Page 88 of Mountain Protector

Knox.

I just want to see him again.

CHAPTER 20

KNOX

“I still haven’t heard back from her.”

I stare at the tracking app, watching Lark’s tiny dot as it sits at her office building, silently willing her to get back to me. For her name to pop onto the screen, calling to let me know she’s safe. That she’s securely locked in her office, waiting for me. “It’s been more than five minutes since I texted her. She should have called me by now.”

Ronan glances over at me. “Five minutes isn’t that long, Knox. She’s probably contacting her dad to warn him. I’m sure she’s fine.”

My jaw clenches, sending jolts of pain down my neck. “It’s been seven minutes.” The fear I’ve been trying to tamp down resurges, stealing my breath. “Fuck, Ronan. She was in her office with him. What if he?—”

The truck accelerates, the speedometer now topping seventy. “Her tracker hasn’t moved, has it?”

“No. It hasn’t.”

As we speed around a slow-moving sedan, crossing onto the other side of the road and back again, Ronan asks, “Do you think we should alert security at her office? Have them get Harrison someplace secure?”

“I don’t know. It could tip him off. If he feels like he’s cornered, and we don’t know if he’s still with Lark…”

Although. What if Ed decides to make a run for it? What if he leaves Lark’s office and gets to her father before she can warn him? What her dad gets hurt because of my inaction?

Fuck. Why is it so hard to make a decision?

“I’ll call them,” I announce. “Tell them to keep things low key. Make an excuse to get Ed on his own. Something about his ID badge or something.”

“Good idea,” Ronan replies, sounding enviably confident. “And I’m sure Lark will call you any second. She’s just being careful, but?—”

“Fuck!”

The car swerves. “Shit. What is it?”

My lungs seize. “Her tracker. It’s moving.”

“What?”

“She’s moving,” I choke out through a narrowing throat. “Lark’s tracker. I don’t know where she’s going, but she’s on the move.”

The calm tone in Ronan’s voice goes tight. “Shit.” He pauses. “Could she be going to her father’s office?”

“I told her not to.” My knuckles go white around my phone. “She wouldn’t. Not with this. I know she wouldn’t.” Eyeing the speedometer, I grit out, “Go faster.”

“Don’t panic,” he replies. “There’s no reason to think?—”

A blaring alarm blasts from my phone.

My heart stops.

On the screen, Lark’s little dot goes a violent, flashing red.

For a moment, I can’t speak past the fear. Past the terrified voice in my head saying,you failed her. Lark’s in danger and you’re not there. You promised to protect her. You promised.

The truck speeds up.

“Where is she now?” Ronan asks. Worry seeps into his voice. He knows as well as I do what the alarm means. Knows that something with Ed went terribly wrong.

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