6
CARTER
PRESENT DAY
“Youdon’thave her?” I snap at Vaughn,leave emotion at the doorlong forgotten. Disbelief and fear shake my voice in equal measure. The cup vibrates in my hand, coffee sloshing at the lip. “How the fuck is that possible? Where is she? Have you seen her since she ran from Lakeside?”
Now it’s his turn to pale, his reaction mirroring mine. His hands shake as he rakes them through his hair.
The only sound is our breathing echoing in the near-empty room. His silent expression shifts from anger to something far more chilling...fear. Realization. A father’s worst nightmare.
He stares and stares and stares at me so fucking long with those vacant eyes that I wonder if he’s gone into shock. Just as I’m about to snap him out of it, he moves andcrack... his palms slam hard against the metal table with a resounding clang.
It doesn’t startle me, but I bet a few guys watching the show from behind the one-way mirror got a good scare.
Vaughn lunges forward. I’m about to retaliate, thinking he’s going for my throat, but instead, he grabs the recorder, hurling it at the wall. It splinters on impact.
His chest heaving and a Molotov cocktail mix of emotions carving deep lines into his forehead, he marches out, slamming the door with a finality that echoes in my head.
The room must be soundproof because when he returns two minutes later, I haven’t heard a thing from outside.
“Are you trying to fucking tell meyoudon’t have her?” Vaughn seethes, his clenched fists hammering the table. “Are you fuckingcertainRhett doesn’t?”
I glance over his shoulder, noting that the cameras have stopped blinking. I guess he disabled them.
“No one’s watching or listening,” he says like he read my mind. He must have cleared out the observation room too. “Just...fuck!” He tangles his fingers in his hair. “Tell me you know where she is. Tell me your sick fuck of a father has my daughter! Tell me she’s okay. It’s been a week!”
He paces the room, lost in his own turmoil.
“Vaughn,” I seethe, trying to ground us both, my mind whirring through possibilities. How does henotknow where she is? “Matthews picked her up that night,” I speak my thoughts aloud. “How would Rhett have Hailey?”
“Matthews’ car was found inOhio, Carter. What else would I think?!”
Shit. Was Matthews working for my father? No... Rhett would’ve told me if he bought a cop close to Vaughn.
On the other hand, given the nagging feeling I have that Rhett’s only been showing me half the picture, I wouldn’t be surprised if he kept that information firmly in the other half.
I massage my temples, forcing a calming breath past my teeth. Rhett doesn’t have Hailey. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from gloating.
“I was fucking certain you found her a new hiding spot. The only reason I let you cuff me is because I thought you’d tell me she’s safe.”
“Idon’thave her!” His voice quivers, the terror of a father scared about his child taking center stage. “I didn’t know she’d left until the dean called the next morning.”
There’s a pause, his eyes darting left and right, chasing his own express train of thoughts. Mindless panic and fear mix in his eyes. His knuckles whiten with how hard he clenches his fists and sweat trickles down his forehead.
Every part of him is jittery like an outmanned gunman unsure where to aim. I’m not doing any better. Though Iamhiding it well.
“Don’t fuck with me, Willard. Tell me where my daughter is!” Once more, he slams his hands on the table. It serves no point other than channeling his rage.
Better the table than my face.
“You were the last one with her! You need her to help your father!”
My temper soars at the tone of his voice and the shit he’s spewing. He has no idea about the bigger picture. The unspoken accusation that I don’t care about Hailey sends me flying off the handle. I bolt upright, grabbing his collar to yank him forward so hard his thighs hit the metal edge of the table.
“Don’tunderestimate how far I’ll go for Hailey.Don’tthink there’s a single line I won’t cross to get her back.”
I shove him away, slumping back into my seat. I’m shaking inside, engulfed in a chill that feels like I’m lost in the Arctic Circle. Fear threatens to drown me. It strips me of the one thing that can help me find my girl: control.
