Page 22 of Pursued-

The sky’sspitting drizzle as I head back to the Range Rover. I’ll wait till nightfall to switch it out for the car. Now that everyone’s looking for Rachel, they’ll be watching us closer than ever. I look up at the gray sky. Night can’t come fast enough. I don’t want her in the woods alone.

I also want to get near her again. I keep thinking about fucking her. I keep remembering the shower.

“‘Vil!” Trick calls.

I look up, forcing myself to get a grip.

He jogs around and holds up his phone. Our phones were off and tucked under the seat of the truck while we were in the motel room. We don’t bring commercial spyware into our meetings.

“What?” I ask.

“Rachel’s been spotted.”

I jerk the door open. “Where?” I ask, my mind considering the houses on neighboring properties to the cabin.

“She’s at Zoe’s old apartment.”

My mind hangs up for a moment, trying to sort that out. That’s miles from the cabin. “Alone?”

“Sounds like it.”

I get behind the wheel and slam the door closed. If Trick’s heard, so has Frank.

I gun the engine and swing the car around. Trick and C are silent as I race back to Coynston. When I get to Zoe’s complex, the parking lot is a zoo. I spot Frank’s limo and some other Palermo cars, but there are also police cars.

I’m halfway to the building by the time C and Trick flank me.

“What are we doing?” Trick asks.

“Stop,” C says, moving in front of me.

I jerk to a stop. “I’m going up.”

“Let me go,” C says in a low voice. “I’ll see what’s what.”

I start to move around him, but they both block me. I glare at Trick, but I know they’re both right. My head is not straight. I expected her to be where I left her, but she’s not. So now the only thing I can think about is taking possession of her again.

“It’s Zoe’s place. She’s Zoe’s friend. Let C go in first,” Trick says.

I nod, but I don’t stay in the lot. I follow C up the stairs.

Frank and four of his guys are on the landing. The apartment door’s closed.

“Cops inside,” Trick murmurs.

He says it as a warning to me, and I nod.

“This isn’t your block anymore,” C says to Frank.

“Something of mine is here. So I’m here. Why areyouhere?” Frank asks, staring us down. He’d be a moron not to suspectthat we had a hand in Rachel’s disappearance, but normally when we take something from him, it stays taken. So there’s a chance he won’t connect things unless she tells him.

Of course, she’ll tell him, I think.Why wouldn’t she?

The door opens, and cops come out. “You can clear this area. Ms. Palermo’s all right. She’s staying at her friend’s place. It was a misunderstanding.”

Frank turns and reaches for the door handle. The door’s locked.

I feel his struggle. He wants to kick that door in as much as I do, but the cops are watching.