Page 3 of Blurred Lines

I swallow around the lump in my throat, even as my hands shake. Pushing past my fear, I lift my chin. “I’m not leaving here without answers. You’ll have to carry me out if you want to get rid of me.”

He takes a menacing step toward me, clearly intent on doing exactly that, but Wilder claps a palm on his shoulder, holding him in place.

“Donotput your hands on her!” The promise of violence in his voice catches me by surprise, and I watch as the two of them face off against one another in some silent battle of wills.

An idea comes to mind, and with the two of them distracted, I take off like a bullet, running down the only hallway I can see. “Hadley!” I shout, throwing open the first door I come to. It’s nothing but an empty bedroom, and I quickly move on to the next room, screaming her name again.

My hand is wrapped around the door knob when thick bands of steel wrap around my waist, all but lifting me off the ground. I scream out Hadley’s name again and kick out, determined that, if Hadley is here, I’m going to find her.

I’m screaming like a fucking banshee until a large palm covers my mouth, and I feel Hawk’s warm breath tickle my ear. “Calm down,” he growls. Not seeing that I have any other option, I stop squirming and go still in his arms. I expect him to let me go, which is when I plan on making another break for it, but he doesn’t. Instead, he holds me tightly against his body, and I can feel his chest rising and falling against my back. Eventually, he sighs. “She’s not here.”

That gets me moving again, and I turn in his hold, pushing him back a step. “What do you meanshe’s not here?If she’s not here, where is she? What did you do to her?”

His gaze darkens and he scowls at me. “I haven’t done anything to her.” The vehemence in his words is almost believable, but I know the type of person Hawk is. I’ve seen the atrocious acts he’s committed over the last four years. Hadley might have softened him somewhat, but that doesn't mean he’s not the same heartless person at his core.

“I don’t believe you.”

Something flickers in his eyes, but it’s gone in the blink of an eye.

I hear Wilder approach before he speaks up. “He’s telling the truth. It’s all my fault.”

I’ve never heard him sound so affected by anything. It’s enough to draw my attention. “Your fault?” I ask, confused. How can any of this be his fault?

He opens his mouth to say more, but before he can, Hawk interrupts. “What do you know about Hadley’s past?”

Now I’mreallyconfused. “Uh, not much. She doesn’t like to talk about it. Just that she was raised in foster care. I’m guessing she had it pretty rough.”

Hawk nods like he expected that answer, and he chews on his bottom lip—the way Hadley does when she’s thinking something over—fixing me with a serious expression. The way he looks at me, it’s like he’s trying to pry me open, and I can tell he’s debating whether or not I can be trusted. I’m not entirely sure what he’s looking for, but whatever he sees must help him make his decision.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that. I can’t tell you anything—”

I go to open my mouth, but he lifts his hand, effectively shushing me.

“It’s not my story to tell. It’s Hadley’s. She has to be the one to tell you, if that’s what she wants.”

My tongue darts out to lick my lips as I mull over what he’s said. My gaze flicks to Wilder’s, but I can’t pin down what he’s thinking or feeling right now. Honestly, it looks like there is a war waging within him.

Looking back at Hawk, I ask, “Whatcanyou tell me?”

He presses his lips together, and I can tell he doesn’t want to tell me anything, but he’s already started down this path, so he might as well continue.

“Something has happened to Hadley. She’s...disappeared.”

My mouth opens, to say what, I’m not sure. I couldn’t form words right now if my life depended on it. I retreat into myself as I play his words on repeat in my head, trying and failing to make sense of them, and I’m only pulled back to the here and now when I feel Hawk’s hands on my shoulders, grounding me.

I lift my gaze to look into his chaotic gray gaze, and instead of the instability I felt before, today his gaze anchors me.

“We’re doing everything we can to get her back. Wewillget her back.”

Chapter 2

My eyes feel gritty, and I’m in a permanently pissy mood as the week draws on. The guys refuse to give me any updates or share any leads with me, so I’m left in the dark, not knowing anything about what’s going on or if they’re any closer to finding Sunshine.

Not that I can blame them. I screwed up. I’m always screwing up. It’s just what I do, without even trying or meaning to. And the consequences of my screw ups always come with life altering changes—ones that negatively impact others more than they affect me. Basically, I’m a magnet for disaster. I shouldn’t be allowed near other people—certainly not good people, like Hadley, who have already led tough lives.

I should definitely be staying as far away as fucking possible from Emilia, but I can’t bring myself to do that, not when she’s a ball of worry. Not when Hadley would want someone looking out for her and making sure she’s safe. At least I’ve been able to provide her with an outlet for her anxiety. Someone to vent to and sit and stress with, but I can’t take any more of this sitting around and doing nothing bullshit. I’m the one to blame for Hadley’s current situation, and the guilt is suffocating enough, nevermind adding on the fact that I’m doing fuck all to help get her back.

That’s why I placed a bug in the guys’ dorm room. I’d been carrying it around in my pocket for a couple of days, trying to find the right opportunity to plant it, and when Emilia went running through their apartment, screaming Hadley’s name, I had my opening.

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