CHAPTER 44
Palmer
The sound of something clattering sharply to the floor startles me awake. I shoot upright, glancing around the dark room. A growl sounds low in Mouse’s chest.
“H-hello?” I stammer groggily.
“Jesus fucking Christ, bro,” I say, not bothering with any niceties. “You scared the shit out of me. My—”
“Fucking finally,” Chase cuts me off, his voice curt. “I’ve been calling for the last thirty minutes.”
“Well, excuse me for putting my phone on vibrate and trying to actually get some sleep,” I retort irritably.
“Palmer, I need you to listen to me.”
For the first time since I woke up, it dawns on me that my room is pitch black and Chase is calling me. He never calls me without a reason, let alone this early in the morning. Any trace of the humor that typically tinges his voice is gone.
Fear rises in my chest, and my body begins to quiver. “What’s going on? Is Lindy okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine.” He sighs impatiently. “See?”
Lindy’s voice pipes up. “I’m okay, Palmer. I’m right here.”
Her reassurance does little to assuage my panic.
Chase cuts in again, his voice steady but assertive. “We’re about two minutes out from your house. I need you to pack at least one change of clothes in a carry-on and basic toiletries to get through a TSA checkpoint. You’ve got about ten minutes, then we need to go.”
“Go?” My voice is high and tight, confusion clouding my thoughts. “Go where?”
There’s a pause on the other end of the phone before Chase speaks again, his voice strained. “I’ll fill you in when we get on the road. I need you to do your best not to panic, but—”
The line goes so quiet that I think the call might have dropped. “Hello? Guys?”
Chase’s voice is softer when he responds, almost as if he’s afraid of what the words will do to me when they hit my ears. “It’s Bailey.”