Page 149 of Dark Tangled Truths
“I’m surprised you don’t see it.” He shakes his head and eats a few chips. “These rich boys always get their way. Rich girls are just as bad. They think we’re usable. Disposable. They laugh at us behind our backs.”
He’s working himself up, and I need him to calm down.
“Damon said you went out with Mia?” I want to know if she lied to me or Jackson lied about it to Damon.
He pauses and takes a breath before meeting my eyes. “She’s not good for you. She’s as bad as all the others. But I didn’t do anything with her. I used her phone to get your number, but I never texted her. I didn’t even see her except those times with you. She’s a user. You were better off without her.”
Relief sweeps through at the same time as disappointment in myself for not believing in my friend. It can’t be helped right now. Right now, I have to do what it takes to get through this. I lift my gaze to the closed door to the bedroom.
I don’t know how far I can go with this. If it comes down to it, I might have to fight. Because there are some things I don’t want to pretend I’m okay with.
Cam
The directions Hawk sends us aren’t far. He’s on his way to meet us. It wasn’t some place we were already planning on looking, because no roads lead to the house. I text my dad the information. I don’t know how long it will take the authorities to get out here, but we have no intentions of waiting.
Every minute is a minute Evan is with that asshole. Under his control. He could do anything to her.
We park and use GPS until we lose the signal.
Damon takes a few steps backward into the woods, and the signal comes back on.
“He’s jamming it. That’s why we can’t find her,” I say, and something releases inside me. The part that worried the reason the signal vanished is because she’s gone.
“It also means we have to be close.” Damon studies the map and puts his phone into his pocket. Blockers don’t usually have large radiuses. “How far is Hawk?”
“About five minutes to where we left the bikes.” I look at the satellite image of the area. “The house is in the middle of fields. If he looks out the window, he’ll see us coming.”
Damon rubs the back of his neck. “I’ll go in. When the coast is clear, I’ll give you a sign.”
I nod. When we were kids and playing capture the flag, we always used an owl cry as a signal to each other.
“Wait here for Hawk. That way if Jackson catches me snooping around. We still have you guys.” Damon grabs my arm and meets my eyes. “No matter what, get her out.”
I nod and clasp his arm.
“Be safe. We’ve probably got a half hour before the calvary arrives. They’ll have to trek in or rough it through the fields.” The house is clearly abandoned, with not even a driveway up to it. The fields surrounding it normally would keep it secluded, but with the crops all harvested, it’s just barren land.
I’m sure my parents will rally the police, and with someone being kidnapped, they’ll do what it takes to get her back safely. But safely can take time Evan doesn’t have. There’s no telling what Jackson plans to do with her.
Has already done with her. My stomach twists.
Damon sneaks off into the night. I watch his tracker disappear, and Hawk’s grow closer. It’s torture waiting here, knowing she’s trapped in that house alone with someone who’s obsessed with her.
But it makes sense to give Damon a head start to make sure he isn’t seen. If he gets captured too, then he can distract Jackson while Hawk and I arrive.
The minutes crawl by like hours as I wait, imagining what could be happening to my girl right now while I stand around with my phone in my hand. I look toward the dot heading my way.
“Hey,” Hawk whispers.
When he draws near, I tell him our plan. He grabs my arm.
“Let’s save our girl.”
CHAPTER 46
EvanAnn
Jackson sits next to me,eating the chips and not saying anything. It’s more nerve-wracking than listening to him talk about how nothing in my life is good. He’s mentioned Mia, Damon, Cam, and Hawk.
