I grabbed my coat and was out the door in seconds.
Come hell or high water, Iwouldfind her.
64
Not the Rescue I Planned
Ryder
By now, I'd already torn across half the island and called everyone who mattered. Still, I'd come up empty.
The hotel clerk hadn't seen a thing, and their surveillance cameras were down, thanks to the storm. Maddox had suggested pinging her cellphone, but said it would take some time to get things rolling.
Griff hadn't answered his cell at all, and was nowhere to be found. The bike shop was dark, and Griff's place – that shithole on the water – was empty of everything but the furniture and stench.
I knew this because I'd let myself inside and taken a good look around, using my cellphone as a flashlight –twice.
And now I'd gone back to roaming the island. The storm had passed, but the rain hadn't. It soaked me through as I moved from street to street. I didn't bother wiping my eyes. I couldn't bring myself to care.
Did I call the police?
Hell no.
I knew exactly what they'd do. They'd chalk it up to a lover's spat and tell me to wait twenty-four hours.
Screw that.I wasn't stopping until I found her.
Already, I was on my second pass by the house that Tessa shared with Maisie. The first time around, I'd pounded on the front door.No answer. The place had been utterly dark, with not even candles glowing inside.
I didn't bother picking the lock.Not yet.If she was here on her own, she would've answered. And if Evan was involved, he wouldn't be holding her someplace so familiar.
This time, I circled the house, nice and slow, and spotted something new – a faint glow from an upstairs window, directly over the back door.
Then I saw the shoes – navy slip-ons, lying haphazardly in the rain like she'd been dragged over the threshold.
My heart gave a hard, quiet kick.
Tessa was here.And the way it looked, she was in trouble.
I pressed closer to the door as I strained to listen past falling rain. At first, there was nothing. And then, I heard it – a male voice, saying something I couldn't make out.
He didn't sound afraid.
My jaw flexed.But he should be.
I didn't wait to hear more. Something inside me snapped. I hauled back and kicked. The door gave way with a splintering crack as I hollered out, "Evan! You fucker! I swear to God if you hurt her—"
I stopped short.
The voice wasn't coming from a man at all. It was coming from a small radio, giving a weather update.
And the person holding that radio?
Yeah, that would be Tessa.
In a flash, I took her in. She was still wearing my clothes. Her feet were bare, her eyes were wide, and her hair was dripping wet.
Relief hit me hard and fast.She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
