Love's Cunning Ruse




"Where is everyone?" Hayden rushed to the Winchester Firing Range, expecting to find a bustling crowd practicing their aim. Instead, he found only Kieran, who was grilling the owner with questions. Julie was nowhere to be seen.

The place should have been at its peak hour, teeming with enthusiasts, yet it was eerily empty, as if everyone had been evacuated.

The owner, jittery as a leaf in a storm, responded to Kieran, "Today someone booked the whole place for a private event, but I can't disclose client information. They just left a while ago..."

"Who?" Hayden, clueless about the situation, looked at Kieran for answers.

Kieran uttered two words with a steely edge: "Rowan."

He handed his phone to Hayden, showing him the last message from Julie, then swiftly snatched Hayden's phone from his pocket to call Payne Hernandez, his movements so quick that Hayden frowned in surprise.

Kerry was furious, that much was clear.

"Phone number?" Kieran demanded the moment Payne picked up the call.

Payne's voice carried a hint of defeat, "Damn, too many firewalls. Only got Kleist's." After rattling off a string of digits, Payne added, "Track down Kleist's address."

Once Kieran hung up, he dialed Kleist using the number Payne had provided.

Kleist stared at the unknown caller ID, hesitating to answer. Then, from the back seat, a voice cut through his indecision: "Answer it."

Kleist pressed the green button and was about to speak when Kieran's voice came through, unmistakable and commanding, "Let Rowan take the call."

Caught off guard and unable to pretend ignorance, Kleist reluctantly turned to his boss.

Rowan was lounging with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.

After a moment's hesitation, Kleist relayed to Kieran, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hernandez, my boss is currently resting..."

Before he could finish, Rowan's eyes snapped open, and with a sharp glance, he gestured for the phone.

"Mr. Hernandez..." Rowan's voice was loaded with meaning.

"Has Mr. Kyle taken someone he shouldn't have?" Kieran asked, his clenched fists betraying the ice in his voice.

Rowan, ever astute, understood the call was about Julie. But as far as he knew, the woman had left the firing range over an hour ago.

"Mr. Hernandez's reference to someone taken inappropriately wouldn't happen to be a lady, would it? If so, that's unfortunate because she left the firing range over an hour ago. If you're seeking her from me, I'm afraid I can't be of help," Rowan said, turning off the phone and tossing it back to Kleist.

"Back to the hotel," he ordered coldly.

As soon as Kieran's call was cut, Payne rang in, "Kleist is on the Inner Circle Freeway, but... he's turned off his phone. I've sent you the last known location."

With the last known location from Payne, Julien speculated, "If he's taking that exit, he's headed downtown. I've shadowed Rowan for a while. Can't get close, but he's been holed up at the hotel mostly."

Kieran glanced at Hayden, "Check where Camilla is now."

"Camilla's involved?" Hayden asked.

Kieran shook his head, "Not sure."

If Kerry said he wasn't sure, it meant he might know something. When Kieran said he had no idea, it meant he was truly in the dark, just grasping at straws.

Hayden nodded, "Got it."

Julien pointed out, "If Rowan says he let Julie go, then he definitely did."

Rowan was a man of stature; even if he had taken Julie, there would be a reason. It wouldn't be senseless, and given his status, he wouldn't deny it if he had. What would be the point in playing games?

Kieran, however, felt otherwise. He snatched Hayden's gun from his belt and

Julien's dagger from her boot, got into the car, and took the wheel.

"Lost your mind?" Julien watched her dagger fall into Kieran's hands.

Dylan Pierson, who had arrived late, grabbed Kieran's arm and blocked the car door, having overheard everyone's conversation. He frowned, "You're going to storm in there blindly? What if she's not with Rowan?"

Hayden, unusually tense, rubbed his brow, "I'm more worried about what happens if Joyce is actually with him."

"I'll check the security footage around the firing range," Julien said, turning away.

"Let go," Kieran looked up at Dylan, who was still holding the car door.

Dylan didn't budge, but Hayden patted his shoulder, "Get in. Go with Kerry."

As Dylan climbed into the back seat, before he could even shut the door properly, Kieran floored the accelerator, startling Dylan into slamming the door shut, "Dammit Kerry, have you lost it?"

Kieran sped off, leaving Dylan, a man accustomed to fast cars, unnerved by his recklessness. Clinging to the handle, he challenged, "This is rash! How do you know

Joyce is with Rowan? They said she left, didn't they? You..."

"Gut feeling," Kieran replied briefly, his focus unwavering as he drove.

Just moments ago, Dylan had thought that Kerry still had a shred of sanity left. But after hearing what Kerry had to say, he was convinced the guy had completely lost it. He was actually starting to trust his gut, which, in Dylan's book, was the first sign of madness. Content belongs to Novelxo.org

Dylan clutched the grab handle, his normally striking features scrunched in dismay. "Kerry, for God's sake, slow down! If you crash, we won't be saving anyone, let

alone your sister-in-law!"

Kerry, however, seemed deaf to Dylan's protests.

He continued to barrel down the road at breakneck speed.

After a while, Julien called, and Dylan, shaking, answered, "You got news?"

Julien, rarely the one to show concern, couldn't ignore Dylan's tone. "What's

wrong?"

"I'm car sick!!"

There was a brief silence on the other end.

For someone who treated Formula One racing as a hobby to get car sick meant that

Kerry must be driving like a bat out of hell...

1.net

After a moment of silent commiseration, Julien got to the point: "Checked the surveillance. Julie definitely left the shooting rangeover an hour ago. Rowan left about forty minutes after her Looks

like Rowan was telling the truth-Julie wasn't with him." Content belongs to Novelxo.org

"Okay, got it. It-tell Kerry." Dylan didn't even hang up before turning to

vel

Kerry, "The footage confirmed it, sister-in-law left the shooting range ages ago, she's not with Rowan-Jesus Christ! Could you warn me before you slam the

brakes?!" Content belongs to

Novelxo.org

Dylan's head jolted forward from the sudden stop, knocking against the seat in front.

He choked, nearly breathless with shock.

But then he saw Kerry abruptly pull open the car door and step out.

Confused, Dylan followed suit, only to stop dead at the sight of an overturned red

sedan ahead.

He recognized that car; it was usually parked in Kerry's garage. It was a modest make, but the license plate was unmistakable.

It was the car Julie had driven from home that day.

Now, it lay belly-up in a roadside ditch. They hadn't passed it on the way to the shooting range; it was a one-way street after all.

"This is..." Dylan began, but before he could finish, Kerry had leaped onto the overturned car, wrenching open the warped door that faced skyward.

"Find anything?" Dylan asked.

Kerry emerged with Julie's purse and two cell phones-one a spare, and the other

recently retrieved from Rowan. There was also a pocketknife and a bottle of pepper

spray inside the bag.

After a quick search confirmed no bloodstains around the vehicle, Kerry called out, "Doesn't look like she was hurt."

Dylan, looking down, noticed a clear set of skid marks on the road but no blood.

Relieved, he pointed at the marks, “The car must've stopped here. It makes no sense for it to have ended up in the ditch."

They weren't far from the shooting range. Kerry instructed Dylan, "Stay here, look

for clues."

"You're not going after Rowan, are you?” Dylan asked, but Kerry was already

heading back to the car.

"Get out. We need you on the scene." Kerry's voice was so calm, so rational, that it made Dylan feel like he was the one losing his grip on sanity.

"I'll call Julien to come here," Dylan said, but Kerry had restarted the car and was

driving away with him before he could protest further.

Knowing arguing was futile, Dylan just made the call: "Julie's car is wrecked. Come check for anything unusual. I'll text you the location."

As soon as Dylan hung up, Hayden rang in: "Camilla's at Gilded Gate Residences, twisted her ankle, can't move. She's getting IV treatment at home." "Convenient timing for an injury," Dylan relayed to Kerry. "Camilla's laid up at home

with a twisted ankle, getting an IV."

Kerry floored it, "Then have Hayden take her to the hospital. Home treatment's no match for Dr. Harding's skills. Take her to him, and say it's on me." Dylan passed the message on to Hayden, who understood and hung up.

Twenty minutes later, Kerry pulled up in front of the Cardinal Hotel, left the keys in

the ignition, and dashed inside.

Dylan, still queasy, frowned in dismay but had no choice but to hurry after him...