Page 65 of My Three Rivals

I didn’t wait for her to finish her sentence, my legs carrying me across the property toward the front door, hands patting down my pockets for my cell.

Finding it in my back pocket, I dialed out. Tegan’s phone just rang and rang before her voice chimed in. “You’ve reached Tegan. You can leave a message, but I probably won’t ever check it.”

Grunting, I disconnected the call and stood in the kitchen, hyperventilating.

Think,I ordered myself, stalking toward the basement level and into the office, where the security cameras around the property had been set up. Rewinding to earlier that morning, I found the footage I needed of Tegan, walking confidently toward my car, the fob blinking as she unlocked it.

Her head turned back as if to look at the security camera, but she slipped inside and zipped out of the spot, spraying up the road gravel against the tires of my vehicle.

“Fuck!” I cursed, sucking in a breath. Atticus was going to have my head on a platter, but more than that, I was afraid for her. “Where did you go?!”

Again, I tried her phone, but this time, it went directly to voicemail, telling me that she had turned it off.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, weighing my options.

Where the hell did she go, and why didn’t she just ask to borrow the car?

A shiver of apprehension shot through me. She had been very concerned about Maverick, but she wouldn’t know where to find him.

She wasn’t stupid, though. If Tegan wanted something enough…

Another wave of panic swept through me, and I grabbed my phone, knowing I’d have to call Atticus. He wasn’t going to be happy to know that I’d let her out of my sight, especially on a day like today, when Maverick was breaking the news to Lou.

On the other hand, maybe it was better to have her out of the house while that was happening, lest Lou unleash his comrades on the winery.

Conflicted, I dialed out, and Atticus answered on the second ring.

“I’m heading back now,” he informed me pleasantly. “I thought I’d stop at the farmer’s market and grab some fresh produce. How do you feel about maybe planting a vegetable garden next year?”

“Tegan’s gone!” I blurted out.

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

“Come again?”

“She’s gone! She… she took my car and…” I inhaled sharply, realizing that I was shaking where I stood.

“Where? Where did she go? Are you sure she took your car?” Atticus demanded, the urgency in his voice rising to match my nerves.

“I watched her on the cameras,” I muttered, hating myself for this failure.

“Then why didn’t you stop her!?” Atticus roared.

“Afterward—you think I’d let her slip out of here while I watched?” I barked back, asserting myself against Atticus for once. “She took the car, and it’s all very secretive.”

“I’ll be there in half an hour. In the meantime, report your car stolen.”

I snorted. “Are you high? I’m not reporting it stolen.”

“We need to know where she is!”

“And if she’s just off on a joy ride?” I countered furiously. “Don’t be stupid.”

“Tegan wouldn’t take your car for a joyride, asshole. She obviously went somewhere that she’s not supposed to be.”

I heard his car door slam, the engine revving up.

“And I’m going to get her arrested for it?” I shot back. “No. There has to be another way to find her.”

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