Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I dialed her number again, and when her voicemail came on, I spat, “I’ve lost you. I got hung up at the light. Call me back.”
I waited a minute, then sent her a text.
When I didn’t get an answer, I tried again. This time, I was a little harsher. “Tallie. What the hell? Answer your goddamn phone.”
I ended the call and was about to try again when Grim asked, “You told her to head to your place after, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, she’s probably headed there.”
“You’d think, but why won’t she answer the fucking phone?”
“It’s probably on silent or ran out of juice.”
“I don’t know, man. I knew this wasn’t a good idea.” I grabbed my phone and dialed Ghost’s number. As soon as he answered, I told him, “I lost Tallie in traffic. She’s supposed to be headed there, but I’m not sure. Call me if she shows.”
“Alright. I’ll keep an eye out.”
“Appreciate it, brother.”
I continued towards the house, but something didn’t feel right. Grim must have had the same feeling because his expression turned tense, and he said, “If you’re that worried about it, call Shep and have him ping her phone.”
“Good idea.”
I immediately called Shep and started filling him in on the situation. I tried to keep my voice steady, but the panic was creeping in. “I lost her in traffic, and now she’s not answering her damn phone. Need you to do your thing and find her.”
“Gimme a second.”
I could hear his fingers tapping on the keys, but I had no idea what he was doing, and I didn’t care. I just needed him to find her. “Come on, Shep. Tell me you got something.”
“I’m gettin’ there. Just hang on a second.”
Grim didn’t say a word. He knew I was two seconds away from losing my mind, so he just sat there and waited for Shep to announce, “I got her.”
“Thank Christ. Where the hell is she?”
“She’s over on Cooper Lane at her parents’ place.”
I didn’t even respond.
I just ended the call and pressed my foot on the accelerator.
Traffic blurred past as I raced across town. I had no idea why she’d decided to go against me and go over there alone. I knew there had to be a reason. I pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter why. The only thing that mattered was that she was there, and no one was looking out for her.
And I had a bad fucking feeling about it.
Grim shifted beside me. “Need to slow down, brother.”
I didn’t.
We got to the house in under ten minutes. Tallie’s car was parked out front, and Detective Joyner was parked right next to her. They should’ve been inside, but the house seemed eerily empty. And to make matters worse, the front door was wide open.
Wide open.
I’d barely put the SUV into park before I was out and rushing up the steps. When I reached the door, I stuck my head inside and shouted, “Tallie!”
No answer.
My pulse quickened as I stepped inside and shouted again, “Tallie!”
When she still didn’t answer, Grim leaned in and whispered, “Something feels off.”
I nodded, then drew my weapon and started inside. Grim was right behind me as I headed into the living room. We both stopped cold when we spotted Joyner sprawled out in the middle of the floor with blood pooling around him. “Ah, damn.”
I scanned the room, searching for something that might give me some hope. “Where the hell is Tallie?”
There was no sign of her.
The room spun.
My hands shook.
Rage and fear boiled up inside me so fast I couldn’t think straight.
“Tallie!” My voice cracked, raw and broken.
Again, no one answered.
I fucked up. I knew something was off the second I lost her in traffic. I should’ve tracked her down right then and there. Hell, I should’ve listened to my gut and never let her go. I’d just gotten her back, and now, I’d let her slip through my fingers again. I had no idea where she was or how to find her. I didn’t know if she was hurt or in danger, and it was fucking killing me. My chest was so tight I could barely take a breath, much less think.
I couldn’t lose her.
Not like this.
Grim put his hand on my shoulder and tried to sound reassuring as he told me, “We need to check the rest of the house.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as I followed Grim through the house. We cleared the kitchen first. We saw nothing out of the ordinary—just a few dirty dishes and an old newspaper that had been left on the counter. The hallway was empty, and the bedrooms seemed to be untouched.
But when we reached the office, Grim stopped short. “Window’s cracked.”
I stepped inside for a better look and could see that the side window was slightly open, barely enough to stick a hand through. Something about it didn’t sit right, so I walked over and opened it wider. I stuck my head out, but I didn’t see anything out of the norm.