Hide and Seek

By Velvet Vaughn

Taylor Hudson’s daughter Grace is excited about the end of her first-grade year. But when a man kidnaps her from the school bus, Taylor discovers a threat from her past has returned. Instead of coming for her as he promised, he’s taken her daughter instead. Kai Costa idolizes his dad, Dante, and wants to follow in his footsteps and become a Navy SEAL. When Kai realizes something is wrong, he doesn’t hesitate to jump in and in doing so, he lands right in the middle of a nightmare. Unimaginable circumstances have thrown Dante and Taylor together as they race to track down their missing children. Is their bond strong enough to withstand a man threatening to take it all away?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Velvet Vaughn
• Release date: Apr 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9780986165245

Velvet Vaughn

Velvet Vaughn was born in Indiana and spent fifteen years in communications, public relations, marketing and executive management in amateur sports. Articles she has written have been published in several magazines and reprinted in most major newspapers across the country. She served as editor, writer and designer for five sport magazines including one that was distributed to over 140 countries around the world, and one that was displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. To learn more about Velvet or sign up for her newsletter, visit her at http://www.velvetvaughn.com or http://www.facebook.com/authorvelvetvaughn.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 VELVET VAUGHN LLC

ISBN: 978-0-9861652-4-5

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Visit Velvet's website at www.velvetvaughn.com and her Facebook Fanpage at www.facebook.com/authorvelvetvaughn.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my sweet niece (and fellow published writer), Lexi.

Acknowledgments

I am so grateful to the inaugural members of the Velvet Vaughn Street Team: Cindi R., Debbie M., Gary A., Karen J. and Lisa B. Thank you all for your support. And as always, I am so blessed and thankful for my mom...I couldn’t do this without her.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Epilogue

Notes

About the Author

Prologue

I just became your worst nightmare.

Though she maintained eye contact and a smug smile of satisfaction, a chill raced down Assistant State Prosecutor Taylor Hudson’s spine. She refused to let Patrick Sweeney see how much his threat unnerved her.

The judge pounded his gavel, calling for order as the accused—now-convicted—murderer struggled against his bonds. Several women screamed when the verdict was read. One fainted, others openly sobbed. Taylor watched with a remote sense of detachment as the guards surrounded Sweeney and prepared to lead him out of the courtroom and to his posh new digs, where he would spend the rest of his miserable life—the federal penitentiary.

It was hard to reconcile the man in the orange jumpsuit with the list of crimes he committed. Sweeney looked more like a movie star than a sadistic rapist and cold-blooded killer. He was charismatic, charming, and witty. The women in the jury stared at him with interest, and he returned their gazes with a dazzling smile and flirty wink. Taylor shook her head. One juror was old enough to be his grandmother.

Knowing his skill with the ladies, the prosecutors successfully fought to appoint only three to the jury, and though they might’ve been mesmerized by his looks, they were smart enough to see right through the captivating smile to the black heart beating inside his chest. It didn’t hurt that Taylor had presented irrefutable evidence and disturbing images of his violent crimes.

This case—the biggest of Taylor’s brief career—had erupted into a massive media circus. Reporters camped on the steps of the courthouse to shout questions and snap photos. She’d held so many impromptu press conferences she became something of a mini-celebrity. The trial had even been broadcast live by Crime TV until Sweeney’s theatrics angered the judge enough to ban the cameras.

The warped media portrayed Sweeney as the victim of a rough childhood dominated by an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother. He’d seemingly overcome his meager beginnings to earn an academic scholarship to an Ivy League school. He modeled on the side for several national and international campaigns, his face appearing on billboards, hawking everything from underwear to cologne across the country. He’d guest-starred on several sitcoms and had a bit part in a major motion picture.

Because of his rabid following, Taylor had been portrayed in the media as the wicked young witch of the courtroom, the evil face of anarchism. Her image had been used in satirical cartoons, as the center of dartboards, and even burned in effigy. Careful to never let her reactions show, the hatred hurt. She was simply doing her job and keeping the public safe, taking a murdering rapist off the streets for good. Instead, she was the villain.

The public was a fickle bunch.

She had to admit he had an aura about him, a charm that could be difficult to resist. He was downright hypnotic in his ability to manipulate people—primarily women—into doing precisely what he wanted. A Svengali. He resembled Brad Pitt, boasted a legion of admirers that would make Elvis proud, was highly intelligent, devastatingly handsome, often quoted his favorite philosopher Nietzsche, and was completely, utterly dead inside.

It was his intellect that finally engineered his downfall—his warped belief that he was superior. Above everyone else. Super-human. His radical following of Nietzsche resulted in his capture. Nietzsche argued supermen, or Übermensch, as he called them, were above common human morality. He described them as powerful, highly creative, courageous, and extremely rare. Sweeney simply didn’t think there was a person out there smart enough to stop him.

The judge banged the gavel again, the sharp staccato sound echoing through the courtroom, but the audience wouldn’t quiet. Taylor swung around to watch the authorities attempt to usher the sobbing women out of the courtroom. A low, menacing voice had her spinning back around.

You won’t know when, you won’t know where, but I’m coming for you, Sweeney threatened as the guards muscled him by the prosecutors’ table.

Enjoy prison, Pat. She smiled cheekily. At least until that lethal dose of Pentobarbital kicks in. That won’t be so enjoyable. Her smile froze at his icy stare. She was looking into the face of pure evil.

Chapter One

Six years later - Thursday

A buzzer sounded, startling Taylor Hudson from her writing-induced trance. As usual, when she parked herself in front of the computer to put words on paper, time got away from her. She was almost finished with her latest novel, Courtroom Casualties. She’d been deep into plotting the pivotal closing argument scene, and before she knew it, the afternoon disappeared. It was a good thing she thought to set a timer. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be ready when her daughter arrived home from school.

She glanced at the time as she silenced the alarm and stood to stretch. The bus would drop Grace off soon, and since it was Thursday, that meant gymnastics class. She defined days of the week by her daughter’s extracurricular activities.

Taylor backed up her work and powered down the laptop. She’d started writing to pass the time when her daughter was an infant. She’d resigned her position with the district attorney’s office to stay home and care for Grace. Taylor didn’t want her daughter raised by nannies and babysitters. Her mother had stayed home with her and her sister, and she cherished those memories from her childhood. She wanted the same for her daughter.

As soon as she quit her job, she’d moved back to her hometown to be closer to her parents, but she wasn’t sure what she would do for a living. A local law firm offered her a part-time position, but several ideas floated around in her head, and when she put them on paper, a story formed. She’d always loved to write and discovered that she couldn’t stop once she started. She drew from past experiences for material. Penning legal thrillers helped keep her up-to-date with her former profession as well. She didn’t want to go back to practicing law every day, so writing about it was the perfect compromise. It allowed her to put her many years of education to good use.

Grace had been a happy, easygoing baby. Taylor kept her crib in the office as she worked and, as she grew, her playpen. Grace was easily entertained, allowing Taylor to write and take care of her daughter simultaneously. Her parents were an enormous help, especially when she was under deadline or needed a night out with the girls.

She jumped head-first into her writing career, but she kept her expectations low. She only hoped to sell enough books to keep a roof over their heads. She’d been shocked when her first novel had been a breakout success. Now, six books later, she was a well-known author, writing under the pseudonym T.A. Hudson.

Taylor stuffed tennis shoes into a gym bag, zipped it closed, and slung it over her shoulder. She never pushed her daughter, letting Grace decide which activities she wanted to participate in—and she wanted to do everything. Grace was a bundle of energy, burning it off with dancing, soccer, and tee-ball. Taylor mentioned the possibility of taking piano lessons, but Grace wasn’t interested. She was rambunctious and athletic. Sitting on a bench memorizing keys wasn’t her idea of fun. She was doing back handsprings when she was five years old.

Grace’s latest obsession was karate. She looked so adorable when she practiced her moves, her face a mask of concentration. She loved to wear her Gi around the house and make chopping moves with her hands. Taylor knew Kai Costa’s influence prompted Grace’s desire to learn martial arts. He was a sweet boy who shoveled their sidewalk in the winter and cleaned their pool in the summer. He was a couple of years older than Grace, and her daughter had a major crush on him.

Taylor glanced at the latest school picture on the mantle above the fireplace in her office, showing an adorable princess with flowing red curls, so drastically different from her own naturally straight blonde hair. Both of their eyes were blue, but Grace’s were a darker color of the night sky, whereas hers were a lighter shade of cornflower.

Tomorrow was the last day of school, Grace’s first-grade year. Her baby was growing up so fast. The teachers were throwing an end-of-the-year party, and Taylor planned on staying up all night baking cupcakes. She was an active participant in Grace’s classroom events and served as a chaperone on their field trip to the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology. With her book deadline rapidly approaching, she considered buying the snacks instead, but Grace loved to help her in the kitchen so they’d be up to their elbows in batter after gymnastics class.

The phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. She jogged to the receiver and picked up on the second ring. She listened for a minute before collapsing on the sofa. Excuse me? she sputtered. What did you say?

I said he escaped. Patrick Sweeney has escaped.

Chapter Two

Kai Costa rolled his eyes at his bickering friends as they launched into their favorite argument of who deserved the title of best athlete on the planet.

It’s gotta be Shaun White, Carson argued. Dude’s a freaking magician on a board. Nobody can carve the pipe like he can. He shreds the snow.

David shoved him, almost dislodging him from his ever-present skateboard. Dude, one word—LeBron. Nobody can jam the rock in the hole like he can. David took a running leap, slamming a basketball through an imaginary hoop. Bam. Count ‘em. Two points.

Kai personally thought his dad was the greatest athlete in the history of the world. He’d been an All-American basketball player in college before giving up any chance of a pro career to join the Navy and serve his country. He’d become a SEAL, and Kai thought that was the coolest thing ever. Kai had inherited his dad’s athletic ability, and he planned to follow in his footsteps and become a SEAL.

Once, when he had voiced his feelings and told his friends that his dad was the best, they laughed at him, pointed fingers, called him a daddy’s boy. He knew it was all in fun because Carson and David thought his dad was awesome too. But he decided from then on, he’d keep his true feelings to himself.

Since this was a common argument, Kai tuned them out. He knew they’d bicker back and forth for the rest of the drive home. It was Carson’s mom’s turn to pick them up. As they walked by a school bus, something made Kai peer inside at the driver, and his steps faltered. An overwhelming sense of unease washed over him. Though he didn’t take the bus, he was nine after all—too hip to ride the loser cruiser, as the bus was known among the coolest of grade school students—he’d seen the drivers around enough to recognize most, even if he didn’t know their names. He’d never seen this man before. There was something creepy about him.

Kai?

Carson’s voice penetrated his thoughts, and he shook his head. He hadn’t even realized he stopped until he heard them calling his name.

Carson spun his skateboard around with a huff of annoyance, flipped the edge, and caught it in the air. I asked who you think is the best athlete?

A line of elementary school children waited to board the bus. One cute little redhead with wispy bangs waved wildly at him. Hi Kai, she said with a huge grin.

He smiled and waved back at Grace. He knew the seven-year-old had a crush on him. She followed him around like a puppy when he cleaned her mom’s pool a few weeks ago. She badgered him with questions about karate, and then she signed up for lessons. He’d started out cleaning their sidewalks during the winter. When he’d arrived with his shovel, she’d bundled up in a fluffy pink parka, mittens, boots, and a hat with a pom-pom on top and tried to help him. She got in the way more than she helped, but he let her try.

Kai had started helping around his neighborhood when an elderly couple needed their sidewalk shoveled. He never meant for it to become a money-making venture. He did it for free because they were old, and he didn’t want them to slip and fall on the ice. They fawned all over him and gave him milk and cookies. Then they told everyone in the neighborhood what he’d done, and soon, he had a nifty little business going. He didn’t need the money. His dad was super-generous with an allowance, but Kai felt like a grown-up pulling in his own cash. His dad allowed him to do the projects but insisted that he stay in the area around their house, and he had to take his cell phone with him at all times. Sometimes his dad treated him like a baby, but he guessed it was okay. It was just the two of them, after all. Him and his dad against the world.

He watched as Grace navigated the black steps leading into the bus and raced for a window seat so she could wave at him again. Kai’s gaze shifted to the driver, and the sense of unease he felt earlier rushed back with a vengeance as the man watched Grace intently—too intently.

Kai? David demanded.

He glanced at his friends, who gawked at him like he was a fry short of a Happy Meal. Flapping a hand at them, he called out, You guys go on, I’m gonna hitch a ride today.

No way, Carson burst out, doubling over in laughter.

Loser, loser, David chanted, riding the cruiser.

Yeah, yeah, catch you guys later. Kai leaped on the bottom step before the driver could swing the door closed in his face. He grabbed the handrail and turned back to his friends. Peyton Manning, he yelled and disappeared behind the whoosh of the doors.

His friends nodded sagely in agreement.

#

Grace Hudson’s eyes widened when Kai Costa climbed on the bus, and breath caught in her lungs. He never ever rode the bus. He was way too cool. Kai was the cutest boy she’d ever seen, definitely the cutest in school, maybe even the entire universe. Grace sighed. She wanted to marry him.

He smiled at her when he passed, and her seven-year-old heart fell irrevocably in love. She wanted to push Molly out of the seat so he could sit beside her, but Molly was her bestest friend in the whole wide world, and besides, she would start crying and throw a tantrum. Molly could be such a diva.

Her spirits picked up when he slid into the open seat directly behind her. She shot around and plopped on her knees. She had to grab the back of the seat as the bus lurched forward a few times before making a horrible grinding noise and pulling into the street. The new driver was cute, but he was weird. He smiled and called her sweetheart when she got on the bus. She sorta smiled back and kept her hand knotted in Molly’s backpack, wanting to get away from him. She wondered what happened to Mr. Stone. He never smiled much, but he didn’t creep her out like this man. She felt better now that Kai was here.

There were very few kids on the bus since it was the next-to-last day of school, so there were plenty of open seats. She was glad he sat close to her.

Why are you riding the bus today? she asked.

Kai briefly took his eyes off the driver—he must have thought the guy was weird, too—and said, I thought I’d take the scenic route for a change.

Grace laughed as if he had said the funniest thing ever. She loved him so much!

What are you doing? Molly whispered harshly, pulling at Grace’s jacket. He’s like, almost a fourth-grader. Grace looked down at her friend, but something made her twist and glance at the mirror above the driver. He was staring at her with a funny smile on his face. Grace shivered and turned back to Kai. He was also watching the mirror.

Hey, kid, the driver said to the little boy in the front seat. I’m new, so show me the first stop. The boy directed him into an apartment complex where most of the kids got off. Gracie’s hands flew to the seat in front of her to brace herself when they jerked and lurched forward again. Molly’s backpack crashed to the floor. The guy didn’t know how to drive a bus. They came to the road that would take them to their neighborhood, and she frowned when he passed by. Instead, he turned in the opposite direction.

Hey, you missed our street, Kai yelled. The man ignored him. Grace’s stomach started to hurt. She didn’t like the intense look on Kai’s face.

The driver pulled the bus over, stood, and turned around. Grace and Molly screamed in unison when he pointed a gun at them.

Girls, down, Kai ordered, shoving their heads beneath the seat.

Sit down and shut up, the man growled to Kai. All of you, give me your cell phones and backpacks right now.

There were only five kids left, not counting herself. They all heaved their bags into the aisle. He dug a cell phone from each one, dropped them on the ground, and stomped them to pieces. Oh no, her pretty pink Hello Kitty cover was crushed to bits. Then he gathered the bags and tossed them into a pile at the front of the bus. Kai pushed their heads back down. Grace couldn’t see anything from her vantage point, but she heard footsteps, and then she saw his enormous feet appear in the aisle.

She screamed and hugged Molly tighter.

Come here, darling Grace.

Panic froze her in place. The man knew her name! Oh God, what was she going to do?

He reached across Molly to grab her arm.

Touch her, and you die, Kai growled menacingly.

The man laughed. Seriously? You got a death wish? You wanna die today, kid? Before Kai could answer, the man swung his arm and cracked him across the face with the gun. Kai’s head whipped back, and he crumpled into the seat.

Everyone screamed. The man jerked Gracie off her feet and pulled her with him to the front of the bus. If anyone wants the same treatment or a bullet in the brain, try something like that again, the man yelled. He wrapped some kind of plastic binder around her wrists and locked her to the post at the front of the bus. Grace couldn’t help it—she peed her pants. She wanted her mommy. She started to bawl.

The man ordered the other kids to hold out their hands, and he bound their wrists with the same plastic binders. Kai’s cheek was red and bleeding. She cried harder.

Be a good girl, Grace, and I won’t hurt you. The man stroked her hair, and she flinched, tears flying off her face. He returned to his seat and shifted the bus in gear, painfully jerking her arms when they pitched forward.

I can see all of you in the mirror, the man informed them. Try anything, and Grace dies, and you die.

From where she was sitting, she saw Kai rise in his seat. He looked hurt, and she cried harder. Then he stood, and she sucked in her breath. If he tried to help her, the man would shoot him. She knew he would. She felt both relieved and sad when he moved to the back of the bus, gathering the four other kids with him.

Grace felt truly and utterly alone.

#

Kai’s cheek throbbed, and he used his shoulder to wipe the blood. He wanted to cry at the pain, and his eyes had watered, but he refused to let the man know how much he hurt him. They were all hostages now, but Grace was in the most danger. The man knew her name. That frightened him. When he grabbed her, Kai saw red. He didn’t want the man touching her, hurting her. He knew he was no match for a grown man, especially one with a gun, but he couldn’t let the man take her away. She was just a little kid.

Somehow, he had to get the other kids off the bus and then find a way to rescue Grace. He didn’t know the man’s plans, but he didn’t like any of the options that came to mind.

The other three girls were crying, and the only other boy on the bus, a second-grader named Kobe, looked like he wanted to bawl. His bottom lip trembled uncontrollably.

Kobe, Kai whispered, keeping his eyes trained on the driver. Listen to me. We’re the only guys here, so we have to save these girls. He fastened his gaze on Kobe, who resembled a miniature version of his namesake. The kid nodded but looked skeptical.

Kai worked his Swiss Army Knife out of his pocket, glad he thought to remove it from his backpack before the man confiscated them. Hold out your hands. He fumbled with the mechanism until the blade opened. He made quick work of the binding, and then he gave it to Kobe to remove his restraint. When Kai was free, he cut the bands from the girls. When he pulls the bus over, I’ll open the emergency door, he told Kobe. I want you to jump out first, and then I’ll hand the other girls down to you. When the last girl is out, run like heck.

What about Grace? Kobe asked, wide-eyed.

I’ll stay and get her. When you get someplace safe, call the police and then call my dad and tell him where I am and what I’m doing, okay? He doesn’t know I rode the bus today, and he’ll be worried. Kobe nodded and repeated the number Kai recited.

A cell phone rang, and Kai looked around, startled. He’d watched the man stomp all of theirs to tiny pieces. It was the driver’s, and he answered. Hang on, the man barked. I’m going to pull over to write this down.

The man eased the bus to the side of the road—right in front of a gas station. Perfect. Okay, this is our chance, he told Kobe. Can you do it? The little boy nodded fiercely.

The man was scribbling on a piece of paper. While his attention was diverted, Kai jerked the handle on the emergency exit and whipped around to check on the driver when a sharp beep sounded. The man looked at the mirror and cursed but kept writing. Kobe hurdled out, and Kai handed the other girls down to him. Molly tried to fight him, crying for Grace, but he lifted her down, anyway. When the last girl was gone, he pulled the door shut, careful to stay out of sight. He sighed a huge breath of relief as he watched the kids flee to the safety of the convenience store.

Chapter Three

Dante Costa glanced at his watch and moved to the window. His son should’ve been here by now. The COBRA Securities offices included an area for the employees’ kids to do homework until their parents could take them home. The building wasn’t far from Kai’s school, but they wouldn’t be here much longer. They were in the midst of transferring