Page 38 of Dirty Dillon

Would her father have something to do with her not answering her phone or not getting to work? I don’t trust him or Blake. Especially after I had to throw that lowlife out of my garage.

But the mayor hasn’t contacted Cressida since she moved out three weeks ago. His loss is my gain. This has been the best three weeks of my life.

Waking up with her in my bed every morning, watching her sleep peacefully beside me and knowing that she’s mine. Nothing has ever felt so right.

Cressida means everything to me, and I need to make sure she’s safe.

I lock up and head home. When I don’t find her there, I text my brothers to meet me at Tempest Books. That was the last place she was seen. We start there.

Fuck.

They didn’t question my fear or try to put me off at all. Max knows what it’s like to love a woman more than anything else in the world. If it were Cherry, he’d be unglued. By the way he’s looking at Cherry now, he’s thinking the same thing.

We’re dividing up the search routes when Cressida’s brother, Chad, comes into the bookstore.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Hamilton?” Max asks immediately standing in front of Cherry, protecting his woman from her high school bully.

“Easy there,” Chad replies, holding up his hands defensively. “I found Cressida’s phone on the street. Thought I’d bring it here since she’s friendly with...you all.”

I ignore the tone. I know whatyou allmeans. Chad thinks she’s slumming it. Which she is, I guess. “Which street?”

“Elm. What’s going on? Why are you all so tense?”

I scrub my hands through my hair. “She’s gone.”

“You don’t know that,” William says, his hand squeezing my shoulder.

“Who’s gone?”

“Cressida,” Cherry answers.

As much as we all hate Chad, I don’t think he’s faking his reaction when his face pales. “My sister is missing?”

“Are you sure you don’t know where she is?” Max asks skeptically, narrowing his eyes at Chad.

“Positive,” Chad insists, his jaw set with determination. “Look, we may not get along, but she’s still my sister. If I knew where she was, I wouldn’t keep it from you. Have you called the hospital?”

“Yeah. They were pretty vague, though. I’m not family.”

Chad holds up a finger and pulls out his phone. “I am.” He walks a few feet away for the quiet.

“Let’s think this through,” William suggests, his brow furrowed with concern. “Could someone have taken her? Who would have a motive?”

“Blake,” I say without hesitation, my blood boiling at the mere thought of his name. Blake Masterson.

“Blake,” Max and William echo in unison, their expressions darkening with realization.

“He was really counting on keeping her as his sex toy. If he has her...”

“We’ll get her back,” Cherry says, comforting me as much as she can.

Chad comes back just as she’s saying that. “Cressida hasn’t been brought to the hospital. I called the Sheriff and nobody has called 911 this morning.”

“Then it’s settled,” I say firmly, my resolve strengthening. “We find Blake, we find Cressida.”

“Agreed.” Chad nods, the animosity between us momentarily forgotten in our shared concern for Cressida. “Masterson seems like the most likely psychopath to have my sister since she’s not with the psychopath she moved in with..”

I growl at him.

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