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Holding my breath, my stomach churns with a mixture of excitement and dread.
“I asked the girls in housekeeping whether we had any guests, but they said there hadn’t been any recent overnight guests. Then I checked with the hotels, they didn’t have anyone with the name on the card, either.”
The stick in his hand is so sharp now it would make a good weapon. Will twists it and starts on the other end, methodically running his knife over it and skimming away thin bands of curling brown wood.
“I didn’t think too much of it, I just figured it was a friend of Lucia, or the boys. Something about it nagged at me, I wasn’t sure why, but then I saw her, the girl in the picture, or someone who looked like her. She was in town with that damn Leon Lennox a week later.”
Oh, God. Almost afraid to hear the rest of this story, I nod when he looks to me for confirmation that I want him to continue - even though I feel like screaming.
My plan had been to tell Lucia it wasn’t working out, that I was homesick or whatever, and go back to Grey Ridge to find a way to work things out with Belle. I could protect Cooper and Hayley, and their new arrival, better from there anyhow. But the sinking feeling in my stomach tells me my plan to get back to Belle is slipping through my fingers.
Will continues, “so, I went snooping, did some research, and found out she’s from Grey Ridge. Maybe you could give it back to her for me?” Will’s expression is neutral, but I know what he’s really suggesting: that I should find her. That no wolf from our pack should be running with Leon Lennox.
Sliding his hand into his back pocket, he pulls out a small plastic rectangle, nothing but sympathy in his eyes.
Flipping it slowly in my hand, I hold my breath, releasing it in a hiss when I see who’s face stares back at me. It’s Carla. She was here. We’ve been looking for her since that day, trying to find out whether she also helped with Toby’s escape. I’ve never wanted to believe it, but does this prove she was involved? That she is involved, still?
We know Carla left our territory immediately after we discovered her sister had helped Toby escape, but we couldn’t work out whether Carla had also been a part of the scheme, or if she was running because she was afraid of being blamed.
“Thank you.” The card feels like a lead weight in my hand. What do I do now? “Why are you telling me? Why not just mail it back to Grey Ridge?”
Will shrugs. He turns to walk away, but stops. Without turning around to face me again, “Because Nick just called me and told me to take tomorrow off,” he says. “And nothing good ever happens when he says that.”
My mind immediately goes to Cooper and Hayley. Where are they? Is she having the baby?
Shifting back into my wolf form, because a naked man running across the campus would certainly draw unwanted attention, I race toward the packhouse. Intending to retrieve my clothes from the lockers on the side of the building, I internally groan when I see Lucia standing there, watching me intently as I approach. She looks immaculate, perfectly made up and stylish in her casual yet smart clothes. Where once I prayed she was to be my mate, I now feel nothing but guilt for playing this game.
“Your phone was ringing.” She tips her head toward the lockers and smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Someone must be missing you.”
Her gaze travels over my naked body as I shift back and I stifle a growl. My wolf already feels mated to Belle. He doesn’t want any others looking at what’s hers with that kind of hunger in their eyes.
“Somehow, I doubt that,” I grumble, thinking of the dozens of missed calls Belle will have when she finally turns her phone back on. As I pull on my jeans, Lucia steps closer and stares at the phone sitting at the bottom of my locker as it starts to ring again. She’s going to stay here until I check who it is.
“It’s Kim.” Turning the screen to face her so she can see Cooper’s assistant's name flash on the screen, I try not to look disappointed. “Probably can’t find anything in my extremely organised filing system.” Trying to make a joke to lighten the mood, I breathe a sigh of relief when Lucia rolls her eyes and smiles, looking a lot less tense. Belle is clearly under her skin; she might be gone, but she obviously wasn’t forgotten.
“You’re all the same. I swear Joseph hides stuff from me, ‘organised chaos’, he calls it.”
Lingering while I pull on my boots and lace them, she slips an arm around my waist, and I make a show of stepping out of reach while I tug a t-shirt over my head. She’s about to ask me something when my phone flashes, and it’s Kim again. My senses prick up at the call coming so quickly. This can’t be good.
“Must be important.” Lucia presses her lips together in annoyance as I answer the call and step further from her touch. “Kim? What’s up?”
Knowing that Lucia can hear every word said, I’m glad Kim keeps the details to a minimum. She’s with Nathan on a business trip nearby, but something has gone wrong. They’re in trouble, and that’s all I need to know.
“I’m on my way.” As I say the words, Lucia nods and pulls my sweater out of the locker. Reaching into her purse for a set of car keys, she throws them to me as I start toward the car park.
“Be careful. Let me know what’s going on!” she shouts after me as I press the key fob and dart to the sleek black car that lights up. I can be there within the hour if I floor it. It would be nice to know what I’m walking into, but it didn’t sound like Kim could talk. It doesn’t matter anyway. Nathan is like a brother to me. I’d do anything for him.
Trying Belle one last time, I sigh as my call goes straight to voicemail.
“Belle… I’m so sorry. Please. I need to talk to you.” I don’t know what else to say, so I hang up and toss the phone onto the passenger seat, rubbing the ache in my chest that I know comes from our separation.
What should I do about Carla? Do I try to find her and bring her back with me? For now, I need to forget about my mate and focus, because if Will is off tomorrow then someone has plans.
And I don’t believe in coincidences.
22
BELLE
