“Christian,” I whispered, pushing my body closer to his. “Stop.”
“I’m not going to stop. I’m never going to stop until I know you’re safe.” He shut his eyes, still resting his head on my forehead. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
“Christian,” I whispered, clenching his T-shirt in my hands. He finally took a breath and opened his eyes. The gray depths sucked me in. “I love you, too.”
He nodded his head along mine for several minutes. We just stared at each other and held one another under the buzzing gas station lights. “We’re gonna figure this out, okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Christian
Hayley, Piper, Ollie, Eric, and I all sat around the breakfast bar with our heads huddled low a couple of days after the chase. We each had a copy of the police report from when Hayley’s father had died—courtesy of Ollie working his magic at the records office and flirting incessantly with the registrar.
Piper’s BMW didn’t have much damage, and she told her parents it was a hit-and-run accident at the football game, so no questions were asked. We still weren’t sure if the police had gone out on Route 55 when Ollie had called and told them about the BMW being tailgated, but nonetheless, they never came to the gas station that evening, so no one knew anything of the matter.
Except us five—and the fuckers driving the other vehicle.
I told Hayley I was done fucking around. Her mother’s half-assed, puzzling warning was on a loop in the back of my head, along with the threat from five years ago, and I was sick of feeling like a weight was on my shoulders whenever Hayley wasn’t around. I felt sick to my stomach, as if there was a rock laying inside, getting heavier with each day.
“So, why can’t we go to the police?” Eric leaned back in his seat, his black hair ruffled on top from running his hand through the strands. Eric demanded to know what was going on after he’d found Hayley and Piper at the gas station. Hayley didn’t want anyone else involved, but he was already knee-deep in, and to be honest, the more the fucking merrier. We needed to get this sorted out.
Hayley’s hand wrapped around mine as she looked at Eric. “Because Jim said that it’s an undercover sting and we shouldn’t get anyone involved. Because if the cover is blown or they know we’re looking into them or start asking questions, it could be ruined, and the last few years of work will go down the drain. Thus, there would never be an end to this.” Hayley took a deep breath. “I’m just ready for this to be done so I can breathe.”
Piper spoke up now. “But who are they?”
“That’s what we need to find out first,” I answered coldly. “We need to read through these papers and see if they mention it or give us a clue.” I glanced at Ollie, still holding Hayley’s warm palm in mine. “Ollie, you Google the shit out of drug runners and cartels that do business in Pike Valley and beyond. We’ll read these.” I dangled the papers in my other hand.
“Alright,” he answered, opening his laptop.
Hayley’s hand squeezed mine one last time before she let go and pulled the papers close to her face. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and let out a hefty breath. I knew this was bothering her. Not only were we reading things about her past and her father, but she was adamant against people helping her. It made her nervous and fearful. But what she didn’t realize was that we were all fearful, too—even Eric. Hayley had the ability to make everyone around her fall in love with her. She radiated in a room, drawing loud attention to her quiet beauty.
I loved her. Ollie loved her. Piper loved her. And I was pretty certain Eric was starting to love her, too. Or maybe not. Maybe he was only helping because he knew I’d go ballistic if something happened to her. Either way, Hayley had woven her way into our iron-clad circle.
The severity of the situation wasn’t far from our minds. We were all on edge. In fact, for the last two nights, when I’d snuck into Hayley’s room, we didn’t talk. She curled up on her side and rested her head on my chest, both of us too caught up inside the tangle of fears inside our heads to do much of anything other than hold onto one another.
“Does Pete think you’re staying at Piper’s?” I asked Hayley as I tried to distract her from the paper in her hand. Her leg was bouncing up and down underneath the breakfast bar.
“Yeah, I told him we had a project to do. He grunted at me, so I assumed that was him saying it was okay.”
I nodded as she went back to reading the police report. I knew what was in there, and I knew what she was coming up on. I had scanned it before she came over. The dispatch conversation she had when she’d called the cops was in there, word for word. It was horrific to read—at least for me, knowing I hadn’t been there for her.
“Are you hungry?” I took her hand in mine. My chest felt like it was splitting open because I knew she was hurting.
Hayley slowly swung her gaze to me and stared. “Are you trying to distract me?”
A twitch of my lips had hers inching up. “Maybe.”
“Christian, I’m fine.”
You’re not, and that’s okay.
“I’m hungry,” Piper announced out of nowhere. Everyone turned their attention to her. She had her red hair tied in a high ponytail on top of her head, and she met my eye briefly. I know what you’re trying to do, she silently said.
I gave her a slight nod, and she jumped out of her chair. “Let’s make the boys some food while they look for clues.” She grabbed Hayley’s hand and pulled her out of the chair.
Hayley stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t think I don’t know that you two are teaming up on me right