And now he’s pretending as though he has no idea who I am.
I’ll survive this. It’ll hurt like a bitch. But I will. I always do.
“Roman, you’d better have a really good explanation for this.” Braxton shoves his way through my friends to get to the van, trying to get his hands on Madi, who’s wrapping herself around me like a protective shield.
I must be in shock because I don’t respond to any of them. I don’t scream at Valen to tell me where he’s been. I just…stare.
“Get him out of here, Roman,” Grey snaps. He’s the one who hired Roman’s company and my bodyguard, Rip. “Let us get Clover home, and then we can talk. But to be clear, this feels like an ambush, and I’m pissed.”
“It’s not,” Roman says with a hint of vulnerability that pierces my brain fog. “It’s family. Valen was supposed to arrive tomorrow morning.”
Family. Valen has four cousins that I know of. Is Roman his cousin Ro?
“Clove? Are you okay?” Grey keeps his voice low.
“How? How?” My mouth isn’t working properly.
“We should get everyone home,” Braxton says. “We’ve been out here too long without guards close by. With Riley on the loose…”
Grey grunts, then nods. “You’re right.”
Riley.
Savvy’s ex is out there somewhere, and he’s dangerous.
Is he my stalker too?
“Clover?” Madi tries again, and I do my best to focus on her.
Where did Valen go?
“Let’s take her back to the inn,” Braxton says. “I’ll see what info I can get from Madi, and then we’ll get a doctor or…someone to talk to her.”
Greyson moves toward me in slow motion with his hands raised. “Clover? I’m going to lift you out of here, okay?”
My mouth moves, but no sound comes out.
“Sav?” Grey calls.
Braxton backs away, and Greyson leans out of the van.
“Savvy?” Grey’s tone goes sharp, panicked.
My fingers tap a familiar rhythm against my thigh. Thumb, forefinger, middle, ring, pinkie, repeat.
Grey pushes to the back of the van. “Where the fuck is Savvy?”
Everything stops.
Even my silent counting, my breaths, the endless thoughts that run on a loop inside my head.
Madi’s gaze whips toward the doors. “She was just?—”
No.
Not Savvy. Not after everything with her ex. Not after?—
My hands are shaking. Everything is shaking.
