Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
But, damnit, this wasn’t kids being kids shit.
This was ‘there’s guys with guns after you’ shit.
“Okay, let’s focus,” Callow said as I rushed out of my room, frantically calling Daphne even though it kept going right to voicemail.
“I can’t believe she did this,” I said, raking a hand through my hair. “I mean, I can. But damnit.”
“How about you call Britney?” Callow suggested, still the voice of reason. “Ask her if Allie has any idea what Daph is up to.”
“Okay. Yeah. Right,” I said, shaking my head at myself for not thinking of that first.
It was the crack of dawn, so the phone rang for a while before Sam’s voice answered, still half asleep.
“Sabrina, everything okay?”
“Daphne snuck out,” I said, cutting right to the chase. “And it’s… morning. I’m worried. Can you ask Allie if she has any idea what Daph is up to?”
“Yeah, of course. Give me two minutes to get her up and I’ll call you right back.”
Allie slept like the dead. It would likely take five just to get her conscious and another few to get her even halfway awake enough to think straight.
“Thank you,” I said, hanging up and turning to Callow. “She’s calling back. I don’t like this,” I said, glancing out the balcony doors, seeing the sun getting higher and higher, gold and yellow streaking across the sky. “She’s never stayed out all night. And we have plans today,” I added. “She was excited about the bookstore.”
“I know. I know,” Callow said, reaching to put a hand at the small of my back, offering more, but not forcing contact.
I curled into him.
“We’re gonna find her,” Callow assured me, his lips touching my hair as his hand slid comfortingly up and down my spine.
“I know,” I agreed, thankful down to my bones that I hadn’t woken up alone to deal with this with no support. I would be driving the streets screaming Daphne’s name by now.
“It has to be that Tammy girl,” Callow said. “I’m gonna put some feelers out to see if any of the club kids or anyone know anything about her. Barring that, I also know a hacker who can get her information off of her… adult site. Do you happen to know her name on there?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” I said. “Tease Me Tammy is the name I saw, if it hasn’t changed,” I told him as I pulled away so his hands were free to text.
“Okay. I’m on it. And I’m gonna have the guys file out and look around town,” he told me.
“Thank you,” I said, blinking back the tears that formed as I realized I wasn’t alone, that I had this huge organization that was going to help me figure this out and find my daughter.
It was going to be okay.
It had to be.
“Sam?” I answered on the first ring, hearing the frantic spike to my voice.
“Allie has no idea,” Sam said, breaking the news swiftly. “The last she talked to her, Daphne was still talking about the book she just finished and how she was excited to go get the next in the series. I’m so sorry. Do you need us to come over?”
“Not yet,” I said. “I have, ah, Callow here and he’s… reaching out to his friends to start going around looking for her. And tracking down that Tammy girl. She has to have left with her.”
“Okay. Good. I’m glad you have someone there. But please let us know if we can do anything.”
“I will. I promise. Thanks. And thank Allie for me,” I said before hanging up.
“Yeah. Thanks, Junior,” Callow was saying as I hung up my phone and tried to call Daphne again.
“Junior?” I asked when he looked at me.
“The hacker. He should at least have an address for Tammy in just a couple minutes. He’s the best around. And the club guys are mobilizing. Within twenty minutes, there should be thirty-plus men and all their wives and adult children on the roads looking for her. For those who haven’t met her, can you send me a picture?” he asked.
“Of course,” I agreed, hands shaky as I scrolled through my pictures to send him two—one head-on, the other profile—and watching him blast that out to everyone.
“And in their travels, they will run into all our allies around here. Within an hour, there will be like a hundred eyes on the roads around here.”
“Should we call the police?” I asked.
“That’s completely up to you.”
“What do you think, though?”
“I think she’s a sixteen-year-old who should have been home hours ago. They could issue an alert that would have every eye in this town looking for her.”
“But what about the… club thing?”
“That doesn’t have to be a factor. You can mention she was attacked in your home recently. But you don’t have to say it’s connected to the club. It’s up to you.”