“You’re an idiot,” Andi huffed.
“I know.”
“So where is she now?”
Trent tried not to hyperventilate. “That’s what I was hoping you could tell me. The ICU just opened to visitors. And she’s not here.”
“Oh fuck. Somethingiswrong.”
In the background, Reed barked orders to Cooper to get Holly’s other best friend, Kari, on the phone. It wasn’t long before Andi was relaying the information Trent had shared with her and asking their mutual acquaintance the same questions.
“No luck, Trent. Kari doesn’t know either. We’re both blowing up Holly’s phone right now. She’s not answering us either.” Andi sounded like she might cry. “So she was pissed when she left. Did she call a cab?”
“I don’t know. I think she probably was more likely to just walk the mad off.” He cursed, too guilty to admit she might have been more hurt than angry. “She wouldn’t take any of us or even Moose with her. I think because she didn’t plan to come back. What if…”
“No. Don’t let your imagination run wild. We’re going to find her, Trent.” Andi didn’t seem as certain about that as he would have liked. “Cooper’s got Ford on the phone now.”
That was good. Ford and Kari’s other two guys were lawyers. Plus rich. If anyone could hunt someone down, it would be them. They had tons of resources and connections.
Trent looked at Owen and said, “Call the cops.”
Then he slid down the wall, crumpled into a heap at its base. He didn’t even realize he was praying until Lorenzo knelt beside him and joined in. Owen stood guard over them both, his phone to his ear as he related the situation to the police in a calm manner Trent could never have managed right then. Hospital staff skirted around them in silence, respectful of their suffering, even if they mistook the reason behind it.
What if he never got to tell Holly all the things he should have said the night before?
In that moment, he swore that if he got the chance, he’d be as brave as she had been and admit that while their agreement might have started out for money, he was in it for a hell of a lot more than that now.
For love.
Feeling useless, he bolted to his feet, nearly cracking his skull against Lorenzo’s in the process. “I can’t sit here. I’m going to her house to see if she’s there.”
Even though in his gut he already knew she was gone, he had to be sure.
“I’ll stay in case she comes back.” Owen clapped Trent on the shoulder.
Lorenzo looked between them.
“Go ahead.” Owen’s mouth pinched at the corners, making Trent aware it wasn’t only him freaking out. It wouldn’t only be him that suffered if… He couldn’t allow himself to imagine the possibilities or he’d crumble again. “It’s better if both of you look for Holly. The sooner we find her, the better.”
At least they agreed on that.
2
“Trent, you’re not going to like this,” Brady—one of Kari’s trio of lawyers—warned him as soon as he answered the phone two hours later. “And just so you know, everyone is here together, on speaker.”
“As long as Holly’s okay, it’s fine. Just tell me what you found out.” Trent held his breath as Lorenzo and Owen edged closer. They hadn’t left his side for a moment of the thirty minutes since he’d slunk back to the hospital, defeated and without any more information than he’d had when he’d left.
Together, he and Lorenzo had nearly banged Holly’s door down, gone to the police department to give them as much information as possible, checked with admissions at the hospital, scoured other medical facilities, and even contacted the home health aide they’d hired for Mrs. Hendricks, who’d confirmed that Holly hadn’t returned to her mother’s house the night before and—after using her key to verify—that she was still not there.
At least Trent was able to scrub the vision of Holly falling in the shower or having some other accident while alone in her home from his brain. That didn’t leave a lot of other positive scenarios, though. Owen and Lorenzo were as invested in her as he was. So he too hit the speaker button on his phone.
“As your attorneys of record, we just received an email addressed to you.” Ford cursed. “It’s about Holly. In fact, it’s a fucking ransom note.”
“A what?” Trent shouted as a ringing started in his ears and grew louder, threatening to drown out the rest of the world. Lorenzo braced him, or maybe supported himself against Trent. Either way, they held each other up as Owen turned and punched the wall. He didn’t seem to notice the blood welling on his battered knuckles.
“Someone nabbed her. They want half of your inheritance in exchange for her safe return.” Josh practically spat the information.
“They took her? Because of me? My father’s dirty money?” Trent thought he might pass out, so he bent in half and planted his palms on his knees. “I should have known better than to take it. It has never gotten me anything good. Only screwed things up worse.”