“She’s…” I scrub my palm over my face. “She was at Lo’s and then left thirty minutes ago to come to my place. Never arrived.”
Dad climbs out of his chair and starts for me. “She’s gone? Disappeared?”
“She wouldn’t just leave without telling me,” I croak out. “Dad, something’s wrong.”
“I’ll get dressed and head up to the police station. Keep looking for her,” Dad barks out. “Kate, start calling her parents and family.”
Mom leaps into action, grabbing her phone, while Dad rushes to his room. I bolt out the door and head back to my place. As I near my truck, I find her purse half buried in the snow.
Fuck.
Fuck no.
I scoop it up as Loden approaches.
“She dropped this,” I hiss out. “Someone fucking took her.”
Loden gasps when I thrust the purse at him. “Find Penny. See if she can figure out where she might have gone to. You have my number. Call me if you find anything out.”
I rush back into the house, hunting for my baseball bat. Terrence is in his room with the door shut.
“T!” I bark out, banging on the door. “Someone took Charlotte. We gotta find her!”
He flings open the door, his eyes wild with confusion. “Took?”
“It has to be that fuckface Cuntingham.”
All five of us are crammed into my truck—trying to find out where the fuck Charlotte could have gone. I’m up front with Terrence while Roan, Hollis, and Jordy are squeezed into the back. We went by Michael’s house, but she wasn’t there. Neither were Michael or Ryan. Now we’re headed to Tyler’s apartment.
Once I pull into his complex and park right up front, on the curb, Roan and I jump out. The others are on their phones, calling people to see if they can find her. Roan and I both walk into the lobby of the complex, baseball bats in our hands, on a mission. After we shake down some dork in the hallway, we learn where this dude’s place is. A few minutes later, Roan kicks the door in like the motherfucking badass fireman he is, and we storm in.
The apartment is dark. I stalk through the halls until I find the bedroom. Tyler is talking to someone in bed, asking if they heard a crash, when I flick on the light.
“Where’s Charlotte?” I bark out.
Tyler sits up in bed, face white as a ghost. “W-What?”
Another guy cowers under my fury, clinging to Tyler like he might save him.
“Answer the fucking question,” Roan rages, rushing over to Tyler. He holds his bat up in a threatening manner. These two have beef and Tyler knows it based on the wide-eyed stare he gives him.
“I-I-I d-don’t know,” Tyler chatters out.
“Where’s Ryan?” I bark.
Tyler blinks several times. “He’s not here. I don’t know.”
“Liar!” Roan booms, making Tyler flinch.
“Man, I swear,” Tyler cries out. “He and Dad don’t talk to me anymore. I’m sorry.”
“Where could he be? We know he’s here and took my fucking girl, so where the hell could he be?” I demand.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
Unfortunately, I think he’s telling the truth.
“Come on,” I grunt to Roan.
Roan lingers for a beat. “Stay the fuck away from Hollis.”
Tyler’s eyes are wild with confusion. I grab Roan’s arm and haul him from the room. On the way back to the truck, I call Zayne.
“Whuddup,” he answers in a lazy tone.
“Where’s Ryan Cunningham?”
“Time to cut his dick off?”
“He took my fucking girlfriend, man. Is he there?”
“No,” Zayne says, sobering up. “I haven’t seen him in a few weeks. I think he quit school. Sorry, bro, but I don’t know where the fuck he went.”
“Call me if you hear anything.”
“I’ll ask around his douchebag friends.”
“Thanks, man.”
I hang up and climb into the truck. It’s still fucking snowing, which only adds to my stress. Everyone is quiet, worry clouding the air around us. This is really fucking bad. Ryan took her, I know it. And I’m positive it was him who set my parents’ house on fire. He is an unhinged psycho who takes joy in hurting Charlotte. Now that he’s taken to kidnapping, there’s no telling what lengths he’ll go to.
Be strong, English.
I’m going to find her and put her back together again. No matter what that motherfucker does to her. Because there’s no doubt in my mind, he will try and do his worst.
I just have to find her before he does it.
My phone rings and I hit the answer button on my steering wheel. Zayne’s voice booms through the speakers.
“I don’t know if this is something, but one of his friends mentioned a gun range there that all the cops go to. Ryan’s dad is good friends with the owner, so he has free rein whenever he wants. Seemed like a fishy thing for him to know. I beat his ass just in case he had more info he wanted to offer up, but now he’s passed out. Called Baker’s or Barker’s. Something like that. I’ll keep digging.”
As soon as I hang up, Hollis leans forward, his phone glowing. “Across the river. There’s a Barker’s Range. Terrence, plug this address into his GPS.”
I gas it, driving like a bat out of hell, uncaring that it’s fucking snowing. Hollis calls his dad while Roan calls mine to update them. Jordy makes a call to Fitzgerald. Fuck, I hope we find her. I need to find her. I will find her.
My heart rate speeds up.
Charlotte, beautiful, we’re coming for you.
Charlotte
My head.
Oh my God, my head is killing me.
The throbbing is intense and painful enough, it drags me from my unconscious state. I’m cold and numb. As I attempt to open my eyes, a wave of nausea passes over me. The pizza I ate earlier threatens to make a reappearance.
What happened?
I remember walking and then something hit me.
It takes everything in me to force my eyes open. I realize I’m on the floor of a store or someplace. From my
