Page 9 of Stolen

“Sorry for that outburst,” Blossom spoke up immediately.

“It didn’t bother me, Blossom,” he replied.

“It’s just that, I—didn’t expect you to actually save me. So, when you did, and you held me and you told me that I was yours to protect, I don’t feel safe without you just yet. Chance could be anywhere,” she whispered.

“You left me a note saying you were kidnapped. And you knew I was the deputy chief. Why wouldn’t I save you?” he questioned. Blossom chewed on her bottom lip.

“I asked another officer for help. They didn’t do anything,” she mumbled.

“Wait. An officer of this department saw you? And you told them you were being held against your will and they did nothing?!” SynTanner boomed. Blossom nodded.

“Who was it?” SynTanner asked.

“I don’t know. They were in street clothes when I saw them, but I saw his gun and badge on his waist. But if I see him, I’ll know his face,” she said. SynTanner was taken aback. He couldn’t believe that anyone in this department would look a woman like Blossom in the eye and not believe what she was saying.

“And he was right not to believe what I said. I didn’t look like a woman that had been kidnapped. I could understand why he wouldn’t have believed what I said,” she sighed. SynTanner shook his head. He wasn’t letting that be an excuse. An officer was supposed to investigate and seek the truth. Nothing should have stopped him from determining if Blossom was telling the truth or not.

“I don’t want to get another officer in trouble, okay? Don’t say anything about it,” she squeaked. SynTanner looked at her, she was already looking at him, his eyes wide and shiny. Damnit she was so fucking innocent. SynTanner couldn’t say no to her if he tried.

“Don’t worry about it,” he insisted. He patted her thigh. He froze the moment he realized exactly what he was doing. The touch of her skin burned against his hand, sending the fire straight through his veins and down to his loins. He moved his hand away quickly. His body was so comfortable, he naturally committed such an intimate touch without a second thought. What was he thinking?

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“I—I’m not bothered,” she whispered. Blossom clasped her hands together in her land, squeezing so she could control herself. His touch. It had singed her skin. Burned it in a way that her thigh would never forget. It was the touch she wanted to feel when Chance touched her before he’d kidnapped her. It was the touch that signaled the fiery passion that could burn between them. God, his touch made her heart race. Was that even normal?

“Sorry for the wait,” Chief Preston said as he entered the room again. He was carrying two bottles of water and a notepad. Detective Munn came in with him to take extra notes. They sat across from SynTanner and Blossom.

“So, where did this start for you, Deputy Chief?” Preston asked.

“I was having a drink at Blue Skies bar. I’d been there for a little over two hours and was prepared to have dinner there as well. I was then approached by Blossom who openly flirted with me and suggested we take off to hook up. From my point of view, it seemed as if she wanted a quick sexual tryst at the back of the building against the wall. But then another man approached us. He claimed that Blossom was his woman and they would be leaving. The seductive woman that approached me disappeared once the man came next to her but it wasn’t a guilty woman. It was a scared woman. As she was guided away, she alerted me to a napkin she left on the bar. The napkin let me know that she was being held against her will. I rushed out and upon seeing the vehicle they were driving off in I decided to pursue,” SynTanner explained. He pulled the napkin out of his pocket to show it to his superior.

“Why didn’t you call us then?” Preston asked.

“I was unsure of the situation. And truthfully, if she was being honest about what was happening to her, I didn’t want her captors to be alerted that anyone was following them. Had they heard sirens I didn’t want them to panic and potentially hurt her. The only thing on my mind was finding the location of where she would be transported, to which I never found out.”

“Why?”

“They pulled over because they caught me tailing them. The security guard apparently hired to protect her captor approached me, assuming I was someone else. When I told him my identity, I could see that he was unaware that he was part of anything illegal. I goaded him into convincing his boss to turn Blossom loose. That is when I made the call, knowing that he would do what I asked.” SynTanner also gave the name of the security guard and rattled off the license plate number.

“Alright Ms. Freeman. Who is the man that kidnapped you? And why wasn’t there a missing report filed?”

“His name is Chance Lore. We met through my company. We went on plenty of dates and then the last date we had at his home is when he refused to let me leave and kept me captive. And I have no one to file a missing report. No one could know that I was truly missing.”

“How long ago was that?” Preston asked.

“Three months ago,” she replied. Blossom felt SynTanner’s leg begin to shake under the table as if he was trying to use something to channel his anger that would keep him in check.

“Chance Lore? Think I’ve heard of him,” Preston said.

“Your company? What is it?” he asked.

“Love Blossoms. It’s a dating company. Through our website we create dating events, meet and greets, and help people find their perfect matches. You know, like E-Harmony, just a little bit more hands on.” Both Preston and Munn took notes.

“Did you ask him to leave?” Preston asked.

“Many times. He locked the doors, chained the gate and his staff watched me like a hawk. After a month I figured obedience was my savior so I did what he wanted. Then he began taking me out in public to show me off. I couldn’t get the word to anyone that I was there against my will. But when I saw Deputy SynTanner I knew it was my real chance to finally get away. I had tried to run before but that didn’t amount to anything,” Blossom explained.

“What was the nature of the kidnapping?”