Theory was EG had somehow identified Laura as the person tracking the crypto payments and had presumably tracked her online habits and used a dating app to approach her in real life without arousing her suspicion.

Yael seemed stunned by developments.

It was unclear exactly when EG had taken Laura hostage. Someone had wiped the hotel’s security camera footage completely for the last two weeks and had captured a twenty-four-hour loop that they’d set to play constantly. Hotel security hadn’t caught on yet. Ironically the hotel used the hardware and software systems from the security firm Ethan Grice worked for—which must have seemed like a gift to the sadistic prick.

According to Laura’s text messages to Yael, she’d come down with food poisoning during the night, but it was more likely EG incapacitated her immediately upon leaving the bar. He could have drugged or tasered her. Left her tied up in the trunk of his vehicle before parking on the side of the road, crossing the creek and mowing Yael’s townhouse down with automatic gunfire.

Shane looked at Yael whose dark eyes appeared haunted. She’d probably been texting with EG. She’d even planned to come here and see Laura tonight.

EG hadn’t replied when Yael had told Laura she was on her way and asking her did she need anything. It would have been too perfect for the guy to be sitting waiting for her only to be met with fourteen heavily armed HRT assaulters and two overprotective canines.

But the guy was almost certainly long gone.

Anger hardened inside him. Ethan Grice had not only killed his best friend, stolen a woman’s life partner and their children’s father. He’d also terrorized numerous innocents both for fun and for money. He’d terrorized Yael whom Shane was starting to have real feelings for.

Alex had tried tracking Laura’s cell but no luck. It had been turned off since just before the attack last night and only turned on again to periodically check and send texts. The location of the cell was cloaked.

The asshole had probably gotten off reading about how terrified Yael had been. Pity EG hadn’t tried to trace Yael’s cell last night. The welcoming committee would have been pleased to meet him.

Yael looked pale and taut, spine rigid, eyes downcast. She flinched when he touched her arm and he told himself not to take it personally.

“This is all my fault,” she muttered for the twentieth time.

“This is one hundred percent not your fault.” Alex Parker had the focused look of an operator right now. A man on a mission. “I should have prevented this from happening. I should have caught this guy a long time ago. I underestimated him and that’s on me.”

The scene was familiar to Shane. Everyone blaming themselves rather than the fucker responsible.