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Tanner
Wetriedtoworkout where the photo was taken, but there were no identifiable elements so we were no clearer if it was in the hotel or someone got to me in the hospital. Nerves about my mum being at the heart of all of this sent me spiraling and the urge to drink grew, dominating my thoughts. I moved my calls with Levi to every other day as he attempted to talk me down from the edge, but it didn’t work. Over the next week, I withdrew, desperately trying to sort my head out and silence my overwhelming desire to get off my face.
We were in Rome. We’d been here for a few days and instead of the adventures and fun we’d promised to have, we’d all retreated to our rooms to hide from the world. I’d hardly even seen Emmy, and I wasn’t sure if I was avoiding her to keep her from the drama or if she was avoiding me because that photo was a stark reminder of how fucked up I was. I heard a soft knock on my door before it opened and she was standing there.
Hair in a ponytail, wearing a cap, sunglasses in hand, ready to go out. She looked beautiful, but I couldn’t tell her because things were so messed up at the moment.
“Hey, Tan.” When she spoke, I noticed how tired she sounded. “I need to go out for a couple of things. You want to come?” Her head twitched in the direction of the elevator.
I wanted to say yes. To go with her. To hold her hand. To be close to her after days of keeping her at arm’s length. But I couldn’t drag her into my black mood. She deserved more than that. “Best not. You’re taking Matt though, right?”
“Of course. But I’d much rather spend some time with you.”
“Maybe next time. Tell me when you’re back.”
Tutting, she rolled her eyes at me. “Yeah, because when I get back, you’ll suddenly be out of your funk and want to spend time with me again. I miss you, Tanner. What the hell happened?”
“It’s just a lot right now,” I told her, honestly.
“Fine. I guess I’ll see you later,” she snapped.
I watched her walk away while I wondered if my demons would ever let me go, so I could be with her properly. Without me worrying there was someone close by, ready to sell me out.
It was hours later when I saw Matt. “Good shopping trip? Did Emmy wear you out?”
“Shopping? No, she told me I didn’t need to go. She said you were taking her out and had arranged for your security to watch you both, so I could have the afternoon off.”
I froze, my stomach dropping from his words. “What?”
“I took her downstairs myself, watched her get into one of our cars and it drove off. I didn’t think for one second you weren’t in there with Rob or Noah, otherwise I never would have left her. I mean, it was one ofourcars. Tanner, tell me that’s what you arranged?”
Suddenly I couldn’t breathe. The room spun as the gravity of what Matt was saying slammed into me. “No. No. I thought she was out with you. Shit. It’s been hours. Where is she?”
Matt pulled out his phone and made a call as I paced the room, ready to tear my hair out. “Tell me all the cars are where they should be,” he snapped. “Count them. Now!... Right. Fuck. Check the CCTV for the garage and find out who had access to the keys. I want someone to give me everything we have within the hour.”
Matt yelled for Addi, who appeared from nowhere.
“Emmy’s missing. She got in a car. She got in one of our cars. Someone lifted the keys and stole it. Drove it out of the secure carpark without any battling an eyelid, which makes me think it was driven by someone we know. Someone we wouldn’t question for being there. I thought she was meeting Tanner. We don’t know where she is.” Matt explained while fear silenced me, gripping my throat like a vise.
“She has a tracker on her phone. I made her put one on when all this craziness started. Here, let me find her,” Addi replied, bringing calm to our frantic energy.
She opened the app, her brows furrowing as she stared at her phone screen. “According to this, she’s in the hospital. About five miles away. I’ll go and check it out, Tanner. You need to be on stage in four hours.”
Hospital?I started to pace back and forth as fear bubbled inside me.
“Hell no. I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure she’s okay,” I cried, making Addi physically tense. “Matt, can you sort us a driver and let Frankie and the boys know what’s going on, but not a word to anyone else until we work out who the mole in camp is? Rob, you’re with us.” Nothing else mattered except getting to her.
“Consider it done. Noah, go with them. Do not let them out of your sight. Either of you,” Matt barked at his security team as they followed us to the elevator.
Ten minutes later, we were in the car heading to the local hospital, my hands coiled into fists as fear and rage coursed through me.
Inside, I shouted her name at reception. I kept shouting until a nurse cursed at me in Italian and pulled back the curtain, revealing Emmy laid in a hospital bed. Seeing her was like a punch to the gut, winding me, making my body recoil with guilt.
A large dressing covered half her forehead, her cheek looked swollen and her shoulder and arm were painted with deep purple bruises.
“Shit, angel. What the hell happened to you?”
Addi gasped, her hand flying to her lips as she tried to stifle a sob. “Tanner, what did we do to her… again?”
