Chapter 8
Eight
Liam
I swear, just thinking about her makes my phone buzz.
“Hello?” I’m hesitant to answer, but I also want to hear her voice.
Bristol’s voice sounds far away, almost muffled, but I still make out the words clear enough.
“Why are you bringing me to a hotel room? I’m not interested in you like that, Jaxson. You’re married. I’m … your employee.”
My stomach drops and I shout, making sure that she can hear me. “Bristol!” I need her to give me something else to go on, some way to find her if she needs help.
A hotel.
What hotel?
Where is she?
Who the hell is Jaxson?
There’s silence on the other end and I don’t like not knowing what’s happening.
Her mumbled response comes closer to the phone, “Not again,” she mutters, and then there’s a loud thud.
Did she fall?
Did her phone hit the ground?
What the hell is going on?
“Bristol!” I try again, but she’s not responding.
Silence fills the space, and then a male voice sounds a bit closer to the phone but not directly into the line. “Maybe we should call an ambulance for you.”
There’s rustling and then a few soft gasps that I’d recognize anywhere.
Bristol.
“I’m fine,” she answers and ends the call.
Shit.
Is she fine? Or is she in trouble?
She wouldn’t have called me if things were fine. Her boss was taking her to a hotel room. My stomach tangles into a knot just imagining all the grotesque things he might force her to do.
Bristol could be at any hotel in Great Falls, Breckenridge, or another neighboring town.
She wasn’t specific enough for me to know where to find her.
I try to call her back, but it goes immediately to voicemail. The same happens after the second and, again, the third time. I don’t bother leaving her a message. I do, however, send her a text.
Where are you? Are you okay?
She ignores my text, or maybe she doesn’t see it.
Either way, she doesn’t answer me. Do I reach out to her father? That’s one sure-fire way to guarantee she hates me.
“I’ve got to head out.” I slip on my shoes and grab my keys by the door.
“Where are you in a rush to?” Nova asks, watching with rapt curiosity.
“I think Bristol is in trouble.”
“Good luck!” Nova calls behind me and glances at Ashton. “Who is Bristol?”
I slam the door shut and hurry to my car. I try calling my sister; maybe Sophia can help. She could keep an eye on Bristol’s room, make sure that she’s not home and playing some cruel trick on me.
“Hey,” Sophia answers, her voice warm and sunny. My twin is almost always in a better mood than I am.
“Can you do me a solid and check if Bristol is home?”
“That depends, do you have a crush on her?” Sophia asks.
My mouth opens and snaps shut. I ignore her question. “She called me in a state of panic and then hung up on me. I need to make sure it wasn’t her being a brat and prank calling me.”
“I don’t think Bristol would do that,” Sophia says, and I hear the door close behind her. “But I’m walking to the elevator. It’ll take me a couple of minutes to get to her dorm. Do you want me to call you back or text you?”
“Call me, I’m driving.” I hang up and then try Bristol again.
She doesn’t answer. I’m not sure why I expect that she would.
I don’t leave a message and I call her father.
Yep, she’s going to kill me.
“Hello?” Kyler Greyson’s voice holds a hint of curiosity as he answers the call. At least one Greyson is willing to talk with me.
“Sir, this is Liam Moretti. I reached out to you the other day about your daughter.”
“Yes, I remember.” There’s a rustling of papers in the background and then a short pause. “Is everything all right with Bristol?”
“I’m concerned,” I admit. “She called me sounding quite panicked about her boss taking her to a hotel room.”
“Excuse me?” There’s a gruffness exuding from his tone.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but she won’t call me back and I’m concerned.”
“As am I,” Kyler grunted. “Did she happen to mention who she was with at work?”
“Jaxson,” I say, recalling his name.
“Fucking Monroe,” Kyler grumbles. “I swear, if he touches my baby girl, I’ll—” he ends the call without so much as a goodbye.