Page 122 of Heart Sick Hate

“Fuck.”

I walk up to Ryan, who’s staring at a cross on the wall, while he grips the one around his neck.

He’s probably in shock from the overload of information. Ryan trusted Rhett. He was willing to hand his church over to him. He sees people for the best and can look past any darkness. Something that betrayed him in this situation.

“Ryan.” His name comes out sharp, but I need him to snap out of it so we can focus on the situation at hand. “I need you to focus so I can find her.”

“What’s happening?” His voice shakes.

Fear.

The most dangerous of all emotions. All consuming. And I recognize it in myself as I hear it in his tone. The fear that this situation is spiraling, and she might not be okay. But I bury it down before he finds a mirror because we can’t both fall apart right now.

“Rhett has Echo.” There’s so much more to it than that, but anything else might officially tip him over the edge. “Ineed you to stay here and take care of Angelina. I’ll keep you updated.”

I brush past, but Ryan grabs my arm, stopping me. His grip is tight, the most broken edge to his eyes when I look back at him.

“Crew.”

One word housing all the questions I can’t answer for him right now. Asking me for more than I might be able to give him.

“I’ll find her.” I grind my teeth. “Nothing is going to happen. I promise.”

A promise I can’t break because I won’t survive it. I held her in my arms this morning. Shards of glass that cut me straight through. I had her in my heart and promised I’d be there for her. And then I let her go.

Ryan tightens his grip, mulling me over, before releasing me.

“I’m trusting you.” Each word might as well be its own sentence. Hitting like a hammer inside me.

I swallow hard, not sure how to feel about the only other man in Echo’s life handing me something so important.

“I know.”

Ryan nods, turning back to Angelina.

I pull my phone out and head back down the hall. There’s only one call to make, no matter how much it sickens me to do it. Only one person who’s going to know where my brother might have taken her. One person who hides every dirty family secret.

The line only rings twice before his voice comes through.

“Crew.” Dad sounds almost amused, if not a little surprised. I barely text him—never call him. It takes me swallowing every ounce of my pride to not hang up the second I hear his voice.

I skip the hellos. There’s only one reason I’d make this call.

“Dad.” I tighten my fist at my sides and pause. “Where would Rhett go if he needed to hide something?”

36

Echo

Pounding thunders between mytemples. Heavy knocks clatter at the inside of my skull as I curl my fingers and my nails drag against an unforgiving surface.

It’s cold in this room, and I try to blink the darkness into focus as spots dot my vision. Attempting to pull myself up, I fail, and my knees scrape against a hard floor.

Darkness cloaks the details, but there’s a single light overhead that casts a cool glow at the cement under me. Shifting again, something clatters, and that’s when the weight around my ankle becomes clear.

I blink my vision into focus and look down to see a shackle around one of my ankles. The rusted chain tied to a metal loop bolted to the floor. It only has a couple of feet of slack, so there’s nowhere to go.

Tugging at the lock, it doesn’t budge. The metal digs into my skin and leaves a rusted coppery tinge.

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