After slipping back into his car, he started it up, rolled down the window, and tossed something out of it.A lock of hair, tied with a black ribbon, landed at my feet, and the world suddenly stilled.
“Tell your girl thanks for playing.We’ll be in touch real soon.”Then he was off.
I stared at the lock of hair—Astrid’s hair.Everything suddenly clicked into place, and then I was hopping in my car to follow that fucker.Only one thing was certain … I’d kill him for touching our Hellcat.
CHAPTEREIGHTY-FOUR
CALIX
My car zoomed aheadon the freeway toward Astrid’s last known location—my house.I pressed my foot to the floor and whizzed past cars in the right lane, heart pounding against my rib cage.
Did they really take her?
Frasier sat next to me in the passenger seat, phone in hand, barking updates to Cairo through the group call.Arch followed behind us, his headlights cutting through the darkness.One of us should’ve stayed with her.
Why the fuck didn’t I think of that?!My hand tightened around the wheel, and I took the exit, nearly flipping the car on the turnaround.If Mira had something to do with this, I swear to fucking God, I’ll kill her myself.
With one hand on the steering wheel, I fumbled with my phone and called Diyaagain.But she wasn’t answering.Why wasn’t she answering?!Had they taken her too?Astrid was supposed to be with Diya all night.
She hadn’t told me that she’d be anywhere else.She hadn’t told me that she’d be leaving, hadn’t said anything had happened between them.So, why the fuck wasn’t she answering now, out of all fucking times?!
After speeding through Redwood like a fucking maniac, I finally pulled into my driveway.Astrid’s car was parked out front, but her phone was in the middle of the road.I slammed on the brakes and headed straight for the front door while Frasier jogged to her car with Arch.
Diya was sitting in the kitchen, eyes red and puffy.
“Where’s Astrid?”I asked, taking two stairs at a time to make it to the kitchen.
She glared at me, her eyes filled with tears, and didn’t say a word.
“Diya?!Where’s Astrid?!”
Nothing.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?!What’s wrong with you?!”
She slammed her hands onto the table and stood.“I don’t know, and I don’t care!”
“Her car’s out front.Where is she?!”
“Did you not hear a word that I just fucking said, you stupid asshole?!”Her cheeks reddened, and she scrunched her brows even more, her eyes widening.“Besides, shouldn’t you know?!You’ve been fucking her behind my back for months now!”
I clenched my jaw.“You didn’t.”
“I didn’t what?”she snapped.
“Please, don’t tell me that you had her kidnapped because you were pissed.”
She shook her head.“Are you kidding me?Do you think I’d do that?”
I stared at her for a couple of moments.“I don’t fucking know.But she’s missing.”
Pain, hurt, anguish, and confusion rushed through her, and then she finally crossed her arms over her chest.Then she went to the front window to look outside.“Is she really gone?Did someone … really take her?”
“She’s not here, and someone had a lock of her hair at the race.”
“What?”she asked, eyes snapping up to mine.“They did?”
“When did she leave?”
