Page 66 of Saved from Deception

Cole’s gaze sweeps around our small huddle, landing on mine. “We’re going to find her, Ry.”

Five minutes later, we’re all in the garage, piling into our custom SUV. Cole takes the wheel, Leo beside him with his laptop open. Finn and I slide into the middle row, stowing our bags in the row behind us.

My legs are jumping, my pulse deafening in my ears. I keep alternating between flushes of hot rage, electric jolts of anxiety, and torrents of icy fear.

I need to keep it locked down, but how? All I keep seeing is Charlie, pepper sprayed, crying. Abducted and terrified in a black van. And this man—what does he want with her? What has he already done to her?

As Cole pulls out of the garage, Finn lets out a hiss of dismay. “Beth found some intel on Peter Holmes.”

“And?” My voice throbs with tension.

“First.” Finn taps his screen to display a photo. “This is Peter Holmes.”

It takes a second. First, he looks like an average guy. Thirties, slightly nerdy looking, nothing distinctive about him.

And then.

“FUCK!” I slam my hand against the door, needing the painful sting of it.

“It’s that asshole from the Hop-less Horseman,” Leo bites out. “The one who scared Charlie.”

Finn’s jaw goes rigid. “And Beth accessed his internet history. He watched those videos, the deepfakes of Charlie. Thousands of times.”

I’m going to kill him.

My lungs turn to ice. All my rage coalesces into something dangerous. Deadly.

“If he touches her,” I growl. “If he hurts her, I’ll kill him.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHARLIE

I’m so scared.

No. Not scared. Terrified.

I can’t hear anything past my heart exploding with fear.

Shaking all over, full body tremors seizing my muscles painfully. Whistling breaths through my stuffed-up nose. Lungs burning from panic and that stuff that was sprayed on me.

I’m trying not to cry; it only makes it worse, but how can I?

I’m tied up, blindfolded, taken who knows where.

Pepper sprayed. Or was it mace? Are they the same?

Does it matter?

I know I should focus. Catalog all the details. Figure out something. But my brain is refusing.

All I can think over and over is I want Rylan. I need him. I’m so scared, and I just want Rylan to come find me.

But he’s not here. And I’m pretty sure I’m alone right now. So I need to calm down somehow and figure this out.

Rylan wouldn’t panic. He’d be logical. Strategic. Not let his fear overwhelm him.

I can do that, too. Lock away the fear, and just focus.

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