Page 97 of Ruthless Protector

I’d heard Jude leave in the middle of the night. I knew he wasn’t there, but I glanced back several times as I headed down the street.

I was replying to a text from Steph when the bus came to a stop in front of me a short time later. Kids swarmed off. I waited for Tilly, waited for the sight of her dark hair and bright green eyes.

The last kid climbed off and the door started to close.

What the hell?

I ran for it and banged on the doors, but it was already driving away. I stood there frozen, stunned as it disappeared, merging with the traffic.

She hadn’t been on the bus.

I yanked my phone from my pocket and hit the number for the school. I fired questions at the woman in the office and got stuck on hold while she checked.

I waited, sick to my stomach.

Blood pounded through my ears as I headed back toward the house. Maybe she’d run away. Maybe she was so upset about the move that she’d run off.

“Miss Hartley?”

I gripped the phone tighter. “Yes? Have you found her. Is she there?”

“There’s obviously been some kind of communication breakdown between you and Tilly’s father. He picked her up after school.”

The oxygen was punched from my lungs. “What?”

“Her father, he picked her up…”

“He’s not to have any contact with her!” I screamed down the line. “Did you talk to him? Did anyone talk to him? Did he say where he was going, anything?”

I was met with stunned silence. “I’m sorry, I…”

I hung up, not interested in what she had to say.

Trent. He had her.

The roaring in my ears got louder, deafening, as I reached the steps to my house. I realized then it wasn’t my ears, but the rumble of Jude’s bike.

It shut off and then he was there, his hands on my shoulders, real fear on his face as he looked down at me.

“Willa? What’s going on? Talk to me,” he said.

My blood pressure shot skyward, and I fisted his shirt. “He’s taken her!” I screamed, my voice sounding muffled, like I was underwater. “Oh God, he’s taken her.”

Jude held me tighter. “Who? Took who?”

“Tilly, he took Tilly.” I started to hyperventilate. I couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, I was being lifted and we were moving, going through Jude’s front door.

I clawed and clung to Jude, needing something to ground me, to stop me from spiraling. Tilly needed me, she needed me. I had to find her. I had to. Whatever Trent wanted, I’d give it to him. Anything. I needed to get the hell out of there. That’s when I started struggling harder.

Jude held me against the back of his front door, his massive frame holding me immobile. “Calm down, baby. Breathe…fuck, breathe, Willa.”

“I need to go, you need to let me go,” I gasped. “He’ll talk to me. He’ll tell what he wants and I’ll get her back. You have to let me go!” Even as I screamed the words, I didn’t know if they were true. I didn’t know anything anymore, but I had to try.

“Listen to me,” he said. “I need you to calm down and listen.”

He propped me against the door with his hips, his fingers cupping my face, thumbs under my chin, making me look at him.