Shadow of Vengeance by Kristine Mason

cool. Her brother’s injuries and knowing that he could have, like Josh, been abducted and still missing, had had her on the verge of a mental and emotional meltdown. For Sean’s sake, she’d kept herself together and had shed only a few tears. But when she’d walked into the hospital hallway and saw Owen…she’d had the sudden urge to jump into his strong arms and bawl like a baby.  
    Never in her life had she been able to depend on someone else’s strength to help her overcome a situation. Thanks to her flaky mother, she’d always had to play that role. Today, she wished she could have leaned on Owen. Pretend he hadn’t kissed her, that he hadn’t hurt her. While she might consider him the bottom feeder of the dating pool, she knew, deep down, that he was a straight up, good and decent man. He cared about his job, their coworkers, and when it came to the cases he investigated, each victim, as well as their families. Still, telling Owen the truth or even giving him a hint that she was currently experiencing some major emotional turmoil wasn’t an option. Ian had given her lead on this case. Like the men on the CORE team, she needed to exhibit nothing but strength, especially if she wanted the opportunity for more field assignments.
    “Although it might make our job easier, a part of me is relieved Sean doesn’t remember what happened to him and Josh Saturday night,” Owen said, then obeyed the GPS and turned right.
    “I know what you mean. I asked his doctor if they’d done anything with his blood work.   He already ordered a tox screen, and said he’d call when he had something for us.”
    “How big is Josh Conway?”
    She rubbed her temple and brought Josh’s image to mind. “He and Sean are the same height, but Josh probably has Sean by about thirty or so pounds. My guess is six foot, maybe a hundred and eighty pounds.”
    “Six foot? I didn’t realize Sean was that tall. No offense, but what happened to you?”
    “I know. Sean’s all arms and legs, and walks slumped. If only Sean’s dad had been my sperm donor. I could have been five five or even five seven.”
    He chuckled. “Height is overrated.”
    “Says the giant to the dwarf.”
    “Whatever. Okay, so you’ve got two young guys, who aren’t small…one is kidnapped, the other is beaten and has no recollection of events. If they were drugged—”
    “They had to be. How else could someone take the two of them without a fight? And Sean said he doesn’t remember anything after leaving the dorms.”
    “Okay,” he began, obeyed the GPS again and made another turn. “Sean said the last thing he does remember was eating pizza and—”
    “Drinking a crap load of Mountain Dew.”
    “Do you have to finish my sentences?”
    “Sorry, bad habit. Anyway, let’s run with this. Specifically the Mountain Dew. What drug could be placed into a liquid, you can’t taste it, and it makes you totally black out?”
    “Rohypnol.”
    “The date rape drug. I’ve got to make sure Sean’s doctor has their lab check for Rohypnol or anything similar.” She quickly dialed the hospital and spoke with Sean’s doctor.  
    As she ended the call, Owen pulled into the parking lot of a standalone, two story, brick building. While he parked the Lexus, and the GPS let them know they’d arrived, he said, “Hopefully that bottle of Mountain Dew is still in the dorm room. If whoever took Josh and hurt Sean had used the soda as a vessel for the drug, they might have left fingerprints behind.”
    “Doubtful. Whoever’s behind this has been at it for a long time. They know what they’re doing.”
    After shifting the Lexus into PARK, he killed the ignition and turned to her. “Or maybe it’s your sheriff who doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
    She glanced at the Dixon County Sheriff’s Department sign and shrugged. “Let’s go find out.”
    Owen climbed out of the Lexus and followed Rachel into the building. When he stepped inside the small foyer, he