Page 178 of Dare To Fall

“Do not tell me to calm the fuck down.” I’d have said more, only my cell bursts into life. I hit connect without even looking to see who’s calling me. “What?”

“It’s Miles. Is Bella with you?”

“No, she fucking isn’t.”

“She went to meet Jace. I made her stay in contact with me the whole time. But then she texted to say she was leaving, and that was the last time I heard from her.”

Jace.

Fucking Jace.

“I need to go. I’ll call you when I know more.”

“Eli, wait. What are you going to do?”

“Find the bastard and end this once and for all.”

“What do you mean find … Oh … fuck … Evan’s got her?”

I stab at the icons on my phone and forward the text and photograph to him.

“Jace must have organized everything, so the fucker could grab her.”

“I don’t think so. Look, don’t do anything rash. I’m going to call Garrett. He lives near you. I’ll send him over to help.”

“What the fuck can he do to help?”

“He’s a technical wizard. Maybe he can track Ari’s cell.”

Ari’s cell. I twist to look up at my bedroom window. I have the phone up there that Kellan cloned to copy everything that went to her phone. Maybe there’s something on there.

“As soon as I figure out where he is, I’m going.”

“Wait for Garrett.”

“Then tell him to hurry the fuck up.” I end the call and race into the house, taking the stairs two at a time to my bedroom.

The box is at the back of my closet. I grab it and sit on the bed. Prising off the lid, I take out the cell.

My tongue strokes over my lips, toys with my lip ring, and then I flick my tongue piercing against my teeth.

Do I want to do this? Do I want to see the final conversation between Kellan and Evan?

Do I have any fucking choice?

I push the power button. It takes a second or two to boot up, but once it’s done, I navigate into the messaging app, and scroll up to the day before I walked into the chapel to find my best friend dead.

Unknown number: I know you’re not Arabella. Do you think you can fool me?

Cell Number: I’m not trying to fool you.

Unknown number: Then why pretend?

Cell Number: Because you wanted to play a game. Isn’t that what I’m giving you?

Unknown number: It’s not the game I want to play. Who are you?

Cell Number: Shouldn’t I be asking that question?

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