Chapter 27 #2
Tears filled my eyes. “I never meant to hurt him.”
“I know. And I think, after you’ve both had some time to cool off today, he’ll see that, too. Just talk to him when you get home.”
Nodding my understanding, I said, “I will.”
“If things get heated again, and you need a night apart, my door is always open.”
I forced a smile, even though the thought sent a wave of dread washing over me. The last thing I wanted was a night away from Ace. “I appreciate that. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
With near perfect timing, my client walked in, followed by Lark’s, so we both got back to work. I spent the rest of my day doing my best to focus on my clients and my work, but it wasn’t easy. My mind drifted regularly to Ace and the morning we’d had together.
By the time the end of the day rolled around, I was eager to leave so I could get back to Ace’s house, prepare dinner, and wait for him to get home from work.
Lark wished me good luck, and after we said goodbye, she took off.
I walked the remaining distance to my car, but just as I was about to open the door, one hand clamped around my mouth as the other went around my waist.
It took me a moment to realize what was happening, and I began kicking my legs and flailing my arms, to no avail.
I was carried away from my car and to a dark blue truck.
A truck that looked precisely like the one that ran me off the road.
When I saw it, I panicked even more. And that was just enough for the man holding me to smash my head against the side of it, knocking me out.
When I woke up some time later, I was shocked to see where I’d been taken.
ACE
This had easily been my most frustrating day at work. And the reason for that had nothing to do with a single vehicle I worked on.
Everything had been perfect. Almost too perfect. I should’ve expected that something would come along to ruin what Tessa and I had.
I was still so disgusted by the way we’d spoken to each other. By the way we’d handled our first argument.
Neither of us had done a good job of it. I was so angry with her—I still was—and Tessa was content to just walk away.
I’d spent the entire day replaying our morning over and over in my head. Despite what I’d told her, I was jealous. Seeing my beautiful girl wearing her ex’s sweatshirt while she was in my kitchen sent me spiraling in a way I didn’t even know was possible.
God, I’d hated it. And that she didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with it, that she believed I had no reason to be upset, made the whole situation worse.
At this point, the only thing I was grateful for was that my workday was done, it was Friday, and I could go home to talk this out with her. I could only hope the hours we’d had apart were enough for her to be willing to discuss it with me.
I took off at my usual time and drove home. When I walked up to the front door, it didn’t open.
Evidently, Tessa hadn’t cooled off at all, and she wasn’t going to give me the one thing I desperately looked forward to after a long day at work.
I guess I couldn’t blame her when I’d shouted at her the way I had this morning.
But my stomach felt hollow as I walked inside and called her name. “Tessa?”
No answer.
I went in search of her. “Tessa?”
Still nothing.
Then it dawned on me. Her car wasn’t outside when I pulled up. I’d grown so accustomed to my sister dropping her off that I hadn’t thought twice when I didn’t see it there.
Great. It seemed like she was holding a bigger grudge than I thought.
Deciding to be the bigger person and break the ice, so we could talk and work this out, I pulled out my phone and called her.
The phone rang four times before it went to voicemail.
I left a message. “Tessa, I’m sorry about this morning.
I just got home, and you’re not here. I’d really like you to call me so we can talk. We need to work this out.”
I should’ve waited. Been reasonable. But I was too upset about the whole situation. So, I called my sister.
“Hi, Ace,” she greeted me.
“Hey, Lark. Listen, I was just curious if I could talk to Tessa.”
“What?”
“She’s with you, isn’t she?” I asked. “I just called her and left a voicemail, because I got home and she isn’t here. We had a fight this morning, so I’m guessing she thought I wouldn’t want to talk tonight.”
“Ace, she’s not with me. You’re telling me she’s not home?”
Something unwelcome settled inside me. “No, she’s not. Did she leave work at the same time as you?”
“Yes.”
“Have you talked to her since?”
“No. Let me try calling her.”
Lark and I disconnected, and it was the most agonizing few seconds while I waited for her to call me back. If Tessa wasn’t ready to talk, I guess I’d have no choice but to accept it. My phone had barely started ringing when I answered. “Did you get in touch with her?”
“No. And it’s strange, because… Well, Ace, I talked to her at work today. She told me that you two had your first fight, and she was really upset. But I helped her work through it, and from what I could tell, she was remorseful and eager to talk it out with you.”
“Well, where the hell did she go?” I asked. “She didn’t mention stopping anywhere else, did she?”
“No.”
I was feeling worse and worse. This was the first time she’d driven to work since that truck ran her off the road. What if her ex was up to something again?
“I’ve got to make a few phone calls,” I told my sister.
“Let me know once you’ve gotten in touch with her.”
“You do the same if you hear from her.”
“I will.”
I ended the call with my sister, found the name of the next person I needed to talk to, and tapped on his name. It rang once before Kash said, “Yeah?”
“Kash, are you still on Hastings?”
“Yep. Boring as hell, too.”
“You’re with him now?”
There was a moment of hesitation before Kash answered, “I’m not exactly with him now, but I’m sitting in my vehicle in the parking lot outside the business office where his firm is. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know where Tessa is,” I confessed. “I just got home from work, and she’s usually here before me. I tried calling, but she didn’t answer. And when I called my sister, she told me they left work at the same time.”
“He’s still here, Ace. His car hasn’t moved since he arrived this morning.”
Something wasn’t right. I could feel it. I just didn’t know what to do.
Kash’s voice cut into my thoughts. “Do you want me to get another man looking into it? Maybe we can track her down.”
I sighed. “I… I don’t know if I’m overreacting.
We got into a fight this morning, so I don’t know if she’s just blowing off steam, or if something’s wrong.
Let me make a few phone calls to her sister and friends.
And I’m going to drive to her salon. See if there’s anything along the route that indicates if there’s an actual reason to be concerned. ”
“Sure. Let me know if you need any help.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
After ending my call with Kash, the panic really began to settle inside me. I didn’t want to think Tessa would do something like this intentionally and not even send a text to let me know she was okay and simply wanted some time to herself. Not with what had happened recently.
Recognizing I wouldn’t get any answers like this, I decided to take off for the salon. Before I got her sister, family, or our friends involved in something that might not have been anything more than just emotions for her, I’d drive the route she’d take to the salon.
I locked up the house and made my way to my truck.
And as I drove, desperation took hold of me. If something happened to Tessa, especially after how we’d left things between us this morning, I’d never forgive myself.
KASH
Kash Cunningham couldn’t recall a time when he had ever been so bored on a case before this one.
Other than one incident at a café one afternoon a couple of weeks ago, there was nothing linking Ryan Hastings to the recent life-threatening situations Tessa Stone had found herself in.
Kash didn’t mind doing the occasional surveillance. It was simply part of the job he loved to do. But he wasn’t quite sure how much longer he could stand this.
It wasn’t that he wanted to see Tessa hurt or in some dangerous situation, but Kash hadn’t seen so little action on a case in his life.
He only wished he had something to report to Ace Townsend.
Hell, at this point, he would’ve settled for Hastings doing something more than just going to work and heading home, something he expected would be happening any minute now.
Just as he let out another sigh of frustration over the case, Hastings walked out of the building. Just as expected.
Kash took in the man and noted that something felt off. His expression was worried, and his footsteps hurried. After weeks of watching the man, neither of those was normal.
Perhaps today would be Kash’s lucky day.
As Hastings got into his SUV and pulled out of his spot, Kash left the parking lot behind him. He’d been doing this long enough to make sure he’d never be made. Of course, he didn’t think Hastings was the kind of guy who paid attention to anything like that anyway.
Minutes later, an unwelcome feeling settled over Kash.
He watched as Hastings parked, got out of his car, and walked up to the front door of a home that wasn’t his. Kash was further distressed when Hastings knocked on that door, waited barely ten seconds, and was allowed inside.
Kash pulled out his phone, not looking forward to making the call he needed to make. Ace Townsend had just mentioned that he and his girl had a fight this morning, and he had no idea where she was.
And now, Tessa’s ex-boyfriend had just walked inside her home.
Kash couldn’t be certain, but he was relatively confident Ace was going to be crushed.