Page 35

The bottom of his stomach dropped out. “What?” Adrenaline shot through him.

He flipped his wrist over but it was bare—his watch sat on the coffee table near the couch.

How the hell had he slept so long? He was normally up before six a.m. every day without fail.

He hadn’t gotten eight hours of sleep in ten years, why the hell had his body chosen to shut down now?

He strode across the floor, scooped his phone up from the coffee table, and brought it to life.

Six missed calls and two text messages.

“Dylan’s following them, but we don’t have much time. Of all the days for you to screw up…” She turned on her heel and marched into the bedroom, and returned two minutes later dressed in shorts and a navy T-shirt. “You have ten minutes to get ready or I’m leaving without you.”

He opened the missed calls first as he turned toward the bedroom.

“I’m going. Think you can grab me a coffee and meet me downstairs?

I have a splitting headache.” No doubt from over sleeping and lack of caffeine.

Ashley tapped her foot. “I suppose making you suffer won’t serve me well.

Hurry up though. You have nine minutes now.

” Her eyebrow lifted as she sidled past him.

As if he would be late. He turned his attention back to his phone as he made his way to the bathroom in the master bedroom.

Ethan had called two hours ago and Maddie only minutes after. The rest were Ashley and Dylan. He went to his text messages, both from Maddie.

Please don’t be upset. I can explain.

He opened and closed his hands and set his phone on the bathroom counter. Shit. She probably thought he was ignoring her because of last night. Sure, he’d tossed and turned because of it, but no way in hell he’d punish her for something like that.

He stepped under the hot spray and lathered the bar of soap in his hands.

A few minutes later, he climbed out of the shower and a thick cloud of steam welcomed him.

He glanced at his phone—five minutes before Ashley left.

He didn’t doubt that she would follow through with her threat.

His phone vibrated as he dropped a dollop of toothpaste on his toothbrush.

The device vibrated and he glanced at the display.

Cal.

He hadn’t talked to him in almost two weeks. With he and Lana having a newborn baby, he’d been afraid to call and wake anyone. He let the call go to voicemail, there was no way he had time to chat, especially not today.

Seconds later, it went off again. He ignored it, rinsed his mouth, and ran his knuckles over the stubble on his jaw.

It’d have to stay for another day, he’d shave tonight if they all survived.

He strode to the walk-in closet and got dressed, shoving his phone in his pocket before making his way to the front door.

It vibrated again in his pocket.

Jesus, everyone was up his ass today. He pulled it out and accepted the call. “Yeah,” he barked as he punched the elevator button.

Lucy’s ear-piercing scream reverberated through his eardrum. He yanked the phone away and yelped. “Christ, what are you doing to that kid?”

“Sorry, she wants Lana. One minute.”

Lucy’s screams diminished and Cal returned to the line. “What’s going on, dude? Ethan is losing his shit. Maddie is off doing god-knows-what and you’re avoiding everyone.”

“I’m not avoiding anyone, I’m busy. Ethan has been blowing up my phone all week about Maddie and I told him I was working on a case. She called him the other night so what’s his deal?” He snapped his mouth shut as soon as the words were out.

Cal either didn’t catch the slip up or he was too sleep-deprived to care. “He’s settled down about Maddie for now, but he wants to talk to you.”

A big pool of dread opened in his chest. The elevator opened and he stepped inside.

“What about?”

“That’s for him to tell you. I just wanted to ask you personally if something is bothering you. As paranoid as Ethan has been with Maddie gone, he’s usually right about things, and something is off with you.”

He jabbed the main level button with his thumb. He couldn’t do this anymore, he needed to tell someone.

“You’re going to wish you hadn’t asked that, bro.”

Silence hung between them. Nate pressed his hip against the rail of the elevator and dropped the back of his head against the mirror.

“I’m seeing Maddie. But it’s a lot worse than that. We’re—”

“Holy, fucking shit!” Cal’s voice boomed into him. “Are you fucking insane? Seriously. Do you need me to take you to a mental hospital? Ethan is going to skin you. Of all the stupid, selfish, asshole things to do, this takes the cake.”

“Easy, you prick. I care about her.”

A stream of curses a mile long earned Cal a reprimand from Lana in the background.

“Fix this, man. I don’t know how, and I don’t care. But keep me the hell out of it.” The line went dead as the elevator door opened.

Nate breathed out a sigh. Cal was pissed, but it was nothing in comparison to what Ethan’s reaction would be. Still, the weight that had been crushing his chest for the last nine months had lifted.

Fix it? How the fuck was he supposed to do that?