“I’m coming,” he growls, and there’s no doubt in his voice, no hesitation at all. “Don’t move. I’m gonna find you, and I swear to God, you are not alone right now.”
“I’m so scared,” I whisper.
“I got you, Princess,” he says, fierce and certain. “I got you. Just stay with me on the phone.”
I curl in tighter against the tree, clutching my phone to my chest like it’s the only thing keeping me breathing. Rev is coming.
FOUR
REV
The second myphone lights up and I see Princess on the screen, something in my chest goes cold and sharp all at once, like somebody just shoved a blade between my ribs and twisted.
I answer before the first ring even finishes. “Princess? What’s wrong?” My thumb hits the speaker button on reflex, like my body already knows this isn’t something I’ll be handling alone.
The room goes dead quiet. Every damn person in here knows exactly who I’m talking to, because there’s only one person I ever answer like that, and the look on Blade’s face tells me he already knows this is bad. The kind of bad that makes your blood turn to ice.
“Rev, I need you. He… he hurt me, and I ran.” Her voice comes through thin and shaking, nothing like the woman who sells houses and runs her life with iron control. The steady edge she always carries is gone, replaced by something fragile and exposed that makes my chest tighten and my vision narrow.
Everything in my body locks up. Blade’s already on his feet, chair scraping back so hard it nearly tips over. Bella’s hand fliesto her mouth, eyes going wide. Switch doesn’t move, but his whole posture shifts, shoulders tightening like he’s coiling for something. Bri looks like all the blood just drained straight out of her face, one hand grabbing the back of the couch like it’s the only thing keeping her upright.
“Where are you,” I say, and my voice dead calm, because panic won’t help her and rage I can deal with later. “Baby, I need you to tell me where you are.”
“I… I don’t know,” she sobs, and I can hear wind on the line, hear how exposed she sounds. “We were at some overlook, there were trees and I ran into the woods and I think he left, but I’m scared he might still be here looking for me.”
Blade’s fists are clenched so tight I can see the tendons standing out in his hands, knuckles already going white.
“Princess, listen to me,” I say, slow and firm, because she needs steady right now, not the violence that’s climbing up my spine and trying to take the wheel. “I’m on my way. I need you to send me your location, and then I need you to stay where you are, you hear me?”
I’m already moving, grabbing my jacket off the back of the chair. I hear her fumbling with her phone, her breathing hitching, and then my screen lights up with the pin. “I sent it,” she whispers. “It’s so cold and my face hurts and I don’t have my heels. They were my favorite pair, Rev. The black Jimmy Choos,” she cries.
Fucking heels. She loves those damn things. The thought hits me straight in the chest, way too close to something breaking open. “I’m coming,” I growl, already pushing for the door. “Don’t move. I’m gonna find you, and you are not alone right now.”
“I’m so scared,” she whispers. The sound damn near drops me to my knees.
Bella steps closer, voice soft but urgent. “Brooke, sweetheart, you still with us?”
“Yeah,” Brooke breathes. “I’m here.”
“Okay. Good,” Bella says quickly, like she’s anchoring her. “Just keep talking. Rev’s coming to you right now, and when he gets there, he’s bringing you straight back here. You hear me?”
“Okay,” Brooke whispers again.
Bri leans in, eyes glassy. “We’re gonna get you warm and fed and settled, okay? You don’t have to think about anything tonight. Just get back to us.”
“I’m scared,” Brooke says, the words thin and shaky.
“I know,” Bella answers gently. “I know, baby. But you’re gonna be okay. You’re not by yourself.”
My hand tightens around the phone. “You hear them, Princess? We’re coming to get you and bringing you back here.”
“Okay,” she says, barely louder than a breath.
That’s all I need. “Princess, stay with me,” I murmur into the phone as we move. “You still hidden, yeah?”
“Y-yeah,” she whispers. “I haven’t moved.”
“Good. That’s real good. Just stay right there.”
