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The closer I am to anyone, the more it’s going to hurt when that person doesn’t survive.
“Karma and Roslyn stood by their men, just like I did. It’s what you do when you love someone,” Leah answers like it’s so obvious. “They’d be here if we needed them. All of them would show up immediately if I called. They’re hurt; not pissed. They still love him. I understand them needing a minute, because that treasured trust is wounded right now.”
I don’t understand them. Leah is more logical than the rest of them. Mostly because she grew up more detached than a regular person.
“More should have come. We have no idea what we’re walking into. It’s better to be over-prepared than underprepared,” I say on a sigh, starting to worry about them being out of sight for so long. What’re they doing? Are they in trouble?
I push the door open, and Chaz’s phone vibrates, halting me from exiting. My eyes flick over to the screen, and I swipe it without caring about his privacy.
Weirdly, the time stamp shows being a couple of hours old, but the message is just now coming through. At least I can read numbers and times.
Deciding I don’t care if Leah hears me prying, I click the button that reads the texts aloud to me.
ALYSSA: If you guys need ANY help, please call. We shouldn’t have let you go alone.
I notice there are several other unread messages as well, so I continue to listen to all of them, and the phone reads the names off to me as it goes.
DICE: Fuckers. Don’t die. We’ll come save you if you get in trouble. #hero
THAD: Shouldn’t have reacted like that. Roslyn and I are on our way out there. Just tell us where to find you. The others need to stay behind for Alyssa. She can’t travel, and she can’t know we’re coming. She feels like shit.
KANE: Call me. Zee’s not answering, and I have a bad feeling. I don’t know why, but I’ve had it for a few hours now. Don’t go after her until backup arrives.
DRACKUS: Don’t die. My daughters will be pissed at me.
That one leaves me puzzled. Drackus... Oh, yeah. Alyssa’s father. And why can’t Alyssa travel?
FRANKIE: Alyssa just told me the mess. I’m trying to get out there, but it could take several hours.
ROSLYN: I can’t reach Leah. Please tell her to call me.
A slight pang of envy hits me. Slade will be furious when I return. No one is texting to check on me. I even look at my phone. There’s only one text. After swiping the button, it reads it aloud.
SLADE: Where are you?
I don’t text him back.
Zee has apparently been lying to all his friends, and yet they’re now feeling guilty for letting him leave. They’re worried about him, Leah, and Chaz.
“I’m getting all those same messages,” Leah says, frowning. “I think we must have a little signal here, but we didn’t have it when the messages started coming in, apparently.”
I don’t tell her a lot of these are really old. I’d blame a dark user for interfering with our phones, but we’re not after a witch; we’re after a night stalker.
Another one comes in just as I put my foot on the ground, and I make the phone read it to me too.
ELLA: WTF? I just got back and found out all hell has broken loose. Why the actual fuck did you not call me before you left? You need backup. I’m coming, and then I’m kicking your ass for not taking me with you.
I shuffle in my seat uncomfortably before finally exiting the damn vehicle. I even put Chaz’s phone in my back pocket like I have every right to. I’m not sure why Ella’s text has me bristling. I knew they were close, but that sounded closer than I realized.
I am not jealous. Not at all. Chaz is a nuclear bomb concealed as a man. You’d have to be a lunatic to see him as anything other than a future threat.
I should want to be far, far away when he finally blows.
“I sent a text to Roslyn and let her know where we are,” Leah says as she follows me to the rocks.
“Maybe they won’t let you down,” I quip, even though the snark is unwarranted. I blame the weird frustration burning inside me.
I don’t hear anything, even when straining, so I start climbing quickly.
