Page 84 of Tracking Wolfe

“I know,” he said with a deep sigh. “And I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean for it to hit you this hard. It’s not like I want to hurt you or anything. I just need you to say yes. Then we go back to my truck, grab some recording equipment from a guy I know in Grand Junction, and go tell Shay our plan. We do this, and it’s over, and maybe you even feel good about it someday. She’s talented, Wolfe. She just needs a door opened.”

I’d been afraid before. But now I was fucking terrified. Even with my brain barely processing, I realized how insane this sounded.

Did he actually think this would work? Did he really think I’d just record the video, and that would be that? He’d drugged a celebrity’s son. He would be arrested and jailed. His name would be splashed all over the news. All over the world. His life would never be the same again.

And as soon as he realized that, he would become exponentially more dangerous.

“Jake. You don’t want to do this.” The words came out weak and breathless.

Fuck, what was Trace going to think? He’d be waiting for me. Might already be worried.

The thought kept my heart pounding, even as the cold rain smeared down my face and made my clothes heavy.

So heavy.

Too heavy.

I sank to my knees on the soggy ground, unable to stay upright anymore.

“Wolfe?” Jake said, eyes wide. “No, no, no. This isn’t— Wolfe? Wolfe! You’re supposed to walk down the mountain, buddy. We need to record the video⁠—”

But the rain kept falling thick and steady, and without conscious thought, my eyes slid closed.

20

TRACE

When I pulled up to Jake’s Place a little after six, my gut was screaming that something was very, very wrong.

Since the bar was closed, I pulled around to the house and ran through the driving rain to the door. Shay answered with a friendly smile, though she was careful to leave the security chain on despite the rain that was still coming down. “You’re Will’s friend, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Trace Bishop. Is Will here, by any chance?”

She shook her head, the smile fading into confusion. “No. Why would he be?”

“I heard he went hiking with your brother today⁠—”

Her face brightened. “Oh, yeah, he totally did. But they finished ages ago. Jake already came back and left again. Betcha Will’s at the campground.”

I sucked in a breath. He definitely fucking wasn’t. “No. I just came from there.”

“I can call Jake,” she offered. “If you want?”

“Would you mind?” I tried to keep my voice patient and friendly, though I was feeling anything but. “I really need to track him down.”

“Sure. Let me grab my phone.” She moved away from the door. “Hope you don’t mind if I don’t ask you in. Jake always says you can’t be too cautious.”

“No,” I assured her. “You’re right.”

From the sliver of open door, I saw the narrow house was tidy. Shay’s guitar sat propped against the sofa, where a colorful afghan was spilled across the cushions as if she’d been lying there, strumming a few chords. But the place was definitely run-down. And a stack of bills on the table by the door was marked FINAL NOTICE in large, red letters.

This went along with everything JJ had said about Jake’s financial situation… and something about this amplified the alarm bells in my head a thousandfold.

Shay walked back with the phone to her ear, but after a minute, she shook her head and hit End. “No answer. I can shoot him a text and take your number?”

I gritted my back teeth together and tried not to snap at her. “Or maybe you could give me Jake’s number? So I can keep trying him myself?”

She shrugged. “Sure.” She rattled off the digits. Then she seemed to catch herself. “Oh! Actually, you could just wait in the lot there for Will. He’s coming by the bar later.”