Page 78 of Claiming Becca

“Hey.” He answers right away. I suck in a breath, so I don’t sound as panicked as I feel. This is like déjà vu.

“Hey. Becca just called me, and I’m sure she’s in trouble. I tracked her location, and she’s at the playground past the Quick Mart gas station,” I tell him.

“Shit! Bailey, let’s go,” he says.

“I don’t know if you want her coming. I’m pretty sure she ran into Donovan.” He sighs heavily as I make a sharp right turn.

“It’s her best friend.” He sounds resigned as a car door slams in the background.

“Alright. Make her stay in the car. See you in a minute.” I throw my phone down. I want to call Bass, but I won’t do that to him, not with him having a brand new baby. Picking my phone up again, I call Victor.

“Valentine,” he answers.

“Hey. Becca just called. She’s at the playground past the Quik Mart gas station, and she’s in trouble,” I tell him immediately.

“I’m on the way,” he responds, surprising me a little. I pull out on the main road to that part of town. “Does this have anything to do with Donovan?” he asks.

“I don’t know. She hung up on me, but I have a feeling it does,” I reply.

“See you there,” he says and hangs up. I sigh and shake my head. That man is more cryptic than Julian. I pass the Quick Mart, and as I do, a black Mercedes passes me, going in the opposite direction. I almost turn around to chase it.

What if he has Becca? I follow my instincts and stay on track to the playground. I glance in my rearview mirror and see Julian. That brings me some ease, but I can’t get there fast enough. Pulling into the parking lot, my eyes zero in on Becca’s car.

I pull up behind her, throw my truck into park, and jump out, leaving the door open. Running to her door, I see her sitting with the door cracked.

She looks like she’s in shock. I yank her door open, and she shrieks, trying to crawl back to the passenger seat. She’s crying, and trying to grab at the door handle to escape.

My heart slams against my ribcage. “Shortcake?” I call out to her. She stops trying to get away. Her eyes focus on me, then she throws herself in my arms.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers. I stand, holding her tight against me as I rub her back.

“Why are you sorry, baby?” I ask her. She doesn’t respond, but she clings to me. Julian and Bailey watch us, and I give Julian a desperate look. “Becca? I need you to tell me what happened,” I tell her, lifting her in my arms. I carry her to my truck. Bailey opens the door, and I sit her in the passenger seat. I cup her face and force her to focus on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Victor, but ignore him.

Her eyes finally focus on me. She sucks in a shaky breath. “I saw Donovan.”

I grit my teeth, but try not to show how I feel right now. I need her to talk. Why the hell was she here by herself? Why didn’t she tell me she was coming here?

“He knew I was friends with Liv,” she whispers, closing her eyes. Victor walks closer. I turn to him and shake my head. Concern is in his eyes, but he doesn’t come any closer.

“Okay. How did he know that?” I ask.

She finally opens her eyes. She shakes her head and shrugs. “I don’t know.” She runs her hands through her hair, her fingers shaking slightly.

The fear in her eyes is slowly replaced by anger. “He knows who I am.” She swallows and looks from me to Julian and Bailey, then to Victor. “He’s not going to stop. We have to do something.” Victor’s jaw tightens, but he nods once. She turns to me and leans her forehead against mine. “I’m sorry,” she says again.

I run my thumbs along her jaw. “Why are you sorry, Shortcake?” I ask her again.

She inhales deeply. “I shouldn’t have come here without you. I’ve been trying to overcome my fear of this neighborhood. So, I started at the gas station and slowly worked my way to the park over the past few weeks. I should have told you.”

I stand to my full height and pull her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her. I hate Donovan with every fiber of my being because of the fear he’s instilled in Becca, Liv, and countless others. The man deserves to rot in hell for his sins. She clings to me, and I glance from Victor to Julian and Bailey. He has his arm wrapped around her tightly. We’re all determined to protect our women, so we must do something about Donovan, which must be done soon. I run my hands down her back.

“Shortcake, let’s get home, and we can talk about it there,” I tell her. I guide her the rest of the way into the truck and buckle her in. She lays her head back, not protesting. Closing the door, I look from Victor to Julian and shrug helplessly.

“I have no idea what the hell is going on.” I go to take my baseball cap off but realize I’m not wearing one, so I run my hands through my hair instead.

Julian walks closer and slaps his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. Bailey can drive Bec’s car home. I’ll call everyone on the way to your house and tell them to meet us there.” I nod at him and turn to Victor.

“I told Liv to stay at home. I didn’t want her to come just in case Donovan was here. I’ll pick her up, and we’ll be at your house soon,” he says.

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