Page 16 of Fight

My lungs scream at me to breathe, but I can’t, and I feel my body shutting down. As the world blurs until I can’t see anything, I ask for forgiveness from the one alpha who isn’t here.

I’m sorry, Auggie. I should have told you I loved you sooner than this.

Chapter Four

AUGUSTINE

It’s two in the morning as I get closer to home, but I haven’t heard from Cere at all. Frowning, I try calling her for the third time. My spidey sense is going off as I drive, and my anxiety is pushing at me.

“Hey, did your phone die? You’re probably sleeping and are going to think I’m being neurotic,” I admit as I leave another voice message. “I’m going to be at the apartment soon, I wish I knew if you were home yet.”

Blowing out a sigh, I slow down as I get to a red light. It’s the way Cerenity would go to grab Chinese food before she gets home, which just makes me miss her more. I’ll probably end up waking her up when I get in, because it’s hard to be quiet with this giant cooler, but I can’t help that.

It takes me a second to understand what my headlights are picking up as I stare out my windshield. There’s usually high powered street lights at this intersection, but it’s pitch black right now. The electricity is clearly running in this part of town, though, because the traffic lights are working.

That’s not what is off, though. There’s glass all over the intersection, and Cere’s cute bright blue sports car is upside down in the road. Shoving my truck into park, I scramble out of the vehicle.

This area has an abandoned feel to it, giving me the heebie jeebies.

Running toward the car, I already can tell there’s no one in it.

“Cere!” I yell regardless, turning on the flashlight on my phone as I walk around the car.

Why hasn’t a cop found her car? Why hasn’t anyone else been by here?

“Baby, where are you?” I rasp, getting on my hands and knees to look into the flipped car. I can see her purse, her phone tossed aside with a cracked screen, and no sign of robbery. Her seatbelt is cut in two places, reminiscent of her knife.

Looking around, I can’t find her knife, and the glass is displaced as if she dragged herself out. A couple of red droplets of blood glitter on the glass, making me swallow hard. There’s no one here, and I swallow hard as I call the emergency police line.

Fuck, I shouldn’t have left. The air smells faintly of apple pie, terror, and iron, making my blood run cold.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” the dispatcher asks in a calm voice.

“Hi, I’m on the corner of Eighth and Vincent, driving on my way home. My best friend’s car crashed in the intersection and flipped over. It appears someone hit her,” I say hurriedly, standing to look around.

“Is your friend injured?” she asks, making me feel dumb because I forgot to mention that part.

“She’s not here,” I explain. “There’s blood on the glass in the car, and I can see where she cut her seat belt with her knife. I’m really worried.”

“I understand, Sir. I’ll send someone out now,” she says calmly.

Unfortunately, I’m frustrated as I hang up, because I have a feeling they won’t be able to help at all. Is it even worth waiting around?

My next call is to Gabriel as I put it on speaker and look around with my flashlight on as I walk around the car. There are tire tracks on the ground, and it appears a few people have done this same walk because the glass is displaced.

Shaking my head when the call goes to voicemail, I call again. And again.

“Fuck, are you home yet, Auggie? What’s wrong that you’ve called… four times?” Gabriel asks sleepily. I can hear the blankets shift as he gets up, and I take a shaky breath.

“There’s been an accident,” I begin. “I was on my way home, and I’m standing in the middle of the intersection, next to Cerenity’s car. It’s flipped over, glass is fucking everywhere. Gabriel, she’s not here. Where the hell is she?!”

I’m screaming and panicking by the end of the last sentence, and Gabriel inhales sharply.

“Fuck. I’m going to call David,” he says softly. “The only person who would do this to her is Arthur. I don’t have Tommy’s personal number, or I’d take this straight to him. Is there anything else that looks weird?”

“Whoever this was, made sure her car wouldn’t be found,” I grunt. “Cops haven’t come through here, there’s no one walking, no homeless people. This area is a ghost town. Does Arthur have the power to do that?”

“I mean, yeah,” Gabriel says softly. “Corbin Murphy allows some of Tommy’s men to do business in Minneapolis, though they’re careful not to bring any heat over that way. It would mean Arthur would have to have some of the police force in his back pocket.”

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