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I quickly text her back.
Me: You look HOT in that costume. Darin is probably drooling.
Setting my phone on the bathroom counter, I use the restroom, then wash my hands. Running my fingers through my messy hair, I try to smooth the waves back into place. I haven’t had it trimmed in weeks and I’m overdue.
My phone beeps and my lips curl up in a smile. Lifting my phone to see what shenanigans Vanessa is up to, my body freezes as I stare at my phone, my blood turning to ice. My mouth drops open, my eyes growing round as fear pulsates through me.
My pulse races as my heartbeat thrashes inside my ears. I stare at the picture for a few more minutes, shock making it hard to process what I’m looking at.
Once it does, I let out a bloodcurdling scream as the terror continues rising inside me.
Max’s feet pound across the floor as he runs to me. Yanking the door open, his face is pale, and his eyes are full of concern. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
My hands shake as I flip my phone around. He grabs my phone to see it. His jaw goes slack and his eyes widen as he stares at the image of Vanessa, tied to a chair, blood trickling down her face from the wound over her forehead.
The text below the picture simply says, “Do exactly as I say, or your friend dies tonight.”
My entire body trembles from fear. Grabbing onto the counter, my legs start to slide beneath me, but Max catches me. He holds me tightly, stroking my hair, trying to soothe me.
Once my shaking subsides, he pulls back, his hands on my face.
“I need to call Darin and tell him about this. That’s who the phone call was from. He’s been looking all over the party for Vanessa. Apparently, she went to the restroom but hasn’t returned. He has been searching the party for her, asking if anyone has seen her. He called me to see if we’d heard from her.
Gaining control of my emotions by drawing from his strength, I say, “She texted me while we were having sex. It was a picture of her in her cat woman costume.”
Max nods, handing me back my phone. He pulls his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants, dialing Darin and putting him on speakerphone. Max’s other hand reaches out, wrapping around mine, as Darin’s phone barely rings before he answers, his voice frantic.
“Darin… I don’t know how to say this. But Irelynn just received a text. It’s… someone has her.”
A stream of curses leave his lips, ringing in my ears. When he finally stops swearing, Darin grits out, “Send it to me.”
“Hold on a sec.” Max meets my gaze and I nod, forwarding the image and the words below it to Darin’s phone.
I know the moment Darin receives it because he starts swearing again, then we hear the pounding of his feet and the sound of a door opening and closing.
“Darin, what are you doing?” Max’s voice is panicky, a deep line of worry in the middle of his forehead.
“Answer that fucker back and text me all the details. I’m heading to wherever he has her.” He pauses, anger radiating from every syllable. “Do you think William Anderson has her? Or Damian? Fuck! Maybe it’s both of them?”
Max and I look at one another, frowning. I lift one shoulder in a helpless shrug.
God, I really hope William isn’t involved in this or I’ll never fucking forgive him. And Max and Darin will fucking kill him.
My attention diverts to Max as I hear him say, “I’ll have Irelynn text whoever the hell has her. I’ll let you know as soon as we get a response.” He hangs up, his hand running through his hair. “Let’s get dressed and get ready to roll.”
Leaving the bathroom, I head toward my clothes that are strewn around Max’s living room. Quickly pulling them on, I see Max’s fingers flying over my phone, answering the text.
A few minutes later, his brows furrow as my phone beeps with an incoming text.
“The asshole won’t say who it is. But he did text an address. I googled it and it’s a warehouse.” His jaw works as he grimaces.
I know exactly what he’s thinking. William owned the warehouse he was shot in and nearly blown up.
Could William be the one behind this?
Max runs upstairs and when he returns, he’s wearing jeans and I see two guns holstered to him. He moves closer to me. “I know you’ll want to come inside with me. The only way I’ll allow it is if you take one of these.” He looks into my eyes, his presence calming. “Do you remember the basics I taught you when we went target shooting?”
His instructions run through my head, and I nod. Nervousness floods me as he hands me a gun.
