Once back in West Austin, Jake followed the winding path of Westlake Drive as it cut through the hills near the river until he finally arrived at a gated driveway surrounded by trees. Jake had no idea what the code for the gate was, so he parked the truck just outside. Then he climbed over the gate and began to quickly make his way down a driveway covered with gray-and-black pavers. The house was not visible through the trees from the road. Jake wondered if the hit man who had killed Eddie Cowens and his mother could also be at the house. Would Lars keep a guy like that around as added protection? While Jake desperately wanted to have his daughter back, he also needed to be careful.
Jake finally reached a point in the driveway where he could see the two-story white stucco house with black trim in front of him. Directly behind it were the waters of Lake Austin. Jake paused, searching. There were no cars parked out front. But he would expect Lars to use the three-car garage.
The completely private house had expansive windows throughout, front and back. Jake began looking window to window. So far, he didn’t see any movement inside. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Lars hadn’t brought her back here. But then he spotted the man suddenly move past the expansive glass-front entry. Jake’s heart started beating even faster. Piper had to be here, too. He could think of no other reason why Lars would be at this place all by himself on a day like today.
Jake stayed near the tree line but carefully began approaching the house. His eyes continued to search window to window. There was no sign of his daughter yet, and no sign of anyone else being at the house other than his father-in-law. Which gave Jake the confidence to approach boldly. It was time to end this right now. It was time to get his daughter back. He hustled up the rest of the driveway and then peeled off on the walkway up to the huge glass front doors. One more quick peek around inside the house. No Piper in sight. If she was here, where was she? He was about to find out.
Jake banged on the door. Seconds later, Lars appeared in the foyer and froze when he spotted Jake standing there. Jake could tell by the look on the man’s face that his father-in-law was shocked to see him. Was the front door locked? Would Lars even answer it? Or would Jake have to find a way to break in? He got his answer a moment later when Lars finally stepped up to the door, unlocked it, and then opened it before blocking the entrance with his big body.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Lars said.
“Where is she?”
“I’m calling the police right now.”
“Do it!” Jake yelled at him. He could feel every emotion he’d been carrying around inside him for the past several hours rise to the surface. The fear, the panic, the desperation. It began pouring out. “Because I can’t wait to tell them how you hired a hit man to find me and kill me. A killer who has left a trail of dead bodies throughout the city. You’re going to prison, Lars. I’m going to make sure of it!”
“You’re a lunatic. They’ll never believe you over me.”
“Where is Piper?” Jake repeated.
“She’s not here. Get off my property.”
“You’re lying. Get out of my way!”
Jake moved toward the door, but Lars didn’t budge. There was no way Jake was going to allow this man to slow him down. Not after everything he’d been put through to get here. So Jake punched his father-in-law as hard as he could in the gut. It felt good. The man let out a grunt and doubled over. Jake rushed past him into the house and started searching. There was no one in the study or a guest bedroom. The end of a hallway led him into a spacious master suite. The lights were off in the bedroom, and the shades were drawn. Someone was under the covers in the king-size bed. Jake’s heart was on the verge of exploding. He rushed over to the bed. Piper.
She was asleep. Jake stood there for a moment as every emotion he’d been holding on to so tightly rushed through him. He’d found her. He’d kept his promise. She was safe. But he knew they had to get out of there. Jake gently nudged her awake, so as to not frighten her. His daughter’s eyes fluttered open. When she recognized her father standing over her, Piper lunged at him with both arms. “Daddy!”
Jake pulled her in close, holding her so tightly. Tears flooded his eyes as a powerful relief he’d never experienced before flowed through him.
FORTY-ONE
Dani had followed Lars Kingston back to a secluded house near Lake Austin. Because she’d been suspended, she had no real authority to directly confront the man. So she parked just up the street and tried to sort out her game plan moving forward. She wanted to be careful that her engagement with this matter didn’t jeopardize the FBI’s official investigation. Wealthy people with powerful attorneys had ways of ripping holes in investigations in court. If Lars was behind the hiring of Logan Gervais, as she suspected, she didn’t want him getting away with it on a technicality. But then, in her rearview mirror, she noticed a white truck suddenly park right outside the gated driveway. A man got out. Dani perked up. It was Jake, and he was in a hurry. Jake quickly climbed over the security gate and rushed up the driveway. Something big was about to go down. Dani knew she couldn’t tap-dance her way around this anymore.