Page 62 of Shadowing Charlotte
"We're going on a little vacation, baby. All you need is your ID." The sound of him calling her baby made me drop the phone, the screen cracking upon impact as rage coursed through me.
Charlotte. My stupid, sweet, noble Charlotte. Of course, she'd gone with Adam. She thought it meant keeping her father safe.
I wondered what the fuck he had done to convince her Tim was in danger. Adam didn't seem like the murdering type. Apparently, he was the kidnapping type, though.Fucking idiot.I was going to kill him. I was going to ring his neck and rip his fucking entrails out.
Flicking open my text to her, trying not to cut my fingers on the screen, I clicked on Charlotte's picture and opened her location. She was sitting in the middle of nowhere in some parking lot. I pressed the call button, letting the phone ring until I got her voicemail. I tried again.
Pick up… Pick up baby…
"Hello? A man's voice.
"Who is this?" I asked.
"Who is this?" he countered.
"I asked you first, and since you're answering my girlfriend's phone—"
"Look, man. I'm just doing my job, alright? Yourgirlfriendleft her phone in her truck, with her keys. So, it would seem to me she doesn't want to be found. Wait… Did she steal your truck?"
"No, she didn't steal my truck!" I snarled, running my fingers through my hair in panic. "Look, I'm sending someone to pick up the Jeep. His name will be Tim. Just, don't have it towed, alright?"
I hung up, scrolling through my contact for her dad's number and hitting the call button. "Pick up… Pick up, damn you!"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, thank fuck!" I breathed, my shoulders sagging in momentary relief. "Tim, I don't have long, just listen to me. Adam has Charlotte."
"What the fuck do you mean Adam has Charlotte?" he roared. "How did—"
"Fucking listen to me!" I shouted into the phone. "I'm going to get her, Tim. I'm going to get her right now, but I need you to go get her Jeep. Does she share her location with you?"
"No,I—"
"I'm going to send it to you now. It's in a parking lot not far from you," I told him. "Can you think of anywhere Adam would take her if they were going on a vacation?"
"Andrew has a beach house in Florida, but—"
"Just get the Jeep, Tim." I was sure he didn't care about paying an impound fee, but I needed to make sure he stayed the fuck out of danger—and my way.
"Alexander—" I hung up before he could say anything else. I didn't have time to listen to him yell at me or try to talk me out of what I was about to do…
Chapter fifty-three
Charlotte
Every time we passed by an employee or security guard, Adam's hand tightened around mine, his grip bruising and painful. He seemed to think I was going to run off and beg for help, which had been my initial plan. As we moved through the airport, I realized that wasn't going to happen. He watched me like a hawk, and I imagined the moment I ran he would drive straight back to Daddy's house.
So, I watched the clock on every screen we passed, dragging my feet. "I need a sweater, Adam," I insisted, wrapping my arms around myself. It wasn't cold in the airport, but I imagined it would be in the plane. The plane I didn't plan on boarding. His arm wrapped around my waist, his touch almost tender. Almost.
"Pick whatever you want," he instructed as he guided me into one of the gift shops. I browsed as slowly as I could, praying the minutes were passing as quickly as they had during my drive to meet Adam. "Come on, Charlotte, just pick something," he growled next to me, glancing impatiently at his phone. I selected a sweater and handed it to him.
"Can I get a book or something? For the flight?" I asked innocently, my voice soft and pleading. It worked like a charm. Adam's eyes softened and he nodded, lacing his arm around me and walking me to the book rack in the corner of the shop. "How long is the flight?" I asked, looking up at him uncertainly, still wracking my brain trying to figure out how I was going to get away from him. I handed him some thriller book and a crossword puzzle. "Get me a pen. I have to go to the bathroom."
As I turned away, Adam's hand snapped out, closing around my wrist. "You're not going anywhere without me, Charlotte."
"Adam, the bathroom is right there. You can literally see it from here!" I complained. Lowering my voice, I leaned toward him. "I think I might be starting my period."
Adam grimaced, letting out a sigh. "Alright but hurry up. Boarding starts soon. Do you need pads?"
