But I can’t open my eyes, they’re so heavy and I’m so tired.
I let sleep take me, carrying me back into my nightmares.
Chapter Forty-Five
Travis
I push through Michaels,the crowd of fine diners eyeing me like I’m about to rob them. I don’t care. Fuck them. I need to find her.
I search every goddamn table, then push into the women’s restroom – not caring who’s in there.
It’s empty.
She’s not fucking here.
“Travis.” Summer says behind me, out of breath. Her hair is falling out of the bun on top of her head, her makeup smeared down her face.
I point a finger to the door, “Go out there and tell me if her mother is here.”
She shakes her head, rubbing her hands along the skin of her wet cheeks, “She’s not.”
I slam a hand on the wall of the stall next to me, “Well fucking look again, Summer!” I yell and she flinches.
She nods, pushing back into the restaurant, leaving me alone in the women’s room. My legs feel like they’re about to give out, but I lock my knees to keep myself standing.
I fall back into the wall, my hands cover my face, then I hear the door open. I drop my hands to see Mac there – phone in hand.
“I’m going to find her.” He says, holding the door open to try to get me to leave. I clear my throat to try and regain some composure before I walk back through the restaurant.
The Hunter.
Jax is at the hostess stand, speaking to an older man, slipping him a stack of bills, apologizing for the scene I just made like it’s instinct for him.
The Cleaner.
I push through the front doors, the thick air of the outdoors clogging my lungs, I find Summer standing with her phone out, typing away and stifling her cries.
I step next to her, leaning against the brick of the building, I clear my throat again to make sure my voice doesn’t shake, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
She shakes her head, “It’s my fault. I never should have let her go anywhere alone.” She sniffs, wiping at her face to brush off her tears.
I want to say something, tell her it isn’t her fault, tell her it’s okay, but I just press my lips together to avoid saying the wrong thing. Because she’s right, she never should have let Olivia leave alone.
I never should have let her go home in the first place. I shouldn’t have gone to work, I should have kept her in my apartment until this was all taken care of. We’re all at fault here.
Mac and Jax come pushing out the doors of the restaurant, Mac still clicking away on his phone.
I let myself pull some oxygen into my lungs, then blow it out slowly. The rage in my veins has kicked up to the highest notch.
He’s going to die. No matter what the fuck I do, I’m killing this motherfucker.
Today.
He’s fucking done.
All four of us are silent as Mac taps away on his phone, aside from Summer’s light sniffles and the sound of Jax rubbing at her arms trying to calm her down.
It feels like hours, fucking days, so I focus on my breathing. Flexing and unflexing my fucked fists to try to keep myself from pounding them into the brick wall at my back.