Page 109 of The Last Dance You Saved
The dread spread through my veins like a poison.
Why the hell would Adam go there?
Why would he have followed Fallon and Sadie?
Simply to get back at me?
Then it hit me. The goddamn diamonds. But why would he go after them now? If he had access to the money he’d stolen, he didn’t need the cash. Being seen in Willow Creek, risking being arrested, seemed like a stupid play, and nothing he’d done so far had seemed stupid.
The only thing I could think was that he owed Puzo more than the man had admitted to me. What had Puzo said? He had a contract in hand that wouldn’t be easily put aside. But if Adam ran, if he wasn’t able to be found by the U.S. government or Puzo, he’d never have to pay back the debt.
Steele’s voice asking something about flights jerked me back to the room and the need to get to Fallon and Sadie. I’d left the goddamn jet in Tennessee so Parker could take it to Annapolis, and now I was stuck without a means to get to them quickly.
I thumbed my way through my contacts, landing on Maddox Hatley’s number.
“Hatley,” the man grunted out. Relief swarmed through me, but it was followed by a hive of bees stinging at what I had to tell him, how I’d led danger right to their door.
“This is Rafe Marquess. Adam is in Willow Creek, and neither Sadie nor Fallon is picking up their phone.”
Hatley swore before saying, “Sadie told my daughter they were going to go riding later. Maybe they went now. There’s no signal in the hills. I’m forty minutes away, dealing with another issue, but I’ll call the deputy I left in town and send him out to the ranch. Then I’ll call Ryder. He’ll know where to find them.”
I hung up, not even bothering with niceties, and dialed Ryder Hatley.
“You got premonition skills or something?” Ryder grunted out.
Chills swarmed up my back and over my neck. “Where are they?” I demanded.
“At the bar. The cameras there went dead about ten minutes ago. I’m on my way now.”
“Adam’s phone just pinged in Willow Creek.”
I heard the screech of tires and a roar of engines as Ryder cussed under his breath. “Call my brother. I need both hands to navigate.”
“I already did. He said he’s out of town, but he’s sending someone to the ranch.”
“You can call him back and have him send someone to the bar, but I’ll be there in less than five minutes, and I will handle it.” Ryder sounded absolutely sure of himself. Confident. Angry.
Relying on someone else to look after the people I loved left a bitter taste in my mouth. My voice was pained and gritty when I said, “If he’s harmed even one hair on either of them—”
“I’ll kill him myself,” Ryder hissed. “After everything my sister has been through… Goddamn it!” I heard tires squeal again. “I’ll call you when I’m at the bar.”
He hung up, and I headed for Steele, who was waiting at the office door.
“According to the crew at the hangar where the Cessna was kept, there’s nothing there that can get us across the country quickly, but there’s a private jet in Bakersfield. It’s the closest thing I could find.”
We were ninety minutes away. Too damn far. Even then, it would take at least another five hours to get to Tennessee once we were in the air. And once we landed, it was another hour and a half to Willow Creek. I was an entire day away from them. How the hell had I let this happen? I’d never let it happen again.
“What’s wrong?” Lauren’s voice stopped me as we made it halfway out the front door.
I swallowed, closed my eyes, and said, “Adam’s in Willow Creek.”
Her face paled, and she ran at me. “You’re going there now? I’m coming with you.”
She didn’t give me a chance to respond, just shoved past me and headed toward the Jaguar where Steele was waiting, hand out. “Give me the keys,” he said as Lauren climbed into the non-existent back seat.
“Not a chance. I grew up racing on these roads. I know the quickest way to get us there.” We eyed each other for a long moment. “Either get in or don’t, but I’m driving.”
I shoved past him and slammed my way into the driver’s seat as he made his way to the passenger’s side. I’d already shoved the car into gear and hit the accelerator as the door shut behind him. The gravel kicked up behind us as I sped down the road. I’d shave as much time as I could off the trip to the airport. If nothing else, it would keep me from losing my mind while I waited for a call back from one of the Hatleys.
