Page 36 of Right Number, Wrong Man

COLT

I toss the soft, pink ball onto the rustic carpet by the sofa. Gracie pounces on it, her feral growl tugging the corners of my mouth into a smile. She carries her prey to her brand new, fluffy basket under the coffee table and starts chewing on it, making the squeaker scream.

“We really gotta work on the concept of fetch. Don’t we, girl?” I ask, and Gracie gives me the typical chihuahua side-eye. I laugh, holding my hands up. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt you. Do go on, Princess.”

While the tiny beast is occupied with murdering her ball, I sit down on the sofa to turn on the TV. Before I get to grab the remote, my phone chimes in my pocket.

Cody

Still nothing. That Justin guy is a ghost.

Me

How can that be?

Cody

That’s a good question, but I ain’t giving up yet. I’ll find out who that asshole is, if it’s the last thing I do.

Me

Thanks, man. What would I do without you?

Cody

Suck.

I laugh. A surly bastard like me is lucky to have a friend like Cody. I’m about to tell him that, when a text from Hailey pops up at the top of the screen and my heart leaps as I read the preview.

Hailey

Please tell my stepdaughter Gracie that she’s the cutest, sweetest, most adorable cowgirl in the world. I think…

I sent her a picture of Gracie sitting in my Stetson, knowing she’d love it. This new friendship between us is more than I ever could’ve hoped for—yet not nearly enough. I’m a greedy man.

Her stepdaughter though, huh? Warmth spreads through my chest as I swipe up to read the rest of the message.

Hailey

I think we might need to get her a tiny cowboy hat to 911

911? I pause. Adrenaline surges through me when I put two and two together.

Hailey is in danger.

I leave my phone on the sofa and jump up. Gracie startles, dropping the ball from her mouth as I sprint to the window to grab my rifle, lifting the scope to my eye.

Hailey’s apartment is dark and the curtains are drawn, but it’s way before her bedtime.

The blinds in the kitchen shift, almost too subtly to notice, and I curse under my breath.

I can’t assess the situation like this and a Hail Mary shot at an unknown target is out of the question.

Whoever is in there with her could be using her as a shield.

I have to go in.

I run upstairs and grab the silencer hidden between my underpants in the dresser. Screwing it onto my pistol on the way back down, I stop by the sofa to take my phone and set it on silent before I type out a message to Cody.

Me

911 @ Hailey’s place.

Cody

Didn’t know we were having a party tonight. Omw. I’ll bring the goods.

Me

If you don’t hear from me in twenty minutes, I need backup. The entrance code is 84980# and Hailey’s apartment is number 301.

Cody

Roger.

I shove my phone in my pocket, giving Gracie a quick glance. “I’ll be back soon, girl,” I say and rush through the front door out into the night, clutching my gun.

Please be okay, Hailey. Please, please be okay.