“I don't know,” he lies.
That’s when something inside me snaps.
Fuck this job. Fuck pretending, fuck clinging to remaining amicable with Jefferson.
Fuck the non-compete.
Fuck everything except keeping Willa safe.
“We both know you’re covering for him, though your reason is a mystery. When I find her, she’ll tell me everything—exactly what you did, Jefferson. If you hurt her or made Chris do something to hurt her, know this: I’ll find out soon. Get ready for that, and get ready for me—because when the truth comes out, nothing will stop me from destroying you.”
“Are you threatening me?” Jefferson asks, voice low.
“It’s only a threat if you did something to her. Get off the phone and go find my girl.” I don’t wait to hear more; I hang up. My mind races. I hesitate for just a moment, trying to decide who to call first, but the answer is obvious.
“Hey, man, what’s—” Jesse greets me.
“Willa’s missing,” I say, heart pounding as I reach for socks, then stop—why do I need socks? Shoes barely matter. I just need to get in the car andfind her.
“What?”
“Willa’s missing. She was in the city, supposed to be going to her mom’s event, and she’s gone. No one knows where she is. Her phone was left behind, smashed.”
“Oh fuck,” he breathes.
“What?” a familiar voice calls from behind him, and then there’s a tussle before Hallie’s voice comes on the line. “Leo?”
“Hallie,” I say, relieved. If anyone can assemble a team, it’s her. “Call everyone. Ask if they know anything about Willa or when they last spoke to her.”
There’s a beat before she responds.
“What’s going on, Leo?”
“I just got a call from my boss. She’s missing. She was in a dressing room, waiting to go to her mother’s auction. When they went to get her, she was gone.”
“Oh, my god.” I grab my keys and wallet from the counter. “We were just texting her hours ago. I?—”
“Call Wren, Adam, and Nat, then anyone else who might have heard from her. See if they’ve spoken with her, if they know anything.”
“Leo—”
“Can you do that? Hallie?”
“Yes,” she says definitively. “Of course.” I head to the door, open it, and slam it behind me, about to say goodbye when I hear tires on the drive.
“What—” I start, squinting as an unfamiliar car pulls into the drive.
“Leo?” Hallie asks, but I don’t respond, tipping my head to try and see who is in my driveway. “What’s going on?”
“I...I don’t know. Someone’s here,” I murmur, stepping off the porch toward the car. It’s a newer sedan, but not one I recognize.
“Is it her?”
“No, I don’t recognize the car.”
“Her location still says she’s in the city,” Hallie says. Normally, I’d smile that she trusts these women enough to share her location with them, but right now, I have no words.
Because a tall blond is stepping out of the backseat of the car, then waving goodbye happily at the driver before the car starts to back up. Then she’s moving toward me, quick and sure, lips tipping up.
