Page 12 of Hold Me Before You Go

“We need to get a move on, Gray,” a familiar voice said from behind me.

I looked over my shoulder to find Hayes not waiting in the car like I’d instructed. His face was set, but no matter how hard he tried, his eyes would always give him away, green and glimmering with a pain I’d come to know over the years of our friendship.

“Thought I told you to stay in the truck,” I told him, my voice strained.

A muscled ticked in his cheek. “Not letting you do this alone.”

Tic-Tac meowed, breaking our focus. Hayes’ eyes dropped down to the orange animal. “Is he coming or going?”

“Not leaving him here,” I answered instantly. Carrie would kill me if she knew I’d left him all alone.

“To Colorado then,” Hayes confirmed as I swooped the cat into my arms. Tic-Tac rubbed his head underneath my jaw, purring now.

I stepped inside and headed up the stairs. “Shut down everything down here, yeah?”

“On it.”

Once I was in Carrie’s room, I went into her closet, grabbing her backpack before returning to the bed, where I dropped Tic-Tac. He gave me a complaining meow, which I ignored, going into her bathroom to grab her usuals, then to her dresser to grab some clothes. I also grabbed her laptop, camera, and journal. Once I found her, she would be staying in Colorado with me until I could ensure she was one hundred percent safe. I wouldn’t be taking any more chances, not with her. Never again. I packed enough for her to last a few days and then headedback downstairs, the cat in tow. Hayes emerged from the second bedroom with the cat carrier and a few cans of food.

“Can’t believe I’m going to be flying a cat to Colorado,” he muttered.

“He means something to Carrie,” I told him, walking into the kitchen to double-check that the back door was locked.

Once that was done, I moved back into the living room to find Hayes gently putting Tic-Tac into his carrier.

A knock sounded at the front door, and my gaze collided with Hayes’, both of us reaching for our guns. We remained still, waiting for another knock, and when it didn’t come, I moved, Hayes falling in line behind me. I loaded a bullet into the chamber once I was to the door, and as I was about to look through the peephole, a female voice filled the air.

“Mr. Grayson? It’s me, Sarah Humbly.”

I looked back to Hayes.

“Mr. Grayson,” Sarah begged through the door. “I know you’re about to leave Astoria, but I just need a moment to speak with you—please.”

“Put your gun away,” I told Hayes.

“Absolutely not,” he returned, lowering it to his side as I shoved mine back into the waistband of my jeans. A second later, I yanked the door open to find Sarah Humbly wasn’t alone. Rossy, the owner of Rossy’s Books, was standing behind her, and to her right stood a scowling woman with black hair and neck tattoos. Margo.

“What do you want?” I demanded bluntly.

Sarah had tears running down her face. “Please tell me you have a lead. Michael won’t tell me anything.”

“He’s right for doing so,” Hayes said from behind me.

Margo’s eyes sliced to him, shooting daggers. “Bullshit. Carrie is our fucking family.”

Family.

The word kicked me in the gut. Carrie had really found her place here.

“We understand your concern, but—”

Margo cut Hayes off again, stepping forward. “You aren’t a fucking cop. You aren’t bound by the law. Tell us what you know,” she snapped.

“Or you’ll what?” Hayes challenged, shoving past me. Margo was taller than Carrie, but Hayes still towered over her. “We aren’t obligated to tell you jack shit, and from where I’m fucking standing, everyone in this fucking town is a suspect.”

Margo’s nostrils flared, and she bared her teeth. “We would never do anything to hurt Cardinal,” she seethed, pointing at Hayes’ face.

“Cardinal?” I parroted.

---