Derek got on his coms and alerted Jake and the others of the situation as he walked over to the paper. He pulled out his phone and took a picture before bending over and picking it up.
They were all wearing gloves, not that it mattered. They already knew who left it there.
“Motherfucker,” Derek mumbled beneath his breath.
“What’s it say?” Cap and the others walked over to him.
Eric didn’t go inside. He didn’t go anywhere. He simply stayed there, staring at what was probably his last hope of finding the woman he loved alive.
His brother held the note up for him to see. “Missed me.”
Missed. Past tense.
“The asshole’s playing with us.” Eric finally began to move. Holstering his weapon, he took two heavy steps forward, stopping just before the locker’s entrance. “Hayes knew we’d find this place. It’s why he left the note. Why it’s written in past tense, rather than asking a question like the others. He’s playing with us.”
His fist was moving through the air before he even realized it.
Drywall and paint chips exploded in a puff of white powder. Pain radiated from his knuckles outward, and Eric’s entire hand throbbed as he pulled it free from the hole he’d just created.
“Take it easy, West.” Cap tried—and failed—to calm him down. “There’s still time.”
“There’s no fucking time!” He shouted. The agony in his voice echoed down the entire length of the hallway. “Riley’s out of time, Cap. She’s...”
Emotion clogged his throat. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. And Eric’s heart...his heartshatteredas he began to accept the unacceptable.
I’m going to lose her. I just got her, and I’m going to fuckingloseher.
“Fuck that.” Derek slapped the note against Cap’s chest and stormed out of the locker. “You’re not givin’ up on her. Not now.”
“I love her.” A tear slid down his cheek. He didn’t care that his boss or anyone else had heard the truth. All he cared about was Riley.
And she was gone.
Feeling lost, he stared back at his brother and asked, “What do I do?”
“You keep fighting,” his brother growled. “That’s what you fuckin’ do. What do you think would’ve happened to Charlie if I’d given up on her?”
Her ex would’ve killed her in the middle of the woods.
“I’m not giving up on Riley,” he vowed. “I’mnot. I just don’t know where to—”
Eric’s phone dinged with an incoming message.
Knowing there were others out there, combing the streets for Riley and Hayes, he pulled the device from his vest pocket in hopes it was a lead.
His heart damn near stopped beating when he saw the words ‘Unknown Caller’ pop up on his screen.
“It’s him!” He showed the others the notification. “It has to be.”
“Eric, wait—”
His brother’s warning came too late. He was already opening the message, and the second he did, he wished like hell he hadn’t.
It was a picture of a woman’s back. OfRiley’sback.
Eric knew it was her by the circular scar near the right shoulder blade. But there were new markings that hadn’t been there before. Cuts on the back of her left shoulder.
Cuts so fresh, they dripped with her blood.
