Page 103 of Nate

“What’s wrong?” Nate asked.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Rafe replied with a furrowed brow.

“I know, me too. We have to find Markie,” Nate responded, his own anxiety rising.

They cautiously approached the door, each step heavy with trepidation. Nate reached for the doorknob, but it was locked.

“If she’s in there, she would have locked the door,” Rafe stated.

Nate nodded in agreement and searched for another way to enter. Then he remembered something Markie had shown him weeks ago when they were here. He reached out and pressed a hidden doorbell on the outside of the doorframe.

“How did you know about that?” Rafe asked in surprise.

“Markie showed me when we were here before. She had to check on a cat,” Nate explained quietly.

“Thank goodness she did. I’m going to stay in the shadows until we figure out what’s going on here,” Rafe declared, positioning himself out of sight.

Nate nodded in agreement and waited anxiously as he heard the lock turning from inside. The door opened just a crack, revealing Markie’s worried face.

“Nate? What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.

“You weren’t responding to my texts, and I got worried,” Nate answered truthfully, trying to peer over her shoulder into the dimly lit hallway beyond her.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy with thecat,” Markie apologized.

Nate knew she was trying to tell him she was in trouble. “Do you want me to wait for you upstairs?”

“No, no need. I’ll be fine. Just go home, Nate,” Markie insisted with a forced smile.

Nate clenched his jaw at her choice of words because he knew she really didn’t want him to go, and she should have said, ‘Iamfine, not I’llbefine.’

“Okay... I’ll head home then.” He shook his head to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere without her.

“Goodnight, Nate,” Markie said with a shaky voice before closing the door.

Nate stood rooted to the spot, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. He was jolted back to reality when Rafe suddenly appeared next to him.

“That son of a bitch is in there, isn’t he?” Rafe seethed.

“Yes,” Nate replied through gritted teeth, his fists clenched at his sides.

“What do you want to do?” Rafe asked, ready for action.

Nate took a deep breath and looked at his friend. “You go home, Rafe.”

“No. I’m not leaving you alone. So, tell me, what’s the plan?” Rafe responded determinedly.

Nate’s eyes met Rafe’s, and they shared a silent understanding. They would not let Knowles get away with hurting Markie.

“We have to get in there some way.” Nate paced back and forth, while Rafe leaned against the building, with his arms folded across his chest, and his bootheel hooked on the brick.

“Shouldn’t we call the sheriff’s department?”

“And what if that just pisses Knowles off? What then?” Nate snapped, hung his head, then looked at Rafe. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“I’m used to you trying to push me around,” Rafe said with a grin.

“Trying?”Nate chuckled, then sighed. “What should we do?”

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