Page 144 of Blake

Draven’s blunt answer made Blake’s chest tighten.

“But Devon’s tougher than she gives herself credit for.” The other man continued. “I’ve seen it. So have you.”

Blake remembered that day in the hospital when he’d shown up with those ridiculous flowers. Even then, after being beaten within an inch of her life, she’d shown her strength and sass.

Looking back, he was fairly certain he’d fallen a little bit in love with her that day. And those feelings only grew stronger in the months that followed.

But now⁠—

“Listen to me.” Draven’s deep voice sounded again. “We’re going to find Devon. And when we do, she’s going to need your love and strength. Not guilt.”

Blake stared at his teammate. For the first time since waking in the hospital, he felt something other than fear pushing against his chest.

He felt hope. It was fragile, but there. And as long as there was hope⁠—

“You really think she’s still alive?”

Draven didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I do.”

“Why?”

“Think about it. When Whitaker wanted her dead, he made his intention known. But they didn’t kill her this time. They took her.”

Blake thought back to the scene at the farmhouse. Draven was right. If Whitaker’s goal was merely to ensure Devon’s death, his men had the perfect chance to kill her and drive away.

Instead, they’d taken her with them.

“Whitaker wants information.” Blake looked at Draven. “He’s going to force her to share everything she knows about his fraudulent dealings.”

And the minute he got what he wanted, she was as good as dead.

It wasn’t the first time those thoughts had rolled through his mind, but hearing someone else say it helped.

Draven placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder. “We’re not giving up on her, Blake. Not ever.”

Blake swallowed hard. “Thanks, man.”

His friend gave him a squeeze before stepping back. “Come on. Let’s go find out what Emmett has planned.”

By the time they returned to the conference room, Lincoln had finished speaking with someone on his phone.

The detective looked up as they entered. “Good. Everyone’s here.”

Emmett moved toward the table. “What’ve you got?”

Lincoln slipped his phone into his pocket. “Two things. First, my people confirmed the SUV photographed outside the Crestview property is registered to a company owned by one of Whitaker’s subsidiaries.”

Blake straightened. “Same vehicle from the farmhouse?”

“It appears so.”

“And the second thing?” Gwen asked.

Lincoln’s dark stare met hers. “Scarlett called. She and Dr. Frost finally got the lab results on that stain they found on his collar.”

Jethro set down the photograph he’d been examining. “What was it?”

“Dried blood. The lab recovered a partial DNA profile. It wasn’t enough for a complete identification, but it was enough to compare against known samples.”