“Where’s my phone?” I asked. Tanner had handed it to him, but I hadn’t gotten it yet.
He reached into his pocket, pulled it out. He held it, not handing it over. “Carson…”
He was going to apologize or something. I heard the softening in his tone, and my heart broke.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck!
I’d fallen for him.
I knew it then.
I hadn’t wanted to admit it, because it was the worst possible outcome of this, and now I didn’t want to hear whatever he had to say.
I couldn’t handle it.
Dammit.
I cut him off, grinding out, “Give me my phone and get the fuck out of my life.”
I could feel his gaze, but no. No way. I was not looking at him. I’d been avoiding that since hearing how he’d used me in the office. He still didn’t hand it over, so I grabbed it, and I got out before anyone could make a move.
I half expected someone to come after me—a guard or someone, but no one moved.
The vehicles didn’t move either.
They were going to watch me walk inside.
God. What was the point? To keep me safe? That was a joke.
Head down, I started up the driveway.
It was chilly out, so I zipped up the sweater Jonah had given me, the one that belonged to Kai’s woman, and I turned my phone on. I was halfway to the house when the notifications started flooding in.
SIS: OMG, where are you?
SIS: Seriously. Where are you?
There were more, all from that night. More came through, marked unread, but those had been viewed, and I had responded.
Well, Tanner had texted her back. But seeing the messages, knowing they weren’t from me and how easily she’d believed them, gave me a shiver.
The new messages were still coming through.
I clicked out and saw some from my boss.
Milo: How’s the weekend?!
Milo: I need to live vicariously through you. Tell me how things are going.
Milo: You never got back to me. Was the night crazy? Lots of dancing? Lol!
There were other texts, too—from my mom, my dad, a couple of my cousins.
Wait.
Dancing?
I stopped walking and went back to Milo’s text.
I felt like I was detached from myself as I texted her back. Never mind how late it was.
Me: How’d you know about the dancing?
I waited, holding the phone tight in my hand.
Please remind me how I mentioned it before leaving for Kansas. I must’ve forgotten. I must’ve bitched about going to Bresko’s… But I knew, I knew I hadn’t. I just told her I was going back for my sister’s wedding a week early.
She was the one who’d pushed me to take the time and go back early.
My phone buzzed.
Milo: Download this app.
My phone buzzed again, and a link came through.
I reached for it, about to click it, but paused.
I… I was fully detached from myself.
What is going on?
I looked back, and the vehicles were still there.
I had no idea what this app was, so I went to all of my social media accounts. Everything. My email. I went in and unlinked every single one. I needed to be smart. I uninstalled each and every one, until my phone was bare.
One of the vehicles turned on its headlights. They inched forward behind me, turning down the driveway. I turned my back to it, but I didn’t move from where I stood. I could hear the tires going over the gravel, and I clicked on the app.
The first Escalade sped to me, and I heard a door open.
Boots hit the ground, then I heard Jonah’s voice, “What’s wrong?”
I started to answer him, but my phone flashed, then went black. “I—”
He was at my side, taking my phone. “What is it?”
The screen flashed again, and two sets of letters and numbers appeared.
Another door opened, a guy hollered, “Toss the phone.”
Jonah looked back. “What is it?”
“Tanner’s on the line. He said her phone was just hacked. Those are coordinates.” The guard was at our side now, and he reached for the phone. He started to toss it.
“No!” I lunged for it, but Jonah got it first.
“It’ll lead to her parents,” the guard explained. “We need to destroy this phone.”
Other guards came running.
“Toss it on the ground,” one of them yelled.
Jonah did.
One guard dumped gasoline on it, and another lit it on fire. The other guards built a wall around it so the fire wouldn’t spread, and Jonah grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
Someone said, “The last coordinates will still show up. We have to go.”
“My parents,” I breathed.
Jonah shook his head. “They’re looking for you, maybe hoping you’d lead them to me, to my family. They already know who you are, and that means they know where your parents live. You not being here will keep them safe.” He tried to take me back to the Escalade.
I dug my heels in. “How do you know?”
“We have a team here.”