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When I wake up, shadows cling to the corners of the room, and I'm in bed alone. Mischief is nowhere to be found. I quickly throw on a pair of pants and head downstairs to find her, not thrilled she managed to sneak out of the bed without me knowing. I want to know every move she makes.
"Mischief?" I shout, jogging down the stairs.
The house is quiet…too quiet.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up.
"Crash," I call, snapping my fingers.
He doesn't come running, either.
The lamp in the living room is on. All of Mischief's shit is still piled in a heap by the door where my brothers left it. I quickly make a circuit through the house, checking every room. There's a glass of water sitting on the island, and she fed Crash, but neither of them is anywhere to be found.
Fuck.
Where are they?
Icicles form around my heart, worry kicking in. If she tried to run off, Crash would follow her. He's in love with her too. She doesn't know the property, though. She doesn't know about the gorge. It's getting dark. She could miss it and fall in. She could get lost. Someone could snatch her up and disappear with her.
How long has she been gone?
"Fuck!" I shout, panic setting in.
I run back into the living room to grab my phone and shoes, afraid for the first time in my life. I just found her. I can't lose her now. I won't fucking survive it. Already, she's the most important thing in my life. She's the reason for all of this, the thing I've been working toward for as long as I can remember. I've always been preparing for her, trying to ensure I was ready to take care of her.
If I've already failed…. No, that's not possible.
I grab my phone and dial Cash's number, trying to shove my feet into my shoes at the same time.
"Yo," he says.
"She's missing."
"What the fuck?"
"She's missing, and I need to find her. I have to find her," I ramble. "Send everyone."
"Calm down, Giant," Cash says, his voice firm. "Tell me what happened."
"I just goddamn told you," I growl. "She's missing, and I need…"
The front door opens.
Crash comes bounding inside, fucking up the rug in front of the door. Bella's hot on his heels, her ringlets all wild around her laughing face, her eyes bright with humor. My stomach bottoms out, relief hitting me like a fist.
"Never mind," I growl to Cash. "I found her."
"What the fu–?"
I hang up on him.
Crash makes a beeline for the couch, running right through the pile of bags.
"Crash!" Bella cries as they scatter every which way. "You wicked dog."
I drop my phone to the coffee table, storming across the room toward her.
"Hi, sleepyhead," she says, smiling up at me.
