But when I arrive back at the penthouse, the place is deathly quiet.
I head straight upstairs to Riley’s room, wondering if she’s still pretending to be asleep, but when I knock, there’s no answer.
“Riley?” I rap my knuckles against the door once more. “Open the door, Riley.”
Silence.
Frowning, I pull my phone out. I stare in horror at my security system alerts.
The stream of silenced notifications coming through on the screen now that I’m connected to the Wi-Fi tells me all I need to know.
Riley left.
“Fuck!” I slam my fist against the door so hard it opens.
The sight of her empty bed makes my stomach sink.
I specifically warned her about the risks of leaving this apartment, and yet she disobeyed me. And for what? Because we had an argument? If we can even call it that.
I scan the rest of the room and notice the few personal belongings that had been scattered on the dresser and the pile of clothes that she liked to keep on the floor by the end of the bed are no longer there. It’s all gone except for a scrap of paper that I spot on her pillow.
As I cross the room in three strides, my chest tightens when I notice my name written on it.
I quickly unfold the note and scan the contents, trying not to panic as I read the words written in Riley’s delicate scrawl.
Kieran,
Thank you for everything,but it’s time to put us both out of our misery. So, I did us both a favor and left.
Riley
"Fuck."
She wouldn’t… Shecouldn’tbe this reckless.
Not now.
Not with everything going on.
But the panic is already kicking in, and my mind is racing through every possible outcome now that Riley is fair game to Sean if he learns she is unprotected.
What the hell was she thinking, leaving like that?
I pull out my phone and open the tracker app. Thank fuck I had the foresight to install one on Riley’s phone back when we were in Vegas.
Her location blinks on the screen, and I curse under my breath as I see she’s at a hotel on the other side of the city.
I stuff the note in my pocket and head right out, praying I’m not too late to fix this.
