Page 165 of The Illicit Play

“She left these for you.”

My eyebrows dip together as I pocket my keys and open the note.

You’re busy, and I’ll only get in the way. Here are your keys. Take care, Grady.

And that’s it.

Reading the note again, I can’t help this pinching sensation in my gut when I read those three words at the end again.

Take care, Grady.

There’s something farewell-ish about them, and it’s making me uneasy.

Pulling out my phone, I try to call her, but it goes straight to voicemail.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, then dial Wily as I walk to my Jeep.

“Hey.” His tone is clipped and I roll my eyes, wishing he wasn’t still pissed off with me. I have some major damage control to do. Dammit. “How’s Teah?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty banged up, but she’s gonna be okay,” I mumble. “Is Blake with you?”

“What?” His tone sharpens. “I thought she was with you.”

I pause by my Jeep and have to confess, “She left. Must have caught an Uber back to Football Frat or something. I tried to call her, but her phone went straight to voicemail. You sure she’s not in her room?”

Wily growls. “You better not have lost my sister.”

“I’ll go check her room.” Satch’s sweet voice filters down to me, and I hop into the Jeep, starting the engine and waiting for her to come back and say, “Yep, she’s in there.”

Setting my phone in the cradle, I reverse out of my spot and start heading toward the exit, only slamming on my brakes when Satch walks back into hearing distance and destroys my night.

“She’s gone.”

“What?” Wily whispers. “What do you mean?”

“All her stuff. It’s gone. Her room is… empty.”

CHAPTER 58

BLAKE

Okay, so I think I must have gone the wrong way, because I do not remember a climb this steep. Not on the first day anyway.

By the time I reach the top, I’m breathing like a rhino, my limbs are screaming at me to stop already, and my palms are covered in scratches from having to grab onto branches in order to keep myself upright.

A fine sheen of sweat is coating my skin, and every time a cold breeze whistles between the trees, I can’t help a shiver.

Pausing at the top, I rest my hands on my knees and suck in lungfuls of air.

Despite the fact that I’ve made an error, I’m still feeling okay.

I’ll just find a spot nearby to spend the night, and then I’ll hike out the way I came in when it’s daylight. It’ll be a million times easier when I’m not relying solely on a small beam of light.

A beam that seems to be fading fast.

Shit. Spare batteries. Those would be handy about now. Wriggling the bag off my back, I pull out my water bottle and slug some back. I wonder if I should put the jacket on too. But, as soon as I get moving again, I’ll warm up.

Tightening the jacket around my waist, I stow the bottle away and grip the bag in my fist, sweeping the beam of light around me. It’s barely reaching past the closest trees now, the darkness beyond just a touch unsettling.