I heave a sigh, sick of his shit.
“Surely there’s someone else you can call?”
He snorts a laugh. “I don’t want anyone to know where I am and who I’m with. Holy shit, dude. I’m tripping hard.” He breaks into a fit of giggles like a little schoolgirl. “I think I have six fingers. Woah. What does this one do?”
I rub a frustrated hand over my face. Theo doesn’t like to label his sexuality, and in public he’ll only hook up with women. However, a handful of people know he isn’t opposed to hooking up withanyonebehind closed doors. The concerning thing is what he takes when he’s doing it.
“Where are you?”
He covers the receiver, and I hear muffled voices along with the sounds of kissing and groaning.
I’m two seconds away from hanging up when his voice is back, clear down the line again.
“I’m in Henderson,” he says, naming a town almost two hours west of Beckford.
“Are you fucking serious?” I snap. “How the hell did you end up… Nope, I don’t want to know. Call one of your other buddies.”
“Wait!” he cries, more panic in his tone. There’s the sound of bedsprings and floorboards creaking before a door shuts. He lowers his voice to a whisper. “This couple is weird, and there’s little blue people everywhere. You’re the only person I trust. Come on, Zac, do me this solid. I’ll owe you.”
My stomach churns. One of these days, Theo’s going to get himself into a lot of trouble, but as much as the dude annoys me, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.
“Will you be safe until I get there?” I ask. “Do you need me to call the cops or something?”
“No,” he says quickly. “Don’t call anyone. Please, can you just come get me?”
I’m running on next to no sleep, but I can’t leave Theo stranded with strangers. Especially when I’m the only one who knows where he is right now.
“What’s the address?”
It takesme two and a half hours to find the address Theo gave me, and I lay on the horn twice before texting him. When a couple of minutes go by with no response, an uneasy feeling settles over me. I try calling, but it goes straight to voicemail.
Fuck.
The house is unassuming from the outside—a small, single-level weatherboard on a quiet street—but the fear I heard in Theo’s voice has me getting out of the car.
I glance around, weighing up my options. Do I call the police? Henderson is a small country town. The nearest station is in the next town over, which is at least forty minutes away. If Theo’s on something, I don’t want to get him into more trouble. Cursing him, I search the boot of my car for something I can use as a weapon that’s also easy to conceal, but the only thing I can find is a half-empty steel drink bottle in the bottom of my training bag.
Releasing a heavy exhale, I stalk to the front door and bang on it before I lose my nerve. My heart races as I wait. Theo fucking owes me.
A naked woman, maybe a couple of years older than me, opens the door.
I step back, muttering a curse and staring at the top of her head.
“I’m looking for Theo.”
Her lips turn up in a serene smile, and she reaches her hand out. “Of course, come on in.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I clear my throat. “I’m good. Can you please send him out?”
“We don’t bite,” she says in a whimsical voice. “The more, the merrier.”
Christ. It’s clear she’s on something too. What the fuck has Theo got himself into?
I shout his name into the house. “Get your arse out here, or I’m leaving.”
The woman laughs. “He’s indisposed with Aurora and Phoenix. They’re blowing his mind, both literally and figuratively. But you can wait inside. I’m happy to keep you entertained.”
My stomach rolls, and I shout for Theo again.
