Chapter 30
Tick-Tock
Georgie. Sweet Georgie. I knew the moment I met her we would be friends. She was the bubbles in champagne. Laughter followed her everywhere she went.
I didn’t see her approach, but Monique was standing beside me, staring at the girl who was still grinning maniacally even as blood spilled from her throat, even as she collapsed to the ground.
“She’s here,” I whispered.
Monique dragged her eyes back to me and scowled. “Who?”
“Sarah.” The truth sent shivers crawling over my skin.
Monique jerked my arm and dragged me toward the door. She pulled her phone out of her jacket and pressed it to her ear. I couldn’t hear what she was saying over the yelling and screaming and crying as the crowd bustled to get out.
The cold night air hit my skin as we stepped onto the sidewalk. Monique sniffed and threw up her arms in frustration. “I can’t smell her with all the rain we’ve had.”
“Go,” I said, white-hot panic roiling through me. “Go look for her.”
Her eyes scanned the building tops. “No, I won’t leave you, someone might be watching.”
“We need to find her.” I raised my voice. “I can take care of myself.”
“Calm down, Sarah may not have her. Did you check her bag for her phone?”
“No, I …”
Why didn’t I check? I just assumed Sarah took her … My fingers shook as I unzipped her bag and rifled through it. I jerked my head up. “It’s not there.”
Monique pressed “redial” on her phone.
“Did you track it?”
She nodded and hung up. “Her phone is around the corner.” She started striding up the street. Hope flared, while in the distance sirens wailed.
“What … how do you …?” Then it clicked. I jogged after her. “He can track our phones, can’t he?”
“Of course.”
I sucked in a tight breath as I opened the purse and checked for credit cards. There were two in there, but I had no idea how many she had.
“Wait here.” Monique stopped as we reached the corner. “It could be a trap.”
“No way, I’m coming with you.” I didn’t give her a chance to argue, I walked around the corner. The street was dimly lit, windows in buildings were black, leering out like soulless eyes. I couldn’t see anyone, but Monique’s eyesight was far better.
“Can you see her?”
“Stay.” Monique ordered and she flashed ahead, scanning the darkest shadows and alleyways.
The wailing sirens drew closer. I folded my arms as a shiver ran through me. Why would Georgie’s phone be here if she wasn’t? Monique stopped at a bin and took something out. A phone.
Oh God, Sarah must have tossed out her phone. What would she do to her? She could have used her to do what she made the other girl do, but instead she’d taken her. There was only one reason for that. Whatever she had planned for her was worse, much worse.
I stumbled to a tree, my hand groping to find purchase. Light washed over me and grew to a blinding ball. A car was coming, flying down the road.
It slammed to a stop. Karson jumped out, worried and angry. He ran his gaze over me briefly and I looked away, anger joining the panic storming through me.
“Anything?” he asked Monique as she scrolled through Georgie’s phone while walking back.
“There’s not much on here, a couple of messages to Jodie, BJ, and the boyfriend, no pictures.”
“Show me.” Monique passed me the phone. My hand shook as I took it. I frowned. “That’s not her phone. She has tons of pictures on her phone.”
“It is, I can smell her on it, and hers is the only scent.”
Michael strode into view, looking between us. “Perhaps she downloaded her images to a computer. She’s had a lot of spare time since this all happened. What do the messages say, anything of value?”
“No,” Monique answered, “just hey I miss you, I love you to the boyfriend, nothing about plans.”
“What do you know about him?” Michael asked me.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “He’s a basketballer, he plays for Houston, I think, I’m not sure.
They’re in love and it’s serious. They’ve talked about marriage.
” I shoved the phone in my pocket. “Talking about this isn’t helping.
We need to keep searching. If Sarah has her … ” My voice cracked.
“I have every vampire I could get hold of looking for her. We will find her,” Karson said.
I didn’t look at him. Couldn’t. My fingers still shook as I picked up my phone and called BJ.
“Hey, Amy, I’m so sorry I was working earlier and I’ve—”
“BJ,” I cut him off, “can you track? I need you to track Georgie,” I rasped.
“What?” Panic made his voice shrill. “What’s happened?”
I quickly told him.
“Oh fuck,” he cried. “My mom or my aunty will be better than me. We need something of hers—I’ll have to break into her unit, unless Jodie has a key …” he trailed off, and I could hear his footsteps as he ran. “I think Mom put a blocking spell on you, and she could unblock it.”
“Let me know.” I hung up and squeezed my throbbing forehead, willing away the panic.
“Amelia.” Karson grabbed hold of my arm gently.
I yanked it away, pent-up rage spilling out. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
He stared at me with his beautiful hazel eyes.
Grief and loss clenched every muscle in my body.
I could feel my power simmering beneath the whirl of emotions.
I clenched my fists. I wanted to punch him in those beautiful eyes.
All the dreams I had of us, of our future together, shattered by the truth.
He lied to me, he pretended to care when all the while he needed me for something.
Was it more than needing me to protect the waters?
Whatever it was, after what he told Rodney, I would walk through hell before I helped him.
“Amelia, please.” His voice was thick and gravelly, the kind that usually slipped like velvet along my spine. I was pathetic and stupid. So fucking stupid.
“I have no interest in listening to more of your lies. My only interest is finding Georgie, so you can help, or you can just fuck off.” I spun and strode down the road.
“It’s not what you think.” He fell into step beside me.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I snapped, turning the corner.
Cars whizzed by and sirens wailed as two police cars pulled up, lights flashing, before four officers ran into the bar. Moments later, an ambulance drew to a sharp halt, and two paramedics hurried in behind them.
“You go and search.” I stopped, trying to work out where to go first. “You’re fast and I’ll search the nearby bars, just in case.”
“Absolutely not.” He thrust his hand roughly through his hair. “I won’t leave you.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near me,” I cried.
My words struck. He flinched. “Don’t say that.” He sounded like he was pleading. He was an A-grade actor. “Amelia, just listen.”
“Go away!” I shouted. My fury reached the streetlight, and one above us flickered and went out, casting shadows over the street. “I have more important people to worry about than you.”
That comment struck too. He stiffened. I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was find Georgie and get him out of my sight.