Veronica Pope. Twenty-one-year-old student at LSU. She was reported missing three weeks ago by her best friend, Rachel Van, after she missed three days of classes and work. Police canvased her apartment and besides the door being ajar, nothing seemed to be out of place. The working theory is that someone followed her home and abducted her as she was trying to get into the safety of her apartment. As of now, no contact has been made with her kidnappers and police have exhausted all leads.
Leaning back in my chair, I rub my hand over my face and close my eyes. Of course, Blaze has to give me a case that will remind me of everything I’m missing right now because he knew, no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to forget. Guilt floods me. These guys really are doing everything they can to help me find Kady. I’m just too damn anxious to appreciate it at the moment.
“You busy?” Streak calls from behind me and I look back at him, shaking my head when I find him looking at me.
“Not really.”
“Come on up, then. I’ve got stuff to show you.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I gather the papers up and slip them back into the folder before grabbing it and practically sprinting up the stairs.
Please tell me I’ll finally have some damn answers.
When I reach Streak’s room, he motions for me to sit and the stoic expression on his face makes my stomach drop like a stone. As I sink into the chair, I set the folder down and rub my hand over my jeans as my leg bounces uncontrollably.
“What did you find?”
He sighs. “I’m afraid nothing that will help you.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Okay, well, as you know, Bobby was a member of the club and when Blaze started making changes, he put some distance between himself and us. Blaze assumed he was unhappy with the new direction things were going and I can’t find anything to dispute that. He didn’t have much in terms of money. In fact, at the time of his death, he had all of seventy-two dollars to his name.”
I shake my head. “Naw, he had more than that but it would have been in cash.”
“Shit. Yeah, that makes sense. He did have a small cabin out in a more secluded area. Actually, it’s not all that far from Kodiak’s place.”
I nod even though I have no idea where that is. He glances at me and scoffs, shaking his head.
“Right. It’s in Monticello, not far from here either.” He scribbles an address for me and slides it across the desk. I grab it and slip it into my pocket.
“What happened to it when he died?”
He turns to the computer. “Looks like he left everything he owned to someone named Hannah Colby.”
Bingo.
“She’s twenty-seven and works at a vet clinic in Monticello called Monticello Veterinary Clinic.”
“What’s the address of that place?”
He turns to me with a raised brow. “Why? You gonna go talk to her?”
“Yeah, something like that. She’s been Kady’s best friend since they were three.”
“Oh, shit,” he whispers, his eyes widening as he grabs a piece of paper and scribbles the address of the vet clinic down. “We should let Blaze know what’s going on. He won’t want you going alone.”
I grab the address from him as I stand. “You can let him know but I’m leaving now.”
Without waiting for his response, I fly out of the room, the first little bit of hope I’ve found since I was released blooming in my chest. Hannah has to know something, right? Back then, if Kady wasn’t with me then I would most likely find her with Hannah and they even worked together at the diner. Smiling, I jump on my bike and roar out of the parking lot before anyone can stop me. I know Streak was only looking out for me when he suggested that I take someone with me but I can’t wait another damn second to start searching for my girl.
As I fly down the interstate toward Monticello, my mind runs wild and as hard as I try to not get my hopes up, I can’t help but wonder what my girl looks like now and what she’ll say when she sees me. I know she’ll be surprised but if she is intentionally hiding from me, she’s going to be pissed as hell, too. Then again, I wouldn’t mind that either. Her fire and take no shit attitude is one of the things I love most about her. My conversation with Streak from a few days ago pops into my mind but I push it back, unwilling to consider the possibility that she’s gone for good. Now that I finally have a lead, I’m not going to even let that thought enter my mind. Kady is fine and Hannah will know where she is. She fucking has to.
When I pull up outside the vet clinic, my stomach is churning so violently that I might hurl in the bushes before I even make it in the front door. As I stare up at the building, I suck in a breath and tell myself to man the fuck up. Movement catches my eye from the side of the building and I turn just as Hannah disappears inside an open door.
Shit.
It’s now or never.
Swinging my leg over my bike, I zip my jacket and shove my hands in my pockets to ward off the cold as I walk around to the side of the building and slowly approach the open door. Hannah is standing at a large metal table, writing on a clipboard when I step into the building. Her auburn hair is longer now than the last time I saw her and even through the white medical coat, I can tell that she’s filled out in all the right places.
She’s still engrossed in her task, oblivious to my presence so I clear my throat and her head whips up. Her eyes meet mine and widen as she gasps.
“Noah,” she breathes, sounding more demure than I remember her as she takes a step back and her eyes roam over my face. “You got out.”
It’s not a question but I nod anyway. “I did.”
“And what the hell are you doing here?” There’s a bite in her voice now and I smile. One of the reasons she and Kady got on so well was because they were two peas in a pod and the only person who ever rivaled my girl in the attitude department was her best friend.
“You know why I’m here.”
She arches a brow and turns away with the clipboard still in her hand. “No, I really don’t have the faintest idea why you’re standing in the back entrance of my job.”
“Come on, Han… where is she?”
“Who?”
I grit my teeth and resist the urge to take a step forward. I’d never hit a woman but right now, Hannah is standing between me and my girl. I can feel it in my bones and I am on the verge of desperation.
“Don’t play games with me. Where is she?”
She sighs and shakes her head as she turns back to me. “You can ask as many times as you like, in as many forms as you feel necessary but my answer will, now and forevermore, be ‘go to hell’.”
Fuck.
I clench my fist and somehow stop myself from punching the wall. I fucking knew it. Hannah knows exactly where my girl is and I know that look on her face well enough to know that she’s never going to tell me. Her loyalty to Kady runs deep. Which means…
“She doesn’t want to see me? She really left me?” It feels like someone took one of the shivs from the prison and carved out my beating heart. How the hell could I be so wrong about us? Hannah sighs and this time, when she meets my eyes, sympathy shines back at me.