Page 109 of Follow Your Instincts

“Fine, then I’m calling Lachlan and Ben, they need to know what’s going on,” he said and stepped back into the hallway.

I closed my eyes and felt along the bond with Maggie in my chest. It was so quiet, quieter than it had ever been, but I still felt something there. She was alive.

I took a deep breath to calm my panic. I would find her.

What were the options? Paul, the Alpha from the club, was in Todd’s pack, but there was no chance in hell that he would help me. He had to be part of it, too.

Maggie had ruled out Jess, the girl at the Omega Center.

I needed to check Todd’s house, though I doubted even hewould be stupid enough to bring her there.

I called the precinct and got Officer Fraser on the phone. We had a good rapport and I figured I could trust him. “I need Todd Phillips’ address,” I said as soon as he got on the line.

“Oh. Uh. Sorry, Detective but I can’t just give you that information. You know that,” he replied.

I clenched my teeth to keep myself from exploding in fury. “I will owe you a favor. Anything you want. I just need his address.”

Fraser was quiet for a moment. “I could lose my job and so could you.”

“You won’t. This won’t ever come back on you,” I promised.

“Fine.” I heard typing in the background and he gave me the address. It wasn’t far. I hung up without saying goodbye.

I charged back into the lobby and found Lucas hanging up his phone.

“They’re on their way,” he said, and I nodded.

“I’m sending them an address. Todd’s house, maybe the whole pack’s. They can check it out while I go to Bristol Beach,” I said, already turning to go.

There was one other possible connection we needed to chase: Stephen, Greta’s squirrelly cousin, who had purposefully misled the investigation into the robbery at their store.

Lucas grabbed my arm. “Hold on, is that where you think she is?”

“No. But I think that Stephen guy, Greta’s cousin, knows something,” I said and shook off his grip.

“Can you just wait a second?” Lucas growled, pacing after me. “We are all worried about Maggie and we want to help. You can’t just go off on your own.”

“I felt her,” I said, squaring off with him and pounding my fist over my heart. “In here. She was fucking terrified and then it went dark and I thought she was dead. I can feel her a little, but I think she’s hurt. I need to find these pieces of shit and fucking kill them for hurting her.”

Lucas gripped my shoulder. “I get it. But we can help. Do you think Lachlan and Ben will be safe checking out their pack house by themselves?”

“Lachlan can handle it,” I said with conviction. “We need togo.”

The two-story blue house was exactly how I remembered it. I checked in on Maggie through the bond as we got out of the car. I’d been checking on her throughout the hour-long drive down to Bristol Beach. It was clearer now and I could feel anger along with the fear.Good girl, I thought, sending reassurance along the bond.Stay angry.

I stormed up the front steps, with Lucas close behind me, and banged on the front door.

No one answered. But there was a motorcycle in the driveway that seemed like exactly the kind of bike a weaselly shit like Stephen would drive. And I could hear faint noises coming from inside.

“Stay here, I’m going around,” I told Lucas. I made my way down the narrow gap between the Heitzig house and the house next door. The noises inside the house got louder as I approached the back window: shitty electronic music.

I peered in and sure enough, there was Stephen, sitting on the couch playing video games. Relief surged through me. I could get some fucking answers.

I went all the way to the back of the house and vaulted the back fence, no longer afraid that Stephen would hear me, and tried the back door. Unlocked. Fucking idiot.

I charged into the living room, and Stephen squealed when he saw me. He scrambled out of his seat but I tackled him, pinning him to the floor with my knee in his back. He thrashed beneath me but I held on. I had about 30 pounds on him. “Remember me, Stephen?” I yelled over the music.

Stephen turned his head to look up at me and I saw a flash of recognition. “What the fuck, man?” he said. “You can’t just come into my house, I have rights!”

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