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Just then, Duke's phone buzzes in his pocket. He glances at the screen and frowns.
Seeing the creased brow and taut lips return to Duke's face, I reach out, softly touching his arm. "Is everything okay?"
He gives me a smile, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. He squeezes my hand gently, "Of course, baby. I just need to take this call." His gaze flickers to Mimi, who's been a good sport about the crowded restaurant but could probably use a break. "Should I take Mimi outside for some fresh air?"
"That sounds like a good idea," I say, smiling. "I was actually about to head to the ladies' room myself."
Mimi’s ears twitch, her eyes following me as I rise. “I’ll be back, girl,” I reassure her, scratching behind her ears.
As I walk to the back of the restaurant, I spot Shawn. He's leaning casually against the wall, absorbed in his phone.
“Hey, Shawn?” I call out, my voice bouncing lightly off the narrow walls.
He looks up from his phone, his eyes meeting mine. "Grace," he responds, a hint of surprise in his voice. There's an edge to his tone that strikes me as odd. "Is there something you need?"
"I was wondering which way the restrooms were. I don't see a sign," I say, gesturing behind me to the wall.
He pushes off from the wall and gives me a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Follow me. I'll show you."
As we begin to walk, he apologizes, "Sorry there isn't a sign. It hasn't been delivered yet."
"No problem," I respond, though inside something feels off. The hallway we're walking down is dark and deserted, and I can't shake the feeling that this isn't the right way to the bathroom.
A wave of realization washes over me. We've been walking for far too long. The restroom isn’t this far. “Oh, I think I leftmy phone at the table,” I say, laughter bubbling nervously in my throat as I try to turn back.
But he grips my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. "No need to rush, Grace," he says, his voice dropping to a whisper that raises the hairs on the back of my neck.
And that's when I see the knife.
Chapter Seven
DUKE
I just gotoff the phone with Slate.
It took a bit of digging, but he finally tracked down the IP address of the person who's been sending Grace threatening messages. And the location is somewhere right here in Cooper Hills.
The internet cut out briefly while we were talking, but he promised to text me the name in a few minutes once he got his computer turned back on.
Whoever it is better have skipped town by now because there will be hell to pay whenever I get ahold of them.
With my phone safely tucked in my pocket, I step back inside Sunnyside Pizza, Mimi's leash coiled tightly around my hand. Somehow, the place is now even more crowded.
I crane my neck above the sea of heads, searching for our booth amidst the chaos.
As I approach the booth, I see my brothers and Molly huddled together, their faces creased with worry.
I quirk a brow at the three of them. "What's going on?"
"We've got a problem," Wes says grimly.
"What kind of problem?" I ask slowly.
"We can't find Grace."
The world tilts underneath my feet as I process his words.
Molly gives me a tearful look. "She said she had to go to the bathroom. But I just checked, and she wasn't there."
