I didn’t blink.
Didn’t even hesitate.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Fifteen
My hobbies include long scrolls on my phone and eating until I hate myself.
—Calliope to Jasper
CALLIOPE
After breaking into Jasper’s phone—I’d seen him type the code in several times while he was working on my truck the week before—to get Harlow’s address, I left the phone on the doorstep with the waters and took off.
The drive that should’ve taken me three hours took less than two and a half. Which was, honestly, saying something seeing as everyone and their brother was out either visiting family or buying last-minute gifts for Christmas.
I pulled into Paris, Texas, like a stereotypical bad driver would—on two wheels.
I took the very last turn that would take me to where Harlow was at, cutting off a car to do it.
I raced down the street and parked, bailing out of my truck as soon as the wheels came to a rocking stop in the middle of the yard.
I didn’t bother with knocking. I walked right into that house and immediately started calling Harlow’s name, knowing that what I was going to find wouldn’t be pretty.
I was right.
I rounded the corner of the hallway and came to a sudden, bone-jarring halt.
What I saw had my insides literally setting on fire.
Harlow, the beautiful woman of a few days ago when she was visiting her good friend, was no more.
She was sitting in the corner of what looked like a child’s bedroom, huddled in on herself, beaten to a pulp.
“Holy fuck,” I said, staring at the woman. “What the hell happened?”
Harlow’s breath hitched. “I…”
I dropped down to my knees and pulled my phone out of my pocket to dial 9-1-1, when she put her hand over mine.
“No.”
I frowned ferociously at her. “Why the hell not?”
Tears started to fall down across her battered face as she said, “He’s a c-cop.”
I shrugged. “So?”
She swallowed hard. “I…they won’t believe me.”
“Try telling me,” I said. “Then we’ll see what they believe.”
She made a sound in her throat that sent chills down the length of my spine, then started in.
“I came home early for lunch.” She cleared her throat. “I forgot my lunch at home, and since I live so close to the hospital I thought…why not? Plus, bonus, I’d get to see Cedrick. You know?”
I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, my knees creaking in protest as I did.
