Chapter 20
“Where could she be?” Nash checked his watch for the fourth time that night. In fifteen minutes, he had to pick up Davey. Still no word from Addison.
He texted her. He called her, and it just kept going to voicemail.
Why didn’t he have her on the stalker app where he could track her phone like he did for Davey?
Because he wasn’t a pervert. This is not like her not to call if something came up.
He grabbed his keys and jumped into his truck. Across town, he hit the call button.
“Hey, man. What’s up?” Cade answered.
“I don’t know, but my gut’s telling me something is—”
“Talk to me.”
“Are you with Laney tonight?”
“Yeah. We’re at her parents’ for dinner.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but can you ask her if she’s heard from Addison?”
Nash gritted his teeth while long, agonizing seconds passed.
Finally, a sweet voice rang through the truck. Laney. “Nash, I haven’t heard from her. What’s going on?”
“Shit.”
“Hang on. I’m texting her now.”
“I hope you have better luck than me. I’ve texted and called. No answer. She was picking up something for her mother, then we were going to have dinner.”
“Yeah, there is a stretch of road there on the way to Rochester that’s a black hole in the service. Maybe you just tried during then. I’ll try calling.”
“Is she picking up?”
“No.” The worry was clear in her voice.
It was a perfectly clear night. The sun had just set, but something in Nash’s gut told him she was in trouble.
“Do you know what route she normally takes? There are a couple of different options—county roads, freeway, or the scenic route.”
“Can you text me the roads? I’ll take a drive.”
A second later, Cade was back on the line. “You take the scenic route. Laney and I will go to the freeway, and Sawyer says he’ll take the county roads.”
“I hate to disrupt your meal.” His phone pinged. A text from Laney appeared on the truck’s dashboard screen.
“Man, no way Laney’s staying here if she thinks Addison’s in trouble. She’s already on the phone calling the police station to make sure there were no accidents reported.”
“Okay, man. I’ve gotta call Leon and see if Davey can hang out a little longer. Let me know what you find.”
This could all be for nothing. Addison could have taken a detour or changed her mind. But his instincts screamed she was in trouble, and he’d be damned if he’d sit back when the woman he loved was in danger.
“Any word from her yet?” Sawyer’s voice echoed through the truck speakers.
“No. I’ve been up and down this road once already.” Nash hoped to find her broken down beside the road.
“Have you called her mom to see if maybe she went to a different place?”
“Laney reached out. Cade called me. They circled back to see if she had stopped somewhere else in Rochester, checking out some of her favorite restaurants and places.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find her. Marti just called me. I’m gonna go pick her up and bring her with on my next pass. She has some ideas about where she might’ve gone.”
“Thanks.” When Nash ended the call, he hit the button, instructing his phone to call Addison for the twentieth time that night. It rang, but no one answered. He wanted to hear her voice, to hear a snarky comment, to tell him he was overreacting.
A car went by, and the road was clear ahead, so he bumped his high beams up and slowed down, scanning the rock cliff on one side and the trees. A cliff face dropped off on the other side of the road.
If she’d gone down there, if something happened, it was so dark he didn’t know if he would even see the car.
But it didn’t matter. If he had to drive all night into the morning light, he would.
A quarter mile down the road, he caught sight of a wide spot in the trees, and he slammed on the brakes.
Had he seen that the last time he went by? Or was he imagining it?
He slowed down and stopped right next to it, half expecting to see an access road. But when he saw the broken branches, his gut tightened. Had he driven past? He slammed the shifter into reverse and backed up. His lights caught skid marks and shiny fragments on the road.
No! No! No! Addison? Did someone run her off the road?
When he was level with the opening, he nosed his truck so his lights shone down the hill, and there, reflecting in the LEDs, was a white Civic.
His throat dried up. Nash swallowed back the fear, slammed the truck into park, and darted from the vehicle. He slid down the hillside until he reached the back of her car. Please be okay.
“Addison! Addison, are you alright?” He reached the side. Through the glass of her driver’s window, he could see her still form. He tried the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Wake up, baby! Wake up!”
A faint groan came through the glass. Relief flooded his limbs. She’s alive.
“Hold on, Addison. Hold on. I’m coming.” He tried the back door.
Locked. Nash rounded to the passenger side.
A boulder blocked the door from opening.
He grabbed a rock the size of a baseball and smashed it into the corner of the window.
It shattered. Balling up his shirt, he knocked out the glass and crawled inside.
“Addison, baby. Can you hear me?” The urge to scoop her up and carry her to his truck was strong, but she could have unseen injuries. He called 911. Once the first responders were on their way, Nash texted Cade and Sawyer.
“Come on. Stay with me.” He held her face between his hands.
“Nash.” The word was weak, but he’d heard it as if she’d yelled it at the top of her lungs. Her head rolled to the side. Scrapes and bruises marked her beautiful face.
“Open your eyes, baby girl.” He stroked a finger down her cheek.
She moaned. He barely heard it over the sirens in the distance.
“Addison, let me see those beautiful eyes.”
Her brows furrowed, then as if the skies opened to the heavens, those lush green eyes peeked through her dark lashes.
“Morning, beautiful. Hang in there. Help is on the way.” Nash kissed her forehead and exhaled. She was alive.
“I can go to my own house.” Addison scowled at Nash as he held the door open for her.
Davey carried Lucifer’s carrier into the house. “It’s no problem, Miss Addison. You can have my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“That’s so sweet of you.” Addison ran a hand over his hair, ruffling it, before turning a scowl to Nash.
Davey set the cat carrier down right next to Max’s crate. The pup started wiggling. He was bursting with excitement for his friend to come and play.
“You can let them out. Lucifer and Max are old buddies,” he said to his son, who opened the carrier door.
Max bolted out, but Lucifer cautiously stepped from the carrier.
Addison watched until she realized they would be fine. She eased herself down to sit on the couch.
“One more hour before you get your next pain pill,” Nash said.
She frowned. Her arm hurt worse than a bikini wax, and her head hadn’t pounded this much since that weekend in Cabo five years ago.
After that trip, she swore off tequila shooters.
Addison closed her eyes. In the hospital, they gave her pain medication and monitored her.
Now her headache had dwindled to a dull roar.
When they released her, they insisted she be monitored and couldn’t be alone for the next day. She argued, but Nash stepped in.
The doorbell rang. She glared at the door. After spending the night in the hospital, where they woke her every hour for something or other, all Addison wanted was a twelve-hour nap. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen.
Nash opened the door, and Detective Simon strolled in. “Miss Benedict. Looks like you’ve had quite the evening.”
“Detective? What brings you out here so early? I gave my statement to the officer at the hospital.”
“I had some follow-up questions, so I thought I’d make a house call.”
Addison would roll her eyes at that statement, but it would hurt too much. Instead, she raised a brow in Nash’s direction. The detective wouldn’t have known where she was if not for Nash.
“I’ll make this quick. You can tell me about your evening and the accident.” He pulled out a notebook and pen.
Addison closed her eyes and let out a sigh. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could go to sleep, most likely for about an hour before Nash would wake her up to check her pupils.
“I was driving back from Rochester. It was about eight-thirty when a car pulled out in front of me… It about put me into the ditch then and there. A mile down the road, a vehicle began tailgating me…”
“Can you describe that car?”
She rubbed her temples. “A van. Light-colored? Silver maybe? It happened so fast.”
“Can you tell me what occurred after that?”
Addison closed her eyes, her mind running back over the steps. Now, broken pieces were missing from the attack. She opened her eyes and tried to give him as much information as she could. When she finished, Simon asked, “Is there anyone who would want to harm you? Any ex-partners?”
Addison started to shake her head, but a throbbing pain stopped her. “There were a few pageant girls who were pretty competitive, but I haven’t seen any of them in years.”
He closed his notebook and thanked her. Nash walked the detective to the door. Addison heard him ask, “Have you looked into where Mrs. Louis was at the time?”
“Yes, sir. She and her husband were out to dinner. The waiter has already confirmed her whereabouts.”
Nash swore under his breath, thanked the detective, and closed the door behind him.
Addison glanced at Davey, now playing with the dog and cat. She still couldn’t believe how good Lucifer was with Nash and now Davey. She had never seen her cat this friendly.
She pulled Nash down beside her. Lowering her voice, she asked, “You can’t really think it was Amber?”
He leaned back, put his arm around the back of the couch, and gently massaged her neck. “I don’t know, but that woman has it in for you.”
“It could just be some crazy case of road rage.”
His right eyebrow winged up. “And I could grow a third arm out of the middle of my forehead.”
Addison chuckled, then winced.
“I’m gonna get you an ice pack. I’ll be right back.” He pushed off the couch and headed for the kitchen.
Davey came over and sat beside her. “I’m really glad you’re gonna be okay.”
“Me too.” She smiled. Lines of stress marked his young face. “Hey, it’s alright. I’ll be fine.” She placed her uninjured hand on his and gave it a little squeeze.
“How long did the doctor say before your arm is healed?”
“Oh, it’s just a sprain. It won’t take long.” The doctor was more worried about her head, but she kept that information to herself.
Nash walked into the room. “Davey, why don’t you go put new sheets on your bed for Addison?”
“Okay.” He ran upstairs.
Nash gently placed the ice pack on her neck. A hiss slipped from her lips. He started to move it away.
She grabbed his hand. “No, it’s good.”
Nash searched her face. Slowly, he raised his hand to her cheek and caressed the marred skin below the bandage. “You scared the living daylights out of me, woman.” He leaned in and kissed her. Soft. Gentle. Loving?
She whispered, “You can’t get rid of me that quickly.”
“Let’s get you upstairs. It’s been a long night, and you should rest.”
She liked the sound of that.
He helped her up from the couch, then spoke to Davey for a moment before he walked her up the stairs.
“I can make it.” She could—but she couldn’t lie to herself. The warmth that filled her from his touch was addictive; his arm supporting her weight, his hand in hers. Definitely, her drug of choice.
As she settled into the bed, Nash pulled up the covers and tucked her in like her mom used to do. Only, Nash’s kiss wasn’t a peck on the forehead, but a toe-curling, tongues-dancing, raise-her-blood-pressure kind of kiss.
“I want to crawl in and hold you for hours, but…”
“Davey.” She understood. Not that she would be up for much else for a while, but Nash’s arms were like magic.
“I’ll be back. You rest.” His lips brushed her cheek before he slipped out the door, leaving it ajar.