Page 556 of Dark Love

Imogene hops out of the car and closes the door after I slide in with Dahlia in my arms.

“What happened?” Payne asks as Imogene gets in the front seat.

“I don’t know yet.” But I’m going to find out. Dahlia might need Barb. “Head to the club.”

Payne nods, and the car starts moving.

“Dahlia. It’s me, Vex. You’re safe, Dahl. You’re safe in my arms. Nothing will happen to you.”

“Vex?”

She lifts her head up and her tear-streaked face almost breaks me. “Can you tell me what happened?” Who do I need to kill?

“He got her. No one believed her. And now he’s got her, and he’s going to hurt her.”

It takes every ounce of self-control that I possess not to tighten my body and hit something. “Dahl, you said he was going to hurt you. Who was going to hurt you?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

DOESN’T MATTER! “It is the only thing that matters.”

“No. It’s not. I’m safe with you. And he’s got her. He’s going to hurt her, I know it. You had to hear her. She was terrified. He’d tormented her for months and months, and now he’s got her and no one believes her. No one believes her. But I know you’d believe her. You would save her. You have to save her. Tell me you’ll save her. That man can’t hurt her. He can’t keep her in a hole.”

There’s a quiet sob in the front of the car, and the battle is lost.

First, I need to save this nameless, faceless woman.

Then, I’m going to kill whoever it is that threatened Dahlia.

“I believe her. And I’ll try to save her. But Dahlia, you have to remember I can’t save everyone.”

She takes a deep breath. “I know. But someone has to try. We can’t just assume when a woman calls us terrorized and afraid that she’s mentally unstable and making it all up. We need to help her.”

I run a hand down Dahlia’s hair, offering her comfort and reminding myself that she’s here in my arms and safe.

“Dahlia’s right. We need to do something,” Imogene finds her voice. “I’ll help search for her, too.”

Two women who could barely fight their way out of a cornfield are going to try to save the world.

“Tell us everything you know.” Hopefully, it is something easy. There’s no more space in my life for a complex rescue.

But today nothing has been easy.

“We should wait until we get inside.” Payne nods to the road in front of us.

We’re almost back at the club thanks to his lead foot. “We’ll wait until then.” I cuddle Dahlia closer to me and listen to the steady beat of her heart.

That’s enough for now. She’s alive. She’s safe.

***

Imogene settles into Payne’s lap as I sit down on the couch with Dahlia in mine. It’s tempting to never let her go again. She could just be permanently attached to my side.

“Okay Dahl, tell us everything you know.”

“Marlie called in at—"

Marlie? It can’t be. That’s too much of a coincidence. But the times would fit. “Did Marlie tell you her last name?” My eyes go to Payne. He’s got to be thinking the same thing as me. But it feels impossible.

---