The sun was sinking fast, casting beautiful reds and oranges across the sky, but the light didn’t reach well between the storage units. It did a better job of casting shadows than providing light. Why would Henry even come back here?
She was an idiot. This had to be a trap. There was nothing here except plenty of places to hide between units and jump out at her when she was least expecting it.
Just as she was considering how to turn around without running into Danny, she realized where Henry and Alanna must have been going. Beyond the storage units was more parking. It looked empty, but she could only see a sliver of the lot, so she had to assume Henry had parked there. Maybe to keep Alanna out of sight while he shopped? Had she sneaked out of his truck, looking for help? But if she had, why had she kept walking when Kensie called her?
Kensie would figure that out when she found her. Glancing one last time at her cell phone, Kensie tucked it into her pocket and picked up her pace. She hadn’t spotted Henry once since she’d started down this trail and for all she knew, he’d turned a different way.
But as she emerged from the storage units into a parking lot, she saw a black truck firing to life. And in the passenger seat was a woman with dark, shoulder-length hair.
No! The cry stuck in Kensie’s throat. Without knowing what she was going to do, Kensie took off running, straight for the truck. Instead of trying to stand behind it—and probably getting run over for her trouble—she redirected toward the passenger side.
The truck was starting to back out, but slowly, like the driver hadn’t spotted her. She could reach it! If the door was unlocked, Kensie could rip it open and pull Alanna out.
She was so close! A few more steps and her sister would be free. Then the driver’s head tilted upward, like he was looking in his rearview, and the truck raced backward. It slammed to a stop—presumably as he shifted into Drive. But that was all the time Kensie would need.
She stretched her hand out toward the door handle, toward Alanna. Then an arm wrapped around her ribs from behind and a hand slapped over her mouth. Someone bigger and taller wrenched her off her feet, smothering her scream as the truck roared out of the lot, taking Alanna with it.
WHERE WAS KENSIE?
Colter hadn’t seen her in over an hour. He’d finished talking to the occupants of the bar twenty minutes ago, expecting to find her waiting by his truck. Although the stores were spread out, there wasn’t a whole lot still open. Soon it would just be the bar.
He’d checked his cell phone, but nothing. So, then he’d started moving, peeking down most of the side streets, even popping into the few stores not yet closed. But no Kensie.
Nerves settled low in his belly, along with guilt that he’d let her wander around alone. Except she should have been perfectly safe here. Yes, it was quiet, but as far as he knew, the only trouble they’d ever had originated in the bar. Usually fights, which was why he’d suggested Kensie check the stores.
But there wasn’t a lot to check, so why wasn’t she back yet? And if she’d found anything, why hadn’t she called? Yes, cell service could be spotty here, but it was usually okay as long as she stayed on the main streets.
Now, as the colorful streaks in the sky sank lower behind the trees, Colter glanced at Rebel. She’d sat patiently outside the bar waiting for him. He should have sent her with Kensie.
Rebel let out a low whine, as if she knew what he was thinking and agreed.
“Come on, girl, let’s find Kensie,” he said, picking up his pace even as his bad leg throbbed in protest.
Her tail wagged, but she watched him, as if he should know where she was. Which he should.
“Where are you, Kensie?” he asked out loud, making the woman closing up shop nearby glance at him sideways.
“Have you seen a woman with long brown hair and a purple coat come through here? She would have been looking for—”
“Her sister.” The woman cut him off. “Yeah, I saw her about five minutes ago.”
His heart picked up. Five minutes wasn’t very long. And there wasn’t much else down this street besides a few other shops, already closed up for the night, a couple of small parking lots and a group of storage units. Maybe she’d looped the long way around back to town and they’d just missed each other. “Do you know which way she headed?”
The woman silently pointed down the street—toward the storage units—and then rounded the corner into the tiny parking lot next to her store.
Colter opened his mouth to ask if she was sure, but she’d seemed certain. He frowned, walking that way, but glancing down every alleyway he passed. A flash of movement caught his eye up ahead, and then a truck careened out from the side alongside the storage units. And in the passenger seat...was that Kensie?
“Kensie!” Her name ripped from his mouth as the truck did a dangerously sharp turn onto the street across from him. It would be gone long before he could get back to his truck and follow.
Panic and dread and loss filled him instantly, completely. They overwhelmed him, made his vision go dark like it had that day he’d learned about his brothers in the hospital. He slumped down into a crouch. His leg nearly gave out on him, but he managed to catch himself, resting his head on his knees, trying to get air into his suddenly uncooperative windpipe.
Beside him, Rebel let out a sharp bark and jabbed her head under his armpit. She nudged him with her nose over and over, grounding him, slowly settling the ringing in his ears.
And then
