for, but finding her was more important. The questions could come later.

Suddenly, an icy chill ran through planting a fear that was so terrifying I couldn’t speak. What if I never get the chance to tell her how sorry I am? What if I can’t find her? What if the bastard that’s taken her has––

“Reid––stop that shit right now!” Thomas ordered, his eyes narrowing, as if he knew where my thoughts were going. “We will find her. We will bring your girl home. I promise, no one will harm a hair on her head.” Thomas then turned to Heather, Lou and Max. “One of you get Lewis on the phone and see what he knows. After that, I can start calling in some favors so we can find this sicko.”