Page 21 of Bringing Home the Bad Boy

His fingers are already flying over the phone. It rings. And rings. Straight to voicemail. He tries again. Nothing.

“She’s not answering.” He is already up, yanking on his jeans. “I have to get home. Now.”

I scramble for my clothes, my hands shaking so badly I can barely manage the buttons. “Let's go.”

We fly down the stairs and out to my Jeep. I barely have time to grab my keys before Trace snatches them, throwing himselfbehind the wheel. The engine roars to life and we peel out of my driveway, gravel spraying.

The speedometer creeps higher and higher as we race through Bear Ridge’s quiet streets. When blue lights flash behind us, Trace doesn’t even slow down.

“Trace, it’s Lowe.”

“I don’t care if it’s the fucking president.”

But Lowe is persistent, lights flashing, siren wailing. I grab Trace’s arm. “Let him help. Please. He has resources—”

“I don’t need his help!” Trace’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel. “I need to get to my daughter.”

We screech into his driveway, and my heart stops. Rosa’s car is gone. Trace bursts through the front door, calling their names. The house echoes back silence.

That’s when I see Jelena’s favorite stuffed unicorn lying in the middle of the floor. Jelenaa never leaves without it. Which means…

“They’re gone.” Trace’s voice is hollow. Empty. Like something vital has been ripped out of him.

Lowe appears in the doorway, weapon drawn. “Arroyo! Hands where I can see them!”

“Not now, Sheriff.” Trace is already moving, grabbing his keys. “I have to find them.”

“You’re not going anywhere until—”

“My daughter is missing!” The words explode out of him. “Rosa took her. So either help me or get the hell out of my way.”

I step between them, facing Lowe. “Please. Help us find them. Before anyone does something they can’t take back.”

Lowe’s stern expression wavers. He pulls out his radio, barking orders to his on-call deputies. Within minutes, Nick and Justin’s voices crackle back, confirming they are on their way.

My throat tightens. Nick and Justin. My brothers. Which means my father will know soon, if he doesn’t already. Part ofme wants to scream at the idea of him being involved in this, too, but I push the feeling down. This isn’t about me or my issues. This is about finding Jelena and Rosa before something terrible happens.

Trace paces the living room like a caged animal while Lowe coordinates the search. Every time his phone buzzes, he lunges for it, hope and fear warring on his face. But Rosa remains silent, her last message hanging over us like a storm cloud.

“We’ll find them,” I whisper, though my own heart is breaking. For Trace. For Jelena. For Rosa, who’s obviously been hurting more than any of us had realized.

The sound of another car pulling into the driveway makes us all turn. My father steps out of his Mercedes, and my stomach clenches. Here to gloat? To say I told you so, about trusting people who weren’t our kind?But the look on his face isn’t smug. It is worried. Determined. Maybe even a little bit human.

“I want to help,” my father says, his voice gruff but sincere. “Tell me where you need me.”The words hang in the air between us. Trace stares at him for a long moment, then gives a sharp nod. I watch, stunned, as my father joins Lowe at the kitchen table, where they’ve spread out a map of Bear Ridge.

“I need to go look for them.” Trace heads for the door, but Lowe blocks his path.

“You need to stay here.” Lowe’s voice is firm but not unkind. “We’ll search the area. They can’t have gone far. But if we don’t find them quickly…” He lets out a heavy breath. “I’ll have to call in the FBI. Time is crucial in these situations.”

“The FBI?” My voice cracks. “It’s Rosa. She wouldn’t—”

“They’ll want to talk to you,” Lowe continues, focusing on Trace. “And I need to ask you something hard right now.” He steps closer, lowering his voice. “Do you think there’s any chance Rosa would hurt herself? Or Jelena?”

Trace staggers like he’s been hit. The color drains from his face. “No,” he says brokenly. “God, no. But…” His voice catches. “I never thought she’d do something like this either.”

“Good enough.” Lowe nods grimly. “Let’s hope that’s true.” He turns to Officer Chen, who’s just arrived. “Stay with them. I’ll radio if we find anything.”

I wrap my arms around Trace as Lowe and my father head out. His whole body trembles beneath my touch. All we can do now is wait. And pray.

---