Page 142 of Rear View
We hung up.
Alec and I beelined back to the car. Pulling out his own phone, he threw it on speaker and made a call.
“Yeah?” Sean answered.
“Where are you?”
“My place, why?”
“Get to your computer.”
“What’s going on?” Sean asked.
“Ryah’s in trouble,” Alec said.
“This that stalker guy X mentioned?”
“Yeah.”
“Shit!”
“I’ll give you anythin’, man,” I cut in.
“Xavier? That you?”
“It’s me.”
Sean went quiet, then, “I’m upping my fee to fifty.”
Alec’s eyes flew wide.“Grand?”
“Yeah.”
I dipped in a nod. “Done!” The number didn’t matter. I’d have paid a fuck ton more. Given him everything I goddamn well had.
“You’re such a shit, Sean,” Alec snarled, shaking his head.
“I’m taking a risk here.” There was a slurping sound like he was taking a drink, then, “What d’you need?”
“Professor Barlowe from U of E.”
“Yeah?”
I fought my jaw from locking down. “Find the fucker.”
“On it.”
Those keys clicked rapid-fire through the line for one heartbeat. Two. Time slowed, every second a minute. Every minute an hour. Each one driving me insane ’cause my girl was out there with that piece of shit and I was—
“I’m in the university’s system.” Sean mumbled to himself about whatever he was doing. “Barlowe. Barlowe. Barlowe,” he said on repeat. “Hel-lo, Professor.” Silence for a second, then, “Got his number. Just need to track it.” More silence. More clicking. So much goddamn clicking.
“Alright. Tracking now.”
I ground my hands against the steering wheel. Sitting still was killin’ me. I needed to move. Needed to move.Need to fuckin’ move!My jaw was cinched tight, and I barely held it together when I asked, “Where’s he headed, Sean?”
“He’s…”
Alec and I glared down at his phone.
