Page 54 of Rear View

Dropping the e-brake, I popped it into gear. When I hit the gas, the tires torqued, then squealed. Drifting the ass end around, I punched it outta there and aimed us for the city.

My ribs were so locked, my lungs hurt, ’cause that piece of shit was doing Christ knew what to my girl. Mine. She was fuckin’ mine. He couldn’t have her. I’d cut every piece of him off that’d ever touched her.

Slowly.

The sound of the engine echoed off the buildings around us as we flew through the industrial quarter, aiming for the highway. Every head in the vicinity turned our way as I whipped between cars, weaving in and outta oncoming traffic.

“Text from Miles,” Alec said. “He’s saying he can’t reach Zoya either and the cops told him to hang tight for now. They’re telling him Ryah’s probably just busy doing something else.” His brows furrowed low. “Useless shits.”

Course they did. I slammed a hand down over the wheel and cursed before I asked, “She moved at all?”

He shook his head. “No.”

Was that good? Or not?

Alec cursed.

“What?”

“Another text from Miles.” His voice went grim when he read it. “News is saying a security guard at U of E was found dead by some dean and that someone else was transported to hospital.”

I gripped that wheel harder to keep myself from keeling over. Dead. FUCKIN’ DEAD! “Who’s the second person?”

Alec fired a message back and my heart stopped workin’. Time stood goddamn still. “He’s on the phone with Mrs. Nolan. Zoya’s mom just called her. It was Zoya.”

Christ! I tore a hand through my hair. Answers. I needed answers. “Did Zoya tell ’em anything?”

He typed a response, then waited. “She was unconscious when they brought her in. She’s in surgery now.”

Bile burned the back of my throat, and I fought to keep it down.

Alec’s hand landed on my shoulder. “We’ll find Ryah, man. She’ll be alright.”

We’ll find her. I replayed it on repeat in my head. We’ll find her. We’ll find her. We’ll find her.

He sat back. “We’re coming up on it.” He tipped his head forward. “Next right, onto Shirley Street.”

The tires screeched as I drifted through the corner. When I straightened out, I punched the gas, hit the clutch and upshifted.

The twenty-minute drive was the longest of my goddamn life, and my stomach hardened when we closed in. A bunch of shops sat back from the road, all closed. Snowbanks were piled high around the strip mall lot, but with the university being out, there wasn’t a car in sight. Or a goddamn person.

“We’re here,” Alec said. “App says it’s thirty feet east of us.”

I whipped onto the shoulder, and we burst out. My chest heaved, and my legs went weak. I wanted to find her, but not in a ditch. In the dark. Alone. Fuck. Not like that.

The thought of it had my guts heaving and I pitched to the side, bringing up everything in my stomach. I swiped my forearm over my mouth as I dragged a deep breath and straightened.

“Ryah?” I called, my voice thick as I peered around. “Answer me, darlin’!”

Be alright, dream girl. Be alright.

Silence.

Using my phone, Alec called it. Several seconds passed before a buzz sounded out.

“Over there!” he said, darting to the left.

Her screen lit up, glowing bright against the snow. We bolted that way. She wasn’t there. Not good, but better than… Shit. I couldn’t even think it.

The glass was cracked, the texts and calls from everyone displayed under the damage.

Mom: Where are you, sweetheart? Please answer us!

Miles: We’re looking for you, Ry. Hold tight! We’re looking!

Entering her password, I clicked through, praying for something useful. I homed in on a message from Christian.

Christian: R.J. I know you’re done with me, but I’m still worried. Just let me know you’re alright and you made it, okay?

An hour later.

Christian: I’m serious, R.J. Please.

Time showed his text came an hour earlier. Around when she’d gone missing. Hate the preppy dick or not, I had questions, so I clicked his number.

He answered on the first ring. “R.J. Thank God.”

“It’s Xavier.”

Silence, then, “Xavier. Is R.J. alright?”

“She’s missin’. The fucker has her.”

“What?” he said, his tone high. “How’d you get her phone?”

I ground my teeth. “Found it. The thing was tossed.”

“Oh, Jesus!” he said, the words broken.

“Your text said you saw her earlier. What happened?”

“I, ugh. I ran into her and Barlowe on campus. They were headed toward the staff lot. She looked pale, had blood on her face and shirt. He was taking her to the hospital.”

Barlowe. My chest seized. Motherfuckin’ Barlowe ! She was bleeding. He’d hurt her. He was dead. So goddamn dead. “What time?”

“Um, I, uh. Around quarter to five.”

I scanned the screenshot from Miles. 4:39 PM.

“Sh-should I call the police?” he asked.

I doubted it’d help, but the more people calling about her, the better the odds. “Do it,” I ordered. “I gotta go.”

We hung up.

Alec and I beelined back to the car. Pulling out his own phone, he threw it on speaker and made a call.

“Yeah?” Sean answered.

“Where are you?”

“My place, why?”

“Get to your computer.”

“What’s going on?” Sean asked.

“Ryah’s in trouble,” Alec said.

“This that stalker guy X mentioned?”

“Yeah.”

“Shit!”

“I’ll give you anythin’, man,” I cut in.

“Xavier? That you?”

“It’s me.”

Sean went quiet, then, “I’m upping my fee to fifty.”

Alec’s eyes flew wide. “Grand?”

“Yeah.”

I dipped in a nod. “Done!” The number didn’t matter. I’d have paid a fuck ton more. Given him everything I goddamn well had.

“You’re such a shit, Sean,” Alec snarled, shaking his head.

“I’m taking a risk here.” There was a slurping sound like he was taking a drink, then, “What d’you need?”

“Professor Barlowe from U of E.”

“Yeah?”

I fought my jaw from locking down. “Find the fucker.”

“On it.”

Those keys clicked rapid-fire through the line for one heartbeat. Two. Time slowed, every second a minute. Every minute an hour. Each one driving me insane ’cause my girl was out there with that piece of shit and I was—

“I’m in the university’s system.” Sean mumbled to himself about whatever he was doing. “Barlowe. Barlowe. Barlowe,” he said on repeat. “ Hel-lo , Professor.” Silence for a second, then, “Got his number. Just need to track it.” More silence. More clicking. So much goddamn clicking.

“Alright. Tracking now.”

I ground my hands against the steering wheel. Sitting still was killin’ me. I needed to move. Needed to move. Need to fuckin’ move! My jaw was cinched tight, and I barely held it together when I asked, “Where’s he headed, Sean?”

“He’s…”

Alec and I glared down at his phone.

“Sean!” Alec snarled.

“The Hawthorne Circuit.”

The circuit. Sure as hell it was a message…for me. No other reason to go there.

“Last chance to change your mind, Alec.” I side-eyed him. “Shit’s about to get ugly.”

“Drive the damn car, asshole.”

I gave him a tight nod. My foot dropped. I punched it, doing a 180 as I whipped the thing around. “Use my phone. Call EPD. Let me talk.”

He cocked a brow in question.

“Cops are comin’ whether they like it or not.” ’Cause I was about to become a problem. I wasn’t trusting them to do shit. But the point was Ryah. Forcing them to move meant more people headed her way. Yeah, I wanted the backup, but I wasn’t counting on it.

Alec’s smirk was dark as hell. He made the call. When it was done, I rolled my shoulders and got to work.

He pointed out obstacles as I tore through the city, the car’s engine loud as it echoed off the buildings. Vehicles honked, people dodged. I kept glancing skyward. The first siren blared, then the second. The familiar sight of red and blue cruiser lights painted the night. Giving chase.

The whop, whop, whop of the helicopter sounded out.

I stared straight ahead and slowed my breathing, then my heart. I drew my lip up, baring my teeth. “Here we fuckin’ go.”