Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Zach had already pulled out his cell. “I’m checking the tracker… Fuck. It’s showing this address.” He glanced at his sister, one eyebrow raised. “Tell me she didn’t leave her phone here. That she was smart enough to bring it in case she needed us?”
“Zach.” Hadley put her hand on his chest. “We already know the answer. The question is what are we going to do? How will we find her?” She held in her hysteria, knowing it would do no good. She needed to think clearly.
“Layla, do you know the phone number of the one she has on her?” Zach asked.
His sister glanced down, not lifting her head, obviously afraid to meet anyone’s gaze.
“I’m sorry again,” Serenity said. “I really thought the girls had learned their lesson. Layla was grounded and missed a big party.” She put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “What were you thinking?” she asked, more harshly.
“If I had to guess, Layla was returning the favor Dani did for her when they went to the bonfire without permission.” As a teacher, Hadley knew teenagers.
Dani had been reckless, going off to see her mother, while Layla had been an adolescent who just didn’t understand how serious things were. She was more sheltered and protected than Dani had ever been, which was why Hadley’s anger was with her sister and not Layla. Friends protecting friends. She’d seen it over and over in her school.
“Is that the reason you didn’t tell me?” Serenity asked.
Layla nodded. “She said she’d go see her mom and be home for dinner.”
It was way past that time now and Hadley was having a more difficult time suppressing her worry.
Feeling dizzy, she needed a few minutes alone to think, so she could figure out why Patrice would have come to New York. Dani’s mom had nothing to do with their father’s dirty dealings. That Hadley knew of, anyway.
“I’ll be right back,” she murmured.
“Are you okay?” Zach asked, concern in his voice.
She nodded. “I just need a few minutes to think.” She walked off towards the powder room and shut herself inside.
Turning on the faucet, she ran her wrists beneath the tap, letting the cold water shock her out of the fog of panic. She’d been through a lot in life but this worry for her sister had brought her to new heights of terror.
Her heart still thudded hard inside her chest but the black spots in front of her eyes receded, the dizziness passing. At least she could concentrate again.
From inside her bag, her cell rang, and she dug through it quickly, retrieving the phone.
Unknown Number showed on the screen.
Her hand shook as she swiped to answer and put the cell up to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hadley?”
“Who is this?” she asked, the dizziness returning.
“Someone you want to listen to. You’ve caused me a lot of trouble by leaving town and disappearing.”
She swallowed hard. “Why? I don’t even know who you are.”
“Let’s just say you have something that I want and now, I have something that you want.”
“Hads, this guy’s my mom’s boyfriend though from what I’ve heard I think he’s her dealer.” Dani’s voice sounded in the background.
“Put a muzzle on your kid,” he barked in a tone that turned Hadley’s blood cold.
She gasped. “Put my sister on the phone!”
“You’re not calling the shots. I am. Meet me at the impound lot where your car is located. Once I check and make sure my packages are still there, we’ll swap valuables. Then you can talk to your sister. And come alone.”
“Impound lot?” He disconnected the call before she could say more.
Oh my God. He had Dani. Her own mother had something to do with her kidnapping. Hadley broke into a sweat as questions rose in her brain.
Why would Patrice use her daughter?
What did they want from Hadley’s car?
She braced her hands on the counter by the sink and stared into the mirror, as if looking at her reflection would provide answers. The one thing she knew was that he’d said to come alone and she needed to go. Now. But how was she was going to ditch Zach and get to New York City, to an impound lot whose location she didn’t know? But Zach did.
Though she trusted him, she needed to do what Patrice’s boyfriend wanted, or risk Dani’s life.
A knock sounded on the door, and she immediately opened it to find Zach standing there, his forehead wrinkled, worry in his expression. “I’m just checking on you. You were gone awhile. Mom and Layla went upstairs so my sister could get lectured. And we need to talk about the next steps to find Dani.”
Hadley nodded. “I’m okay.” She looked into his indigo eyes and quickly glanced away. She couldn’t look at him and lie. “I thought…” she trailed off.
What?
She thought she’d what? Find her sister on her own? But she had to. She’d been ordered to come alone. The words came back to her along with the implied threat behind them.