Page 37 of Faded Rhythm

Julian

I wake up alone.

The sheets are still warm. My hand drifts lazily across the empty space where she slept, fingers sifting the cotton like I’ll somehow find her between the folds. I pull her pillow close, pressing my face into it. It’s faint, but the scent of her hair lingers.

I know she’s just down the hall, but fuck, I miss that woman so much.

Laughter rings out, high-pitched and chaotic. It’s the girls. Their squeals and shrieks bounce through the house like ricocheting bullets. Normally, Sable would have reined them in by now. It’s the silence between the chaos that unnerves me and forces me out of bed.

I clean up and dress quickly, throwing on jeans, a t-shirt, and, for some reason, my holster. I don’t like the mild itch forming at the base of my neck, that old gut feeling that something is off. My spidey sense, honed over fifteen years of service.

Something’s off.

But I shake it off, knowing I’m gonna feel foolish when I see her standing in the kitchen. I can’t go diving off the deep end into an ocean of paranoia every time she’s out of my sight.

I follow the sound of the girls into the kitchen. I find them standing at the island, both of them with open cereal boxes in hand, downing dry handfuls like raccoons in matching hello kitty pajamas.

Crumbs everywhere.

“Where’s your mommy?” I ask.

They exchange a look, smiles twitching at the corners of their little mouths.

“We don’t know,” Kelice says in a sing-song voice.

“She said not to tell you!” Rae blurts out.

Kelice swats her arm, which Rae answers by stomping on her foot. Now they’re both pouting and my pulse is kicking up.

“No fighting,” I say, looking around the kitchen for a clue. It feels strange in here. It’s too calm in a loaded way, like the split second before a shot is fired.

She’s been here recently. There’s a bottle of grease on the counter next to a bag of cornmeal and a bunch of my seasonings. It’s enough to make me worry. I hope like hell she didn’t take my car and leave the property.

“Do me a favor,” I say. “Pick up all the cereal you dropped. When I come back, I’ll get y’all some bowls and milk.”

Without waiting for their response, I quickly move to the garage.

My car’s still there.

“Shit,” I mumble to myself.

After I get the girls settled at the table with proper bowls of cereal, I sit across from Kelice.

“I know your mommy said not to tell me, but I need you to tell me.”

She brings her big brown eyes to mine. “But I promised.”

“I know. But it’s okay to break a promise sometimes. I just want to make sure your mommy is okay.”

Kelice sighs. “She went fishing.”

“Fishing?”

“Yes. She said, don’t tell Mr. Julian I’m going fishing. It’s a surprise.”

My brows knit together for a split second before the realization hits.

“Alright, y’all stay here. I’ll be right back. Don’t answer the door or the phone. Okay?”

They both nod, happily munching away.

I step into my boots, grabbing my revolver on the way out the door. I lock it behind me.

Then, I run.

The trail to the lake is worn. It’s a path my boots know well. I can’t understand for the life of me why she thought coming down here alone was okay. I guess she felt safe enough on my property. And that may be true, but I won’t feel better until I have eyes on her.

The morning air is cool. Birds sing in the trees above me, but I barely hear them. I only hear my ragged breathing and my boots pounding against the ground.

I pass the shed and slow down a bit to conserve my energy. She’s okay. I know she is. I just need to see her. That’s all.

Finally, I see it. The shoreline.

Nobody’s there.

It’s too quiet.

The lake is too still.

There’s a single fishing pole propped up in the dirt, the line limp and slack in the water. My tacklebox sits next to it, open-mouthed. On the other side, my smallest bucket.

But no Sable.

My eyes immediately drop to the ground around me.

No footprints.

No sign she slipped or waded out too far. Just the pole. Waiting.

I scan the tree line across the lake, my hand instinctively going to my gun.

“Sable!” I shout.

Nothing.

Not even an echo.

My heart thuds in my chest as I examine the tackle box. No phone inside. No keys.

A knot coils in my gut, sharp like barbed wire.

Somebody took her. I don’t know how, but they managed to snatch her from me and I never saw it coming.

Fuck .

Alright, well…I guess it’s time to go to war.