The sound he makes on the other end isn’t a word. It’s something feral. Controlled only by force of will.
“Listen to me,” he says, voice suddenly calm in that terrifying way. “I need you to look around the room and tell meexactlywhat you see.”
I swallow hard, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “There’s… a table. A lamp. The bed. The door’s locked. I locked it.”
“Good girl,” he says immediately. “That’s good. You did good.”
My chest heaves at the praise, something in me breaking loose.
“There’s a phone,” I add. “This phone. I don’t have mine.”
“I know,” he says. “We’ll get it back. We’ll geteverythingback. But right now, you stay where you are. You don’t open that door for anyone but me. You hear me?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“I’m coming for you,” he continues. “I don’t care where you are. I’ll find you. I just need you to stay on the line and breathe with me.”
“I’m scared,” I admit. “Tank, I don’t remember what happened after the bar. I remember asking him to…” My voice breaks completely. “And then nothing.”
“That’s okay,” he says firmly. “You don’t have to remember right now. You don’t have to explain anything. We’ll figure that out when I get to you.”
I curl in on myself, clutching the phone to my chest like it’s the only solid thing left in the world.
“Tank,” I whisper again, smaller this time. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
There’s a pause.
“Abigail,” he says, voice thick and steady and absolutely unbreakable. “The only thing I’m mad at is that I wasn’t there to protect you. And I swear to you, no one is ever touching you again. Not ever.”
I sob, the sound ripping out of me.
“I’ve got you,” he says. “I’ve always had you. Just hold on, baby. I’m almost there.”
And this time…I don’t doubt him for a second.
***TANK***
“Corner of Second and Lime. It’s the Ross Motel.”
I glance at Foster’s message and immediately swing my bike around.
I know exactly where that is.
“Baby,” I say, “it’s about to get loud. Don’t hang up, got it? I’ll still be able to hear you, but I’m on my bike.”
“Okay,” she whispers, her soft, broken voice coming through my earbuds.
I open the throttle and tear toward the Ross Motel.
When I got to Abigail’s place last night and didn’t find her, I damn near had a heart attack. Foster tracked her phone and traced it back to the compound. For one brief second, I thought she was safe…only to find it buried in one of the gift bags. She must’ve dropped it without realizing.
The guys and I have been tearing this city apart ever since.
Police stations. Hospitals. Hell, with my heart lodged in my throat, I even called the city morgue.
Nothing.
Until she called me.
