Page 183 of The Broken Note

Knuckles ram against my window.

I whip my head back and see Hunter’s face behind the tinted glass. My eyes cut through him like a knife. In a second, I ram my door open.

He jumps back, narrowly missing a serious blow.

“Dutch, what are you doing here?” Hunter demands.

“Why the hell are you asking me that?” My fingers dig into his collar and I shove him up against the taxi. “Where’s Cadey?”

“Ey, ey, young man.” My taxi driver motions to Hunter. “This man is saying you told him to cut me off. What the bloody hell?”

I shake Hunter, slamming him harder against the car. “Where is she?”

His expression grim, Hunter pauses and looks up at me. “I really wish it wasn’t a rich prick like you.”

“Where?” I roar in his face.

“Ey, now. Calm down.” The driver puts a hand on my shoulder.

I wrench him off.

Hunter eyes me like my face makes him want to vomit. And then he growls, “She booked a flight back to the States… so she could see you.”

“What?” My fingers go lax. I drop his collar, taking a second to process the news. “How long ago?”

Hunter rubs his neck. He just stares at me, not answering.

“Dammit!” I spin around and race back into the airport. A sea of people press around me, all swirling in a pulse of movement, exhaustion, and excitement.

I didn’t think to get her flight information from Hunter before I barged in here. She could be anywhere.

It doesn’t matter.

I’d search the end of the world to find her because I can’t live without her. I’ve waited my whole life for Cadence Cooper.

I let her slip through my fingers once.

But it’s never going to happen again.

* * *

CADENCE

“Sorry.” I smile sheepishly at the man who just tapped my shoulder and told me the line moved.

I roll my suitcase forward, moving ever so closer to the jet entrance.

Through the rain-soaked window, I see giant jets coasting onto the runway. Red lights flash before my eyes.

When it first started raining, I was half-afraid my flight would be canceled. This was the earliest ticket I could book.

Every minute that I’ve been waiting felt like torture.

Hunter stayed with me until he got a call from Jarod Cross asking him to ‘report my location’. He’s going to say that I’m at the hotel and buy me more time, but our ruse will be exposed if I don’t get on this plane.

Three more people in front of me.

My knee bounces.

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