Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Worst-case scenario, he has her, and he’s already had hours to do whatever he’s fantasized about in his fucked-up mind. “There’s trouble!” I bark when Calder answers.
“When isn’t there?”
“Listen to me!” I’m behind the wheel, tearing out of the front courtyard before I give Calder the quick rundown. “His name is Buck Davis. He owns one of those logging cabins in the old settlement off Crystal Lake. At least, that’s the address Emma has for him. I’ll send it to you.”
“Shit.” I hear someone in the background, asking what’s wrong while I text the address and careen down the driveway at the same time. It has to be Saint, but my brothers are there, too, their deep voices mixing with hers. He mutters something to them before coming back on. “I’m closer than you are. I can be out there in less than ten minutes.”
“Don’t go alone,” I urge, turning onto the main road, almost fishtailing before regaining control and flooring the gas. “I’ll be there in twenty, if not sooner.”
Turns out I make it in seventeen minutes. The longest seventeen minutes of my life. It’s incredible how much blame a man can heap on himself in that amount of time. Even if it’s not this Buck person who took her, she’s gone, with no way to reach her, and anything could’ve happened while I was nursing my shattered ego like a fucking pussy. I still can’t rule out Lowry, either. What if he decided a payoff wouldn’t be enough this time?
She’s probably terrified. Thinking I abandoned her. Thinking nobody will come to her rescue now. Allie. I’m fucking stupid and sorry. Hang on. Hang on for me.
According to the GPS, there’s a narrow, unmarked road leading back to the cabin. I find it, but it’s almost too late—my sharp turn means taking out an old mailbox that was already bent and sagging. Like a drunk who gave up hope. The way I almost did.
Calder stops me before I reach the darkened cabin, waving a flashlight in front of him so I won’t run him over. “It’s empty!” he shouts.
I put the truck in park and jump out, buzzing with rage and disappointment. And fear. Fear has taken root, too. “Motherfucker. Now what?” I shout into the darkness, not like he would know.
“Sawyer’s already been making calls since we left the ranch. We’ll find her,” Calder tells me.
He tries to grab my shoulder, but I shake him off, fists clenched, snarling. “I want to look inside.”
“There’s nothing in there. It looks like it’s been abandoned for a long time, except for a family of raccoons. Windows busted in, dust an inch thick, freezing cold inside.”
I have to do something, dammit. “You’re sure they weren’t here?” I’ve never felt this useless, with nothing to grab onto.
“No, nobody’s been here in a long time. He must have another property somewhere. One nobody knew about.” Before I can ask, he shakes his head. “No signs of life anywhere around here. Not even smoke coming from a chimney.”
Sawyer approaches in the darkness, followed by Levi. I hear his voice before he comes into view. “One thing is for sure: this guy is not playing with a full deck.”
“Not exactly what I need to hear,” I snap.
He holds his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying, it’s better we know who we’re dealing with.”
“Why do you say that?” Calder asks.
“I just talked with Mitch Wilkins,” he explains. “Buck took a job there but got his ass canned before the first week was over. Starting fights, even pulling a gun on one of the boys over a little disagreement. He’s got a vicious temper.”
“He must’ve lost it when Emma fired him,” Levi muses, grim. “He couldn’t be near Allie anymore.” Like I need to hear that. Like it doesn’t set a match to the powder keg in my head.
He wanted her. And now he probably has her. “What if it’s not him?” I ask. All I find are identical looks of dismay on my brothers’ faces, ghoulish and sickening in the glow from Calder’s flashlight. “Then we’re wasting our time focusing on him.”
“I called the sheriff. I had to,” Sawyer insists when I give him a sharp look. “They have cars out right now, looking for any vehicle with out-of-state plates and any sign of Allie. We’re going to find her. But we do need help.”
“The more people we have out there, the better,” Calder agrees.
“Real estate records.” I look around wildly. It’s like I’m falling through thin air, trying to grab onto whatever I can. “There has to be something we haven’t found yet. He must live somewhere.”
“I’m going to make a few calls.” Then Sawyer checks the time and winces. “We’re coming up on midnight.”
“Wake people up!” Like I fucking care.
“Just saying,” he murmurs. I hate how he’s obviously trying to placate me. “We might not get answers right away.”