Page 108 of End Game

Cilla elbowed him.

“What? It’s a legitimate question.”

One Ash couldn’t answer.

52

Panic attacks were real.

Although Kayla had never experienced one herself, she had a sorority sister who’d been plagued by them, and Kayla had learned how to help her work through the debilitating sensation of breathlessness and mind-numbing terror.

But she’d never understood—not really—how a person could cede control of their reality to fearful thoughts.

Until now.

Kayla’s mind rotated around her conversations with dizzying speed. Her heart punched her ribcage with the strength of a heavyweight boxer, sweat steamed at the roots of her hair, and her stomach flip-flopped like a prize fish fighting a pro’s line.

Her breath stopped.

Her mind spun from conversations and implications to fear and survival. From the depths of her mind, she recalled the mantra she’d established with her sorority sister.

Breathe, one, two, three. Exhale. Breathe, one, two, three.

She continued repeating the words, forcing her nervous system to cooperate, to believe she wasn’t dying. Finally, her lungs expanded and deflated and her heart rate scaled down until her body no longer vibrated from the impact.

Once she felt she could speak with control again, she called her mother.

The call went to voicemail. She tried twice more, letting Jillian know by sheer volume to pick up her damn phone. This was important. Still, her calls remained unanswered.

The sun fell below the treetops, and Kayla wrapped an arm around her middle to ward off the dipping temperatures. She considered taking the path to her right to the family’s chapel for warmth and privacy, but her feet remained rooted in place while she dialed Gordon Krowne.

“Daddy, I’m trying to get in touch with Mom, but she’s not answering her phone. Can you put her on?”

“Sorry, Pepper. Your mother left for Chicago this morning.”

“Chicago? You’re sure?”

“That’s what she said. Now that I think about it, she hasn’t checked in with me as she normally does.”

“Is there an issue at one of our hotels?”

“Not that I’m aware. She gave me the impression that she’s doing one of her periodic check-ins.”

“Did she take Susannah with her?”

“No, she stayed back to finish up some research.”

She could think of only one reason why her mother would make an unscheduled visit to the Windy City without her assistant. What she didn’t know was why Jillian would need to speak with Indira Umar. Did it have something to do with Vicky’s murder? Had Sybil and Elsie gone with her?

“Is she staying at our downtown hotel?”

“It’s her favorite. Is everything all right, sweetheart?”

“Everything is fine, Daddy. I’m sure she’s just busy with meetings. When I reach her, I’ll make sure she calls or texts you.”

She hung up and immediately searched her contacts for the Krowne hotel in downtown Chicago. “Gavin, this is Kayla Krowne. Could you put me through to the family suite?”

“Of course, Miss Krowne.” A slight hesitation. “To my knowledge, none of the family are in residence.”