âLook, as of now, they havenât called, havenât mentioned a ransom, but weâre talking about a seriously vicious situation here. My wife was taken right off the street on her way home, and Iâm sure every officer here can understand what might happen next. Thereâs only one thing Iâm asking for, and thatâs to get her back safe and sound, not a hair on her head harmed.â
Nolan was on the line with a top cop who initially didnât seem too concerned, but that changed the moment he realized who Nolan was.
âDonât worry, I promise weâll get your wife back safe. Weâve already got our guys combing the area for clues.â
Nolan, growing impatient, cut him off, âAlright, just do what youâve got to do. I just want her back, safe.â
After hanging up, Nolan knew better than to put all his eggs in one basket. He reached out to his contacts in the underworld.
âCheck out what Domingoâs been up to lately.â
âWell, Mr. Harris, itâs been a while. Whatâs up? Got time to call little olâ me?â
The guy on the other end tried to make small talk, but Nolan was short on time.
âLook, Iâll swing by your place once this is all over. But right now, finding my wife is what matters. You get that, right? And make it quick. Iâm running out of time,â Nolan pressed, and the guy got serious.
âYou got it, Mr. Harris. Weâll make sure to get your lady back safe and sound.â
With both the law and the underworld on the lookout, Nolan stared blankly at Reginaâs car. All he could think of was that Regina mustâve crossed Domingo. Maybe she pissed off some other folks while working her cases, but he couldnât put his finger on it.
Was it possible he hadnât given Regina enough sense of security, so much so that she hadnât fully trusted him up to this point?
Nolan was frustrated with himself. Why hadnât he used this time to show her his true feelings?
Keeping her on edge, what good did that do, especially now that something had happened?
Francis stood by, hardly daring to breathe, until Nolan punched the car door, leaving a bloody imprint.
âNolan, man, try not to panic. Maybe itâs not as bad as you think. Itâs just a kidnapping, right? Weâll pay the ransom, and theyâll bring her back!â
Francis was actually trying to console Nolan, ironically.
Just a kidnapping?
âAre you really Reginaâs dad? How can you say something like that? Just a kidnapping? Regina could be in mortal danger right now. They havenât reached out to us yet. How can you be so sure itâs just a kidnapping? Thereâs an old saying-â
âWhatâs that?â Francis asked instinctively.
âA stepmom always leads to a stepdad.â
With those words, Nolan drove off. He had to follow up on this personally. Regina was in grave danger, and he would not sit idly by.