Quinn.I go still.
The clock on the bedside table reads 8:17.Too late.Too late for comfort.She’s always up by now and she would have had Marlaina call me.Something in my gut feels off.I can’t explain it.
I twist in his arms, careful but urgent.
“Tucker.”
He’s awake instantly.Just like that.No grogginess.No confusion.Eyes sharp, body already alert.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to call Marlaina.”
His expression shifts.Concern.Understanding.He releases me immediately, letting me sit up and reach for my phone on the nightstand.I fumble slightly, fingers not quite steady as I pull up Marlaina’ s contact and hit call.
It rings.Once.Twice.Three times.Voicemail.I hang up and call again.
No answer.
A cold thread of unease slips down my spine.
“She might be busy,” I say quickly, more to myself than him.
I hang up.Call again.Straight to voicemail this time.
My stomach drops.“That’s weird,” I whisper looking at my doorbell camera and seeing it’s offline.They stayed at Marlaina’s house, but in case Quinn didn’t sleep and wanted to be in her own bed, I left her with a key to my home.Why are my own cameras not working?Fear is building with every passing second inside me.
Tucker is already moving.Out of bed.Pulling on jeans.Every movement controlled, efficient.
“Call again,” he orders.
I do.Voicemail.My chest tightens.
“She always answers,” I state, the words coming faster now.“She knows I’d be checking in.She always answers.Quinn knew to call me when she woke up no matter how early.I should have heard from them.”
Tucker grabs his phone.
“Saged,” he says, already dialing.
I stare at him.“What?”I ask because everything is a wild blur in my head.
“Marlaina’s his sister.”
Right.Of course.The call connects.
“Saged,” Tucker states, voice sharp.“You heard from Marlene this morning?”
A pause.I can’t hear Saged’s side, but I can see Tucker’s jaw tighten.
“No?Call her.Now.”
Another pause.Tucker’s eyes flick to me.Something shifts in them.Not panic.Something worse.
Calculation.
“Call me back,” he states, and hangs up.
My hands are shaking now.“This is stupid,” I mutter, pacing the small hotel room.“It’s probably nothing.She probably took Quinn to the park or?—”
