Standing over me, glaring with a sinister grin on his face, is the last person I thought I’d ever see here in my bedroom.
“Hello, Charlie,” is the last thing feeding my ears before the burning sting in my neck, and his face fades to darkness.
Chapter Twenty
Jace
“I’m full,” Kiely mutters, looking like she’s about to fall asleep in her egg drop soup.
“Someone’s sleepy.” I lift her from the chair, and she cuddles into my neck. “Let’s get you tucked into your nice warm bed, peanut.”
After we arrived home, I put her in some warm, fuzzy pajamas because her little teeth were chattering. She’ll wake up in the middle of the night sweating like a firebox, but she’s comfortable for now.
“Read me a story?” Kiely mutters in a sleepy voice.
“Of course.” I snag The Monster at the End of This Book since it’s her favorite.
“Where the hell are you?” I mutter, looking down at my phone for the fiftieth time.
“Daddy, don’t say bad words.”
“Sorry.” I sit at the edge of the bed and open the book.
“Where’s Charlotte.” She yawns. “Is she coming back?”
“She’ll be here soon, Sweet Girl.” I hope so.
“I like her a lot,” she mumbles, already half asleep.
“Me too, sweet pea.” I kiss her on the forehead. “Me too.”
Forty minutes later, I’m staring at the cold Chinese sitting on the counter, wondering what to do next. I’ve tried calling Charlotte’s phone at least a dozen times, but it goes straight to voicemail. I've already fed Kiely, tucked her into her warm bed, and Charlotte should have been here by now. Dammit!
Losing patience, I dial her sister, Lilly. I’m trying to give Charlotte her space. I know she hates the idea of having a bodyguard—how annoyed she gets when I hover. I’m not trying to control her life, but she needs to understand she’s still in danger.
“Hey…if it isn’t the sexy bodyguard,” Lilly gushes into the phone. Hip-hop music plays in the background.
“Where’s Charlotte?”
“Uh…she’s with you,” she says in a condescending voice.
“She’s not with me.” I grind my teeth, trying to keep my cool. “She should have been here already. How long ago did she drop off the keys?”
“What keys?” Her voice rises to a higher pitch. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Lilly,” I huff, “She got a text from you two hours ago, saying you locked your keys in the car, and to meet you at the coffee house.”
“Um…no.”
“Lilly,” I growl, already on my last nerve. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Last time I talked to Charlotte was this afternoon. She said she was staying at your place again tonight. By the way…this is where I warn you…if you hurt her…”
“Lilly!” I shout, slamming my fist against the countertop. “I don’t have time for this. I need to know where she is. Now.”
“Jace, I have no idea where she is. What’s going on? You’re starting to scare me.”
“Where are you?”
“Just about home. I was at the beach all day with some friends.”
“I’m hanging up. Call the police. I’ll meet you at the house. Something’s not right.”
“What should I tell them?” she frets.
“Your sister is missing.” I hang up and quickly dial the neighbor, Kathy. Maybe her teenage daughter will sit with Kiely for a few minutes. I’ll pay her fucking double if I have to. Leaving Kiely with strangers is not my favorite thing to do, but the girl has already watched her a couple of times. She seems like a good kid. She always lets Kiely come when she walks her puppy, and her mom has been over a couple of times with some home-baked snacks, and a coloring book and crayons for my daughter.
“Come on, Charlotte…pick up the damn phone,” I curse, trying Charlotte’s phone one more time. It goes straight to voicemail. “Fuck.” Keep it together, Jace.
I call the only person I can think of to help me. “Sammy?”
“I’m on a freaking date right now.” My brother’s displeased tone echoes on the other end. “And I really like her.” There’s feminine giggle in the background.
“It’s Charlotte. We have a problem.” I rush to the safe in my bedroom and pull out my handgun. “I need you, Brother.”
When I finally pull up in front of Charlotte’s house, two police cruisers with flashing red and blue lights are sitting in the driveway. Charlotte’s Camaro sits idle as I quickly jump out of my truck. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not as I race through the front door. Maybe she’s here.
Voices ring out from the back of the house where Charlotte’s bedroom is. I’m silently praying one of those voices is Charlotte’s, and this is all a huge misunderstanding.
“Jace, thank God you’re here,” Lilly stammers as I enter Charlotte’s bedroom. The stone-faced officer standing next to her, scribbling in his note pad, studies me.
“Where is she?” I search around the room, noticing Charlotte’s bag and phone scattered on the floor.
“I don’t know,” she sobs, throwing herself into my arms. “Please find her.”
“Sir, can you tell us what you know?” The young, scrawny officer with arched brows steps next to me. Christ! He looks like he just graduated from the academy two minutes ago.
“My girlfriend was supposed to be on her way to my place. She never showed. She has a stalker.” I survey the room again for any signs of a struggle and notice her phone screen is cracked.
“What the hell happened here?” Sammy bursts into the room.
“We’re not sure yet. But we found this on the floor.” The other officer holds up plastic baggy containing a syringe. Fuck!
“It’s Mason. I know it is.” I frown over at Lilly. “Tell me what you know about him.”
“N…nothing. He tried to call me three times today, so I blocked him.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
“He has a place…near the track.”
“Address,” I growl.
“I…I was only there once. I can show you.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” the older officer with a thick mustache tries to interject, but I’m halfway to my truck with Lilly and Sammy before he can blink.
“Let’s go find your sister.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Charlotte
Charlie. I struggle to open my eyes, but dizziness quickly forces them shut. What is happening?
Am I dreaming? I let out a groan trying to move my muscles. My hands are trembling. My entire body is shaking uncontrollably. Charlie. Wait! Why are my hands tied together?
A bolt of panic hits me. Where am I? Jace. My mouth falls open, calling out his name but there’s no sound. I’m shivering. I’m so cold the hair on the back of my neck is standing straight. My clothing is drenched in sweat.