Page 88 of Unbearable

I turned around to look at him and threw my arms up in the air, having no control over my emotions.

“There’s no fucking time to slow down!” I yelled. “In case you missed it, Dotty is missing. She ismissing,and there’s been a damn stalker after her for years, Dorian. We don’t have time to slow down. Not now.” My voice cracked as I yelled.

I knew I was losing it on him. He didn’t deserve it, but Dorian understood. We were brothers, and he always understood me, even when I didn’t understand myself.

He nodded at me. “You’re right. Let’s go get our girl,” he said.

Sawyer came up from behind me and patted my shoulder. “We will find her.”

“I’ve been in contact with Seattle and Woodstone County PD. They’re reviewing security cameras in the area,” Colt said.

His long hair was pulled back, and I could see in his eyes how hard this was on him too. He kept his voice and demeanor calm, but his eyes were anything but.

Colt tracked her phone, and the parking garage was the last place it had been. We ran up and down the levels, looking for any sign of her.

We spent precious minutes searching when Sawyer shouted, “Over here!”

We all ran over and spotted the truck she had left in.

“Oh shit,” Dorian muttered.

I saw something glinting under the truck and crouched down. I wanted to crumble when I found Dotty’s phone- the screen completely cracked. I stood up and looked in the back of the truck, spotting her luggage there too. "Her suitcase is in the truck," I said.

“Don’t touch anything,” Colt warned, already dialing his phone. “I need someone at the airport now,” he said and paused. “I know, but this is mysister. If I hadn’t taken this into my own hands, we wouldn’t have even found this.” He rubbed his temple. “Fine,” he said, hanging up.

“What was that about?” Sawyer asked.

“I’m too close to the case. They warned me not to interfere,” he replied. “So we wait. Someone is on their way now.”

The next thirty minutes were utter hell. The severity of the situation was a fifty-pound weight on my chest. Each second stretched into an eternity, my mind tormenting me with horrific possibilities. The anxiety clawed at me, an unrelenting force that made it hard to breathe.

We needed to find her. I needed to find her.

I hadn’t waited all these years apart only to lose her now.

I survived war zones, living off prepackaged mealsmeant to last as long as Dotty was away from Woodstone. I saw the light fade in my best friend’s eyes. I lost my dad, my only blood who cared about me, when I was only a teenager. I endured all of that and finally emerged on the other side. I wasn’t going to lose the love of my life before we even had the chance to truly be together.

The sun was just beginning to rise above the mountains as two detectives arrived just as my patience was wearing thin. An older man and a younger woman stepped out.

“Gentlemen, I’m Detective Lilah Dodge. This is my partner, Detective Michael Carter.”

“Detectives.” Dorian nodded.

“But please, call me Lilah. Lord knows your brother refuses, so someone should.”

She looked at Colt, who nodded. “Detective Dodge.”

She rolled her eyes and started asking Colt questions. She grabbed Dotty’s phone, placing it in an evidence bag.

I completely zoned out, unsure of how Dorian, Colt, and Sawyer were holding it together while the fear and helplessness was eating me alive.

“Let’s head to the station. We should have some security tapes back by the time we get there,” Lilah said.

My mind raced as the morning sun cast a warm glow as we made our way to the station. Every red light felt like the cruelest form of punishment. Every second that delayed us, was another moment Dotty was at risk.

By the time we arrived, we all rushed out of the car as if it was on fire. My heart pounded with dread, each step toward the station feeling heavier with the weight of the unknown.

I fought the urge to turn around, afraid that if I walked through those doors hoping she was alive, I would walk out knowing she was gone.

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