“Talk to you after I have my chat with her. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight and thank you,” he said. I didn’t waste time replying. I had planning to do. One way or the other, she was coming out of that hotel room and talking to me. I relished the idea of carrying her ass out of there over my goddamn shoulder. Maybe I’d spank it for good measure. I laughed as I lay down. Yeah, and maybe she’d castrate me. She was Bear’s daughter. That meant she had some fire in her.
??????
I got to her hotel a little before eight the next morning. I couldn’t stand to wait any longer. I was relieved to see her car was in its usual spot. I went to her door and knocked. She didn’t answer. I knocked again. Still nothing. “Okay, Tarin, if this is how you want to do it,” I shouted. I stomped off to the front desk. The guy who knew us was working. He gave me a questioning look. “I need a keycard to room one-eleven and the tool to undo the security latch.”
“Man, I don’t know, Outlaw. I could lose my job for giving you those.”
“You could lose your ass if you don’t. I won’t let your boss fire you, Hank. I need to get in. She’s not answering. She could be hurt or sick.”
He sighed as he handed both of them over to me. I hurried back to her room. I quickly swiped the card and then pushed on the door. I was surprised when it opened without me having to use the latch tool.
When I got inside, it was quickly apparent she wasn’t there. I looked around the room. Something didn’t add up. Her stuff was here, including her car, but she wasn’t. The lamp by the door was on the floor, broken into pieces. My gut churned. I ran back to the front desk. “Hank, are you sure she didn’t check out? She’s not there.”
“No, I’m sure. I checked as soon as I came in this morning at six. She’s still showing as registered. I asked the night clerk, and he said the same thing.”
“Pull up yesterday and last night’s security footage. I’ll be right back.” I swore as I tore out of the office. I took out my phone and dialed Bear.
“How did it go, Outlaw?”
“Bear, we have a problem. She’s not here.”
“What do you mean she’s not there? Where did she go?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it. Her car is still here. There doesn’t appear to be any of her stuff missing. Her suitcases are in the closet. However, I think she left in a hurry. A lamp was knocked over by the door to her hotel room.”
“Shit, did you ask the front desk if they saw her?”
“I did. He said they hadn’t, but she hadn’t checked out. He’s pulling up security videos from yesterday and last night. Maybe I can catch her on it and see how she left, who with or which way she went. She did say she was leaving the week before Christmas, right?”
I heard Bear say, “Baby, Tarin is gone. It wasn’t until the week before Christmas that she said she was going out of town, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what she said. Why do you think she left early, Bear? Do you think I said something to upset her?” Ilara said in the background.
“Beloved, I don’t think so. Outlaw’s looking at some videos at the hotel. We’ll find her.”
“Let me call you back, Bear. The manager has the video. Thank goodness he knows us and said he’d let me look. Hacking would have taken time. Talk to you in a bit.” I hung up. Hank was waving at me through the front lobby window. I ran back inside.
He took me into the back and pulled up the footage. I hurried through it. I saw her leave to go to the hospital in the late afternoon and then there was nothing. Hours passed until I saw her coming back just before midnight. She parked and went into her room. The lights went on and then a little later they went out.
I was zooming through the footage when a car stopped in front of her room. A man got out, and I saw him go up to her door. He opened the door and went inside. What the fuck? Who in the hell was he? Was she seeing someone? A growl started low in my throat. I watched and waited. She had to have left with him.
Not long afterward, he came out, only he wasn’t alone. Tarin was with him, but she wasn’t walking on her own two feet. He was carrying her over his shoulder. She appeared to be unconscious. I swore again. After he got her into the car, he looked up. My heart seized. I could swear I was looking at Todd Hamilton. I jotted down the make, model, and license plate number of his car. A quick scan of the tape showed he left and didn’t return.
I jumped up. “Thanks, Hank.” I shook his hand as I ran out to my bike. I called Bear again.
He barked into the phone when he answered. “What did you find out?”
“Bear, are you with any of the guys?” I asked. The last thing we needed was for him to go insane in the middle of the damn hospital, though I knew what he would be feeling. I wanted to tear the goddamn town apart.
“I’m outside Hope’s room with Thorn and Tiger, why? What the hell does that matter?”
“I want you to remain calm. You’re in the hospital.”
“Tell me what you found, Outlaw, or so help me, I’ll fucking strangle you,” he growled.
“Around two last night, the security video shows a car pulling up outside her room. A man went in and a few minutes later he came out carrying what looks like an unconscious Tarin.” He swore. I continued quickly, “Bear, the man’s face was caught on the video. I’m ninety-five percent sure it’s Todd Hamilton.” I heard him roar.