My mind scrambles to make sense of the chaos unfurling between us, but all I can focus on is the sharp, searing awareness of him. The weight of his hand gripping my thigh. The faint scent of pine and muck clings to his clothes. The faintest kiss touches my cheek, and then he’s moving to leave me behind.
“Wait!” I shot my hand out to grab his wrist. Wyatt regards me stoically, already blanketing over his emotions. Lowering my voice, I cast a quick glance around. “What about…Fredrick’s men?” Wyatt stills for a moment and then softens, gently prying my fingers free from his wrist.
“I trust you can look after yourself,” he replies. My mouth drops open.
“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” The hint of a smirk shadows his mouth before he turns away. I watch Wyatt leave without looking back, Baxter hot on his heels. Avoiding looking out of the window, I wait until the tow truck has pulled away before breathing properly again. I’m alone. Hauntingly alone for the first time in months. More than that, I’m free.
“Did you want me to set you up with a room, dear?” Linda appears just in time. My body was about to throw me into a tumbling panic attack. “My sister owns a local Bed and Breakfast. I can give her a call if you like.” Call. Phones. Through my starvation, I’d forgotten we weren’t in some mirage but back in reality.
“That would be lovely; thank you.” I rush to say. “Would you mind if I used your phone as well? I need to check in with some people.” Linda nods, fishing a smart phone out of her apron. She tells me to take my time and heads out back, returning once to give me a free slice of apple pie.
In that time, I’d successfully stared at the screen, berating myself for not knowing anyone’s numbers off my heart. Shaking my foot nervously, I go out on a limb, calling my own number in the hopes that someone is nearby. The dial tone is tedious but only lasts for three rings.
“Hello?” A male voice answers. A stupid, strangled sound escapes me, and I clamp a hand over my mouth. My eyes squeeze shut as I hunch over, clutching the phone like it’s my lifeline. “Hello? Who is this?”
“Dax?” I breathe. I hear his sharp inhale.
“Avery,” Dax gasps down the phone. The weight of feeling behind that one word is enough to break through the tough facade I’ve been putting on, a defense mechanism that slips in place around Wyatt. Numerous voices perk up in the background, and Dax quickly hushes them all. “Holy shit. Swan, where are you? Are you safe?”
“I’m okay. We-” I stop myself, leaving out the crash. They don’t need more reasons to worry. “We’ve stopped over in a small town; I’m not sure where to be honest. But I’m fine, I promise.”
I expect to be bombarded with questions, asking where Wyatt is taking me, why he took me, and how he’s treating me. I don’t really have any answer for any, but that’s not what comes. Dax sighs, a hitch in his breathing. Is he crying?
“Oh Aves, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I stop twitching my foot, slowly sitting upright. My hair falls away from my face, and I frown, confusion knotting in my chest.
“What could you possibly be sorry for?” I frown. Maybe the guys searched and are feeling guilty that they weren’t able to find me yet. Not that it matters anymore. I’m free to come home now.
“I…There’s…” Dax stumbles over his words, each hesitation twisting the knot tighter.
“Dax, you’re scaring me. Whatever it is, just say it.”
“We’re at the hospital, Aves. There was an… incident.” The blood drains from my face, my hand holding the phone starting to shake.
“Who?” is the only word I say, a swift demand.
“It’s Axel.” The breath is ripped from my lungs. Those two words hit me like a physical blow.
“Give me the address,” I state, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “I just need to wait for Hux’s car to be fixed?—”
“My what?!” A voice shouts from a distance. I realise now I’m on loud speaker. Dax sighs, rattling off the name of a hospital in a completely different state. What the hell are they doing so far from Waversea?! I shove my questions aside, wanting to focus on what’s important.
“Give Axel my love. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“No, Peach,” Garrett pitches in. It takes a second to place his voice. Stripped of his usual humor, he just sounds… broken. “If you come here now, it undoes all of Wyatt’s efforts to keep you away. He was right to take you from us.”
My mind reels. There’s no way they’re condoning Wyatt’s actions of drugging and kidnapping me in the dead of night. The only explanation is that something has gone very,verywrong. I straighten, my resolve hardening like steel.
“Tell me everything,” I say, my voice cold as the tough facade slips back into place. It’s the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
Chapter Eight
THE DAY BEFORE.
“What’s taking so long?” I huff and strain my head to look through the reception window. I knew letting Garrett go in alone was a mistake. Not that he gave us much of a choice. When deciding who’d be the most charming to head in and find out which dorm Meg occupies, he stormed in before we had time to talk it through.
“This is fucking stupid,” Huxley leans against the lamppost, arms crossed, his jaw tight with frustration. “If she’d just answer her damn phone, we wouldn’t have needed to drive all the way up here.” I bite my tongue, refusing to get into this fight again. Meg might not be in a position to answer her phone, but stating that won’t help ease the tension between us. The fury rolling off Hux already has everyone on edge.
“If the police had taken us seriously, we wouldn’t have needed to drive all the way up here,” Axel corrects. He’s sitting on the curb, knees drawn up, absently spinning Avery’s compass bracelet on his wrist. It’s true, the police brushed off our concerns. Apparently they checked in on Fredrick and found nothing of concern, which ultimately lost us a few days of twiddling our thumbs. I turn away, angling myself to spot Garrett through the glass.
