“Hayden, I need you to find Lux. I dropped her off at the police station downtown to visit with her dad, around nine a.m. this morning. It’s eleven now, and her sister said she left a half hour ago, but my tracker shows her car and phone still there. Get into the surveillance system and see what you can find.”
“Lux is missing? What happened?” His panicked tone does nothing for my growing anger.
“I’ll call you back.” I drive into the parking lot and skid to a halt. Jumping out of my car, I run over to Lux’s car faster than my feet can carry me. Her door is ajar and her purse is lying on the passenger seat which means she made it back, but never got in.
Fuck!
I asked her to park in a more secluded part of the lot, the one shared with another government building so I could hang out in my car without being noticed, but I never thought it could work in someone else’s favor.
I fucking left her. This is all my fault.
My hands come up to my head, twisting at all angles as my eyes dart around the area with fear as I search for something—anything that might give me a clue to what the hell happened.
A call from an unknown number comes through, causing my stomach to drop and stopping me in my tracks.
“Hello?” I answer, flatly.
“River, River,” Andrew bitterly chides me.
My back straightens at the sound of his voice. Anger turns into rage, and I instantly know he has something to do with this. “Where is she?” I demand.
“Oh, the lieutenant’s daughter?” He plays darkly. “I have her. Put up a bit of a fight, but she eventually gave in.”
Rage.
“If you fucking touch—”
“Shut the hell up!” he shouts.
My jaw clenches as I climb back into my car, then circle in the parking lot, searching every tree, van, and car for any sign of where they could be.
“She’s mine! I found her first. You can imagine how pissed I was when I saw you sitting outside her house every night. I thought you wanted her for yourself, and was just trying to do something with her beyond me and the guys, but boy, was I wrong. You were doing something completely different, weren’t you?”
If he saw me outside of her house, that means he was trailing her after I rescued her from the cabin.
“I will find you, and I will crush your fucking windpipe before I kill you, making you suffer for ever putting your hands on her.”
“Maybe.” He enjoys this sick game.
“Where the hell did you take her!?” I scream inside the confines of my car. The volume of my voice vibrates the windows.
“I’m at one of my properties,” he says.
My eyes blur, as the world around turns red. “Is this some sort of clue? You think this is a game?”
“I quite like games. Don’t you?” He chuckles.
“I’m going to fucking kill you if you touch her,” I threaten, ignoring his question.
“That’s a shame. But River, when you find where I am, I suggest you come alone or I’m blowing her pretty face off.” He ends the call before I get a chance to say anything.
“FUCK!” I yell, but quickly pull myself together to call Sebastian.
I need to find Lux now and every minute I’m not level-headed is one more that she’s stuck with Andrew.
“Andrew took Lux. I need that list of Andrew’s properties,” I demand, the wheels screeching over the street as I haul out of the parking lot and rush home.
Chapter 35
