Page 30 of Finish Line

Ihaven’t even been back for one whole day, yet here I am, hopping on my bike and riding to Nick’s house, hoping Shelby will let me in.

Dad wasn’t thrilled when I left, but I warned him that the second she was found, I was heading back.

If I turn the wrong way, my side still hurts, but the stitches are out. I can move without too much pain. I haven’t even told the guys I’m back. I got tired of Nick and Cin telling me Shelby didn’t want to talk to me. She won’t be able to send me away once I’m there, so I hopped on the first plane I could and came home.

I knock on the front door, and to my surprise, Peter opens it, his mouth dropping open.

“Cam, come in. It’s good to see you.” Peter steps back from the door, letting me in. “You just missed Nick.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tate.” I walk into the house. “I was hoping to talk to Shelby, if she’ll let me?”

In the living room, Patty sits on the couch, sniffling loudly.

Peter jogs over and wraps his arms around her.

Whatever he whispers in her ear is personal, so I suddenly find the floor very interesting.

“I’m sorry, Cam. She’s not here.”

My head whips toward Peter. “What do you mean, she’s not here?”

“She left in the middle of the night to who knows where,” Patty cries out, sounding angrier than upset, her face red, eyes scowling at me with a definite lack of puffiness.

Is she even crying?

My stomach sinks. Shelby left.

“Did someone go with her? Does Nick know where she is? When is she coming back?” I voice grows louder toward the end.

“I’m sorry, Cam.” Peter gestures for me to calm down while looking back at Patty. “Frank took her to one of the Knight vacation homes, and she’s safe.”

I rub my forehead. “I don’t mean to yell. I’m sorry. Where did Nick go?”

Patty sniffs. “Cin and he took Hannah and Luke over to the Knights’.”

“Thank you both.” I run out of the house, jump on my bike, and take off to Dom and Mav’s. I don’t understand why Shelby would leave without telling anyone where she was going.

Whatever happened to her after I was taken out of that basement must have been bad.

When I pull up to the back of Knights’ place, Frank stands outside, a little away from Nick, Cin, Luke, and Hannah. He’s talking to a chunky guy with balding gray hair, wearing what has to be the world’s ugliest sweater vest. I turn my bike off.

Nick walks over to me and gives me a side hug. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? It’s good to see you. You look good.”

I swing my leg over my bike. “I just landed a few hours ago. I stopped by your house. Peter told me about Shelby.”

As he and the bald sweater vest dude walk closer, I square up with Frank. “I want to talk to you. How could you let Shelby leave without telling us?”

I’m so angry my whole body shakes, and I have to clench my hand not to punch him.

Frank glances over Nick’s shoulder, taking in Luke and Hannah, who are both talking to Cin, before he looks me square in the eyes. “She asked me not to.”

He lowers his voice even more. “I’m sorry, Cam, but we need to put this on pause and talk about it later. This is Louis Scott. He’ll undo the hypnosis that Roger put the guys and Hannah under.”

Frank turns away to walk inside but stops just at the doorway.

Louis falls into step with Nick and me as we follow behind Frank, collecting Cin, Luke, and Hannah as we go. “Gentleman, Ladies, good afternoon.”

We stop in front of Frank.

---