Chapter Eleven
Riley knewwhat she was doing was crazy and dangerous, but she had to follow the black SUV. The car had taken off about a minute after Josh had gone into Liza’s apartment. Riley figured she could find out where they were going before Josh came out.
She wasn’t an expert on how to follow someone, but at that point, Riley didn’t care. All she wanted to do was find her friend, even if that meant the two men were leading her into a trap. Maybe then she would find Liza.
Riley was three cars behind the black SUV on a narrow city street that was as steep as a roller coaster, with the bay in the distance. The sun was setting, and if it weren’t for the pretty scenery, she would’ve probably puked from the way her stomach pitched and rolled. She kept pumping the brakes as she made her way down the hill.
Charlie sat in the back seat, seemingly enjoying himself.
The SUV turned left just as the light changed to red.
Feeling helpless, Riley banged on the steering wheel as she came to a complete stop. Suddenly, she wanted to cry. Liza was missing, and she had no idea if Liza was all right.
After what seemed like hours, the light finally changed, and Riley blew out a breath, staving off the tears that were ready to spill if someone looked at her the wrong way. When she made a left on Geary, the black SUV was nowhere in sight. Tears streamed out, hot and fast. Her stomach was ready to heave the coffee she’d had that morning. Now that she was thinking about it, she hadn’t eaten all day.
Riley felt as if she were in a time warp or a bad movie. She pulled over into a spot in front of a coffee shop. Charlie stuck his head in between the seats and panted in her ear. She reached around and scratched his jaw. Then he licked her face. As if that were all she needed, Riley giggled through tears.
“Thank you,” she said to him. “We should call Josh.”
At the mention of his Josh’s name, Charlie barked.
The line went to voice mail. Riley redialed. Again, no luck. Maybe Liza’s place didn’t get great cell service.
“Josh, I’m sorry, but I had to follow the black SUV, only I lost them. I’m headed back to Liza’s to pick you up.”
Riley typed Liza’s address into the navigation system in the car. She was about to merge into traffic when her phone rang.
“Riley,” Josh said, sounding relieved. “You’re all right.”
“I’m fine. I’m lost, but good. Charlie is fine too. I’m sorry, but I wanted to follow the SUV. I lost them, though. Any luck on Liza?” Riley didn’t think Liza was at the apartment like Taylor had said.
“No, but I need you to come down to the San Francisco police station and pick me up. I’ll explain when you get here.”
It took Riley over an hour to get to the other side of the city. She wasn’t a great driver, even though she lived in one of the busiest cities in North America. She mainly took the train in and around Boston, although her job as a wedding planner had her traveling to the suburbs, which she always dreaded because of rush-hour traffic.
Construction plagued her through several streets with red lights and stop signs. The sea of pedestrians gave her a warm feeling that she was home despite the steep hills that were making her woozy.
Once Riley finally found the police station, it took her another twenty minutes to find a parking spot. By the time she walked into the station, her nerves were fried to a crisp.
Josh was waiting for her in the lobby, and wow! She wanted to run and jump into his muscular arms, kiss his thick lips, stare into his forest-green eyes, and run her hands through his sandy-blond hair. More than anything, she just wanted to feel his arms around her and have him tell her everything would be okay and that they would find Liza alive and well.
But her vision of him embracing her was shattered when Charlie wagged his tail and ran to his owner. Josh squatted down and greeted him, peppering kisses all over Charlie’s ears and nose.
Please do that to me.What Riley wouldn’t have given to have that kind of attention.
As if the universe had heard her, Josh rose, smiled so wide that her heart jumped a mile, and swaggered over to her.
Riley clasped her hands in front of her so he wouldn’t see that she was shaking. Then his large palm landed on her cheek. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Thank God nothing happened to you.” He sounded as though he would’ve died if something had.
On that thought, she melted into a puddle of water. She’d only been in California for twenty-four hours, and her life had changed drastically. She was afraid when her vacation was over, she would turn into a pumpkin. She wasn’t living the life of Cinderella with Liza missing, but Josh was definitely treating her as if she was a delicate flower, and she was absorbing every moment in his presence.
He edged back. “Now, about you taking off to follow that car. That wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”
Riley wasn’t about to argue. It was stupid on her part because she had no idea what she would’ve done if they’d led her into a trap. “Were you arrested?”
“No. The cops showed up and thought I broke in to Liza’s. But they cleared me. I also filed a missing person report. They have my contact info. So they’ll call if they come up with anything.” He grabbed Charlie’s leash then wrapped his arm around Riley. “I think it’s time we relax for the night.”
Riley wasn’t sure she could relax or sleep. She had to do something to search for Liza. But what? That was the million-dollar question.
