9. Piers
Chapter 9
Piers
I’ve spent the whole morning battling the streets of downtown Houston on a hunt for the perfect engagement ring for Remi, but the entire errand has turned into a severe test of my sanity.
Who knew picking out a ring could feel less like shopping and more like a scavenger hunt gone tragically wrong?
Finally, after delving into a dizzying whirlwind of shiny rings, I find the perfect one. After all the wrong sizes and awful designs I’ve braved through, I can’t help but feel like I hit the jackpot. But just as I’m about to bask in my victory, Houston traffic decides to throw a wrench in the works.
I’m stuck on the freeway, inching along at a glacial pace when I realize I’m going to be late. I’ve got to let Daniel know I won’t be there to help with the two yards or grab the tools I’d wanted to pick up from the job site.
I hit the Bluetooth button on my steering wheel and mutter, “Call Daniel.”
A few seconds later, he answers on the first ring. “Good morning, boss.”
“Hey, Daniel,” I mutter, watching out the window as the traffic comes to a dead stop in front of me. “I’m stuck in hellish traffic, and I won’t make it back before lunch time. Can you handle the two jobs today without me?”
“No problem,” he replies, sounding less worried about the situation than I am.
“Great.” I know he’s more than capable, but I still hate to fuck up. “Would you also do me a huge favor and drop off the tools I need for my yard at my house?”
“Sure. I’ll drop them off between jobs,” he readily agrees, and my bumpy day suddenly levels out a little. “Don’t worry about anything. We can handle the jobs.”
“Thanks,” I say, feeling a bit better as I hang up, then resume the slow torture of the road.
Two hours later, I realize I should be home in a solid ten minutes unless the universe decides to add twenty more minutes of miserable traffic to my life.
The ring box sitting on my passenger seat, partially hidden under my jacket, feels like it’s pulsing with excitement. The thought of asking Remi to marry me makes my heart race, and the closer I get to home, the more excited I get.
I’m about ten minutes from my place when my phone buzzes, and Daniel’s name flashes across the screen. “Hey, what’s up?” He usually only calls me when there’s a problem, so I automatically tense up.
“After spending the entire morning trying to get Julian to do something productive, I gave up and sent him over to your house with the tools. I didn’t trust him with the key to your house, so I told him to leave the tools in your backyard, figuring the dipshit couldn’t fuck up such a simple request,” he grumbles, “but he’s goddamn determined to prove me wrong.”
“What do you mean?” I ask as worst-case scenarios of my damaged house or destroyed truck run through my mind.
“He hasn’t returned yet,” Daniel explains. “And he isn’t answering his cell phone.”
Motherfucking son-of-a-bitch. This is the last thing I need to deal with today. “How long ago did he leave?”
“Right after I spoke to you,” he informs me, and I glance at the clock to see it’s been two hours.
I’m not letting the spoiled fuck-up ruin my day, so I calmly tell Daniel, “If he doesn’t return to the job site within a couple more hours and doesn’t call, we’ll report the truck stolen and let Sheriff Armstrong deal with him.”
“I’m sorry about this.” He sounds even more pissed than I am.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. You were doing me a goddamn favor, and I’m responsible for hiring the dumbass.” I rub the back of my neck, hoping to ease the sudden tension crawling up my spine.
“We all make mistakes.” He chuckles. “Even…”
Before he can finish that thought, my phone buzzes again, and I see Jasper’s name light up on the screen. Since I can’t remember the last time my neighbor called me, something feels off. My heart seizes in my chest as I tell Daniel, “Sorry, but I’ll have to call you later.” I hit the red button on the steering wheel, answering Jasper’s call.
“Piers!” Jasper’s voice cuts through the truck, urgent and tinged with fear. “Remi took Winston out for a walk a while back and hasn’t returned.”
“How long has it been?” I breathe deeply, attempting to calm my nerves, and telling myself everything is okay.
“I got caught up experimenting with a new casserole recipe, and just realized it’s been almost two hours since she left. I tried calling her cell, and it went straight to voicemail.”
I feel a knot tighten in my stomach as worries about my missing employee fly right out the window. My heart races as I remind myself to breathe. She’s my entire world, and I can’t live without her is the only thought running through my mind on a constant loop.
“I’m on my way.” I hit the gas, weaving in and out of traffic as urgency cuts through me. I can’t lose Remi. I wouldn’t survive without her.
After what feels like an eternity, I pull into my subdivision and drive up and down all the roads, looking for a bright blonde head and circling little pup. When I don’t find her walking down any of the roads, I pull up in front of my house and rush to my front door, eager to see if there’s a reasonable explanation for what’s happening. Frantic thoughts ping-pong around in my mind as I keep hoping that maybe she decided to bring Winston over. Instead of finding Remi and the little furball, I find an empty home. The silence is deafening.
I rush through the house, scanning rooms for signs she’s been here, but I’m disappointed to find it just as l left it this morning.
Needing to do something to find my girl, I sprint down the sidewalk toward Jasper's house, my pulse pounding like a war drum.
When I finally reach Jasper's front porch, I don’t even bother to knock. I barge in, feeling semi-crazed, and find Jasper on the phone. He’s pacing, and I can see the worried furrow in his brow before he even registers my presence.
He lifts a finger, signaling for me to hold on, and I pace the room, anxiety tightening my chest like a noose as I listen to him explain the situation to Sheriff Armstrong. “I’m not overreacting. They should’ve been back by now.”
He listens to the sheriff for a few moments before hanging up. “Dillon is on his way over here.”
While I pace back and forth in Jasper’s front hall, the floorboards creak under the weight of my unease. My mind races as I wrestle with the dark thoughts swirling in the pit of my stomach.
Jasper sits in a chair, the worry lines on his forehead deepening by the minute as he watches me wear a groove into the floor. “Your pacing is driving me nuts,” he grumbles, trying to mask his concern with a teasing tone that he’s not nailing.
“Welcome to my world,” I shoot back, feeling the frustration bubbling inside me like a pot boiling over. “I can’t lose her,” I mutter the words swirling around my mind.
“You won’t,” Jasper assures me, but I won’t breathe easy until I have her back in my arms again.
There’s a knock at the door, and Jasper rushes over to answer it. Sheriff Armstrong steps in, his presence commanding the room. He’s a tall guy with a rugged demeanor, wearing his years in law enforcement like battle scars.
“Alright, explain to me what’s happening,” he says, eyes narrowing as he takes stock of the scene.
“Remi and Winston went out for a walk a couple of hours ago and haven’t come back,” Jasper explains, the weight of his words hanging thick in the air.
Sheriff Armstrong nods, jotting something down in his notepad. “And you tried calling her cellphone?”
What a stupid goddamn question. “Several times,” I reply, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling underneath.
The sheriff looks from me to Jasper, and I can see him evaluating how serious this really is. “Any unusual behavior from her or anyone else recently? Any fights or problems between you two?”
“No, everything has been great between us,” I mutter. My heart shudders to a stop when a thought suddenly occurs to me. “But I have a missing employee, too.”
Dillon blinks several times. “What the fuck?” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Please explain everything.”
“Daniel, my foreman, called me earlier to let me know he’d sent my new employee over to drop off some tools at my house, but he never returned,” I tell him as Jasper listens on. “I forgot all about Julian when Jasper called to tell me Remi hadn’t come home.”
“Does Julian know Remi?” Dillon Armstrong starts reeling off questions. “Do you think his disappearance could have anything to do with Remi’s?”
“He made an ass out of himself staring at Remi at lunch the other day. I just…” I pause to school my thoughts. “Maybe I’m connecting dots that aren’t there, but it didn’t feel right. He was making her uncomfortable and pissing me the fuck off,” I admit, unease crawling up my spine.
The sheriff jots down another note, his brow furrowing deeper. “Alright. Has he made threats or acted aggressively?”
“No,” I respond, my irritation and worry flaring anew. “I would’ve fired his ass on the spot.”
The sheriff stands straighter, flipping through his notes with newfound urgency. “Alright, we’re going to send out some deputies to search for your company truck and keep an eye out for Julian. In the meantime, I’m going to drive around the area.”
“I will, too,” I say, already turning to gather my thoughts and shake off the dread that’s suddenly gripping me. “I need to do something.”
“Here’s my cell number,” Sheriff Armstrong says, jotting it down and handing it over. “If you see anything or if any other leads come up, don’t hesitate to call.”
“Thanks, Dillon,” I reply, determination settling into my bones. I shove the piece of paper into my pocket as I head for the door. I turn to Jasper. “I won’t let anything stop me from finding her.”
“I know.” He sits down on his sofa, looking every bit of his seventy-plus years.
“Call me if you hear anything,” I tell him before sprinting to my truck. I slam the door shut and crank the engine as my mind races with possibilities. I grip the steering wheel, forcing my breathing to steady, but every distracted glimpse out the window sends adrenaline shooting through me.
I’m cruising down a quiet road, scanning every corner for signs of Remi and Winston. Just as my anxious thoughts start spiraling into worst-case scenarios, my phone rings, jolting me from the mental chaos. It's Dillon, and I answer immediately, my heart racing.
“Listen, we spotted your truck on an old dirt road out on the outskirts of town,” he says, urgency lacing his voice. “We’re on our way there now. I’ll send you the location. Get there as soon as you can.”
A rush of adrenaline hits me like cold water splashed on my face. “I’m on my way,” I reply, pulling a U-turn as the tires squeal on the pavement. I hammer the gas pedal, letting the engine roar as the landscape blurs past me. The clock is ticking, and I need to find my girl.
Dread builds beneath my rib cage as I imagine all the reasons why they’d spot Julian's truck in some remote area. I can’t get rid of this sick feeling that something is very wrong.
Finally, I pull up on the edge of the scene in the distance. The world stops when I see flashing lights, an ambulance parked on the side of the road, and two sheriff’s vehicles surrounding my company truck. I pull in sharply, tires kicking up dust as I park, my heart pounding in sync with the sirens.
I hop out of the truck, my brain sending warning signals as panic ratchets up in my chest. The sight of Julian sprawled out on the side of the road in handcuffs and looking dazed doesn’t help.
I look frantically all around, wondering where Remi is.
I ignore the shouts from the deputies as I make a beeline for Julian, ignoring all the procedures and instructions being barked at me. “What the hell happened?” I demand, voice low and menacing as I lean down to get a look at him.
He blinks at me, eyes narrowing, clearly disoriented. “I didn’t do anything, man! I was just?—”
“If you touched her, I’ll kill you,” I snap, standing up to scan the area for signs of Remi, the knot in my stomach twisting tighter.
Julian stammers, trying to regain composure, but I can hardly focus on what he’s saying. My gaze shifts frantically until I spot Dillon pushing through the crowd. He strides over with a determined look.
“She’s fine, Piers,” Dillon assures me, voice steady but serious enough to keep me grounded.
“Where is she?” I demand, needing to see for myself she’s okay.
“Remi is in the ambulance,” he points out. “She’s not badly hurt, just a little banged up, but we’re checking her out. Let’s go.”
I don’t need telling twice, and I make my way toward the ambulance, Dillon right behind me. I almost shove the back doors open without thinking, but a part of me wants to approach this with caution. I push them open to find Remi sitting inside, looking at me with wide, bright eyes that somehow spark a mixture of relief and panic within me.
“Hey,” I breathe out, almost falling into the space beside her as the weight of the day threatens to crush me again. “Are you okay?”
She nods slowly, and I can read her expression—confusion mixed with that familiar spark of defiance I adore. “I’m fine, really. Just a little freaked out. That jerk hit me over the head and kicked Winston when he tried to protect me.” Anger unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life blasts through me, and I have the sudden urge to break the motherfucker in half. The only thing holding me back is my worry for Remi.
“Where’s the little furball?” I look around for Winston.
“He was completely traumatized, so I had one of my deputies drive him over to Jasper’s house. Hopefully, a little love and attention will help him recover,” Dillon tells me as I reach for Remi. I brush her hair back from her face while my heart races. I check her over, reassuring myself she’s in one piece. “Julian didn’t lay a hand on you?”
“No! He just kept talking about the date he was taking me on.” She blows out her breath. “He wasn’t making much sense, and I finally realized he’s either high or he’s completely lost his mind.”
“Or a combination of the two,” Dillon cuts in. “We’re going to take him to get checked out before we book him.”
As my heart settles in my chest, I take a deep breath, momentarily lost in gratitude that she’s okay. “You scared the fuck out of me, Cookie,” I murmur, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Oops, my bad,” she teases as I hug her luscious body close. Feeling the steady beat of her heart pressed against my chest helps ease the fear and rage coursing through me.
“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” I whisper against her soft lips. “Ever.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
Later that night, Dillon calls to let me know they’re charging Julian with kidnapping and a slew of other charges. Evidently, the dipshit was too high to consider the consequences of his actions, but he’ll soon learn while he’s spending the next five to ten years in prison. The idiot’s rich dad is busy trying to hire the best lawyer around, but no one wants to take on the hassle so it looks like he’s shit out of luck.
I let the sheriff know I don’t care what the fuck happens to him as long as he never steps foot anywhere near my girl again. After Dillon assures me he’ll make sure Julian Harris is too busy trying to survive his new circumstances to bother us again, I hang up, ready to forget about the dipshit and concentrate on my future with Remi.