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"Fuck," he hissed. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. But this... this was no accident. You know that, right? Not with the shit going on right now. This was deliberate. Set. Someone knows what is going on, and is targeting us. You need to get the guys, get the girls, and get somewhere safe. Huck?" I asked when he let out a savage curse.
I knew.
I knew without him needing to say it.
"Where are the girls Huck?"
"We looked away for a fucking minute, and they took off. You know how they are," he added, but I could hear the anxiety in his voice.
"Call. Call around. Find them. I'm getting out of here now. I'll hit some of their spots. We're going to find them," I added, tone firm. But I wasn't sure if I was trying to assure him, or myself.
"Rough, night, huh?" a voice to my side said. Glancing over, I saw a couple kids.
But they were standing next to a car.
And I didn't have wheels.
"I'll give you five-hundred bucks," I said, knowing it was all I had in my wallet, "to drive me to a couple bars. I'm looking for someone. And my bike is... totaled," I lied, figuring they might not want to let me in their car if I told them I'd just been in an explosion and my car was likely surrounded by police tape.
"Woulda done it for a hundred," the driver, a kid around eighteen or nineteen with black hair and eyes to match, said, tossing his cigarette butt. "Where are we heading? Fuck off, Ray. We'll meet up later," he called to his friend, jerking his chin toward his passenger side as he got into the driver's side.
If I were less panicked, I would have sensed that this kid had an idea who I was, and wanted to help not because of the money, but because of the connection.
But all I had in the moment, all I cared about, was finding Auggie, getting her safe, making sure none of this blew back on her.
"Where we heading, man?" he asked, waiting.
I rattled off the names of the couple clubs I knew she frequented, gaze focused on the streets, saying a silent prayer that I could just see them safely walking down the street, on their way to create their usual brand of chaos.
But I didn't see them.
And they weren't at the first bar.
Or the second.
Or the third.
My stomach knotted.
My throat felt constricted.
I didn't ever truly understand the concept of panic before. I had been able to sympathize with the people in my life that I knew struggled with anxiety or panic issues, but I couldn't ever put myself in their shoes. I'd never known the sensation of being completely out of control of my body, of my swirling thoughts.
I had a whole new respect for them.
Because I was half-sure I was going to have a fucking heart attack.
And, hell, that was fine. It could burst right out of my fucking chest if it wanted to. But only after I found Auggie.
"Give me a clue who we're looking for, might be able to help look around too."
"Squad of girls. One a blonde with wild hair. Short. Another tall and athletic redhead. A skinny brunette. And a plus-sized black woman in a loud orange dress."
"Got it," he agreed, gaze moving across the other side of the street, letting me focus on my side.
"Alright, let's try her apartment," I said, rattling off her address, feeling hopelessness start to take root.
Because she was nowhere.
And if Huck or the guys had gotten ahold of them, they'd have called me.
"That's a loud orange dress," the driver said, making my gaze go to the other side of the street, not seeing it.
"Where?"
"At the drag club. In line.
Drag club.
Yes.
That sounded like them.
"Pull up."
"Gotta get across the street."
"Then get across the fucking street," I snapped.
To his credit—whoever he was—he didn't lose his cool. Hell, he didn't even flinch. And my voice had sounded loud to my own damn ears.
He pulled a K-turn in the middle of a busy street, screeching to a stop outside the club.
I damn near fell out of the car while it was still moving, as soon as he got close to the curb.
"Auggie!" I called, moving down the line of people, all of them looking at me funny, some backing away from me. "Auggie!"
Ayanna noticed me first, gaze moving over my face, then grabbing Auggie and the other girls, shoving them out of line. "We have to go. Now!" she demanded when Laurie started to object.
Auggie's confused gaze went from Ayanna to me, her lips parting, her eyes going big.
"Auggs, in the car," I demanded. "Fucking now. And on the floor," I added.
It was a single beat. One second, really. For her to go from shock to action, running toward the car, throwing herself down on the floor by her friends' feet.
