Page 127 of The Road Less Traveled By

“Baby, I’d never sleep again if it meant you were safe. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

Her happy gaze wavers for just a moment, but it’s quick enough for me to catch before she masks it again.She doesn't believe me. “I know, Vince, but I’ll always worry about you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Bree. I’ll be here for you until someone drags my dead body away, and even that might not be enough to stop me from protecting you.”

“Don’t say that.” Bree smacks my chest.

“Sorry,” I say as I press a kiss to her forehead. “Can we go inside? I’m fucking freezing, and I don’t want you getting sick from being out here all night.”

I can feel her roll her eyes at me from here. “It wasn'tallnight. It was an hour, max.”

“Autumn is on the way, which means it’s fucking cold at night, so I don't care how long it was. Let’s go get you warmed up,” I say, and before Bree has the chance to quip back at me, I throw her over my shoulder and head inside.

Fifteen minutes later, my girl is fast asleep in my arms, and I follow her to sleep a few minutes after.

And all night, I dream of the beautiful girl next to me, but just before I wake up, she floats away.

Chapter thirty-nine

— GILDED LILY BY CULTS

A loud thump startlesme awake.

As I shift my arms beside me, I feel nothing but empty space. Vince must’ve fallen asleep at his desk again. It’s been a week since this became our new night routine, and I hate that he’s overworking himself like this.

He’s overdoing it because he’s trying to protect me, and since they have no new leads on Ralph, Vince has been searching for a crumb of anything to point to his hiding place.

Something about this entire situation feels off in my gut. Why would Ralph attack Vince’s men? Why would he leave them alive? Why go through all this trouble just for me?

I suppose it never made sense in my head, and I don't know why I thought it would make any sense now.

I grab my phone to check my messages, and sure enough, there’s one from Vince.

Vince: I’ll be up soon. Don’t stay awake for me; it’s going to be another long night.

That was about two hours ago, and I try to send a message back, curious if he’s still awake or asleep at his desk, but it won’t send. I tryto reset my phone and see if that does anything, but it still doesn't work. I even try to send one to Liv at home, but that damn red error keeps popping up.

Maybe it’s the rain and wind blocking the signal?

“Ugh!” I say as I throw my phone down my bed. I rip my blankets off, and I’m about to throw my slippers on when I hear something ringing.

But it’s not my phone.

I’d know that ringtone anywhere.

Whistling.It’s the same exact cadence and tune.

My gut drops, and I search around my room to find it and destroy whatever is making the noise. My eye catches on a ripped-up corner of my carpet and something flashing on my wall.

Thank God my night light is still on. It’s just bright enough that another light blinking could catch my eye, but I still feel okay enough to get out of bed and rip my carpet up.

A small flip phone lies underneath, and someone is calling it.

Breathe, Bree,I tell myself before I grab it and answer the call, already knowing who’s on the other side of the line.

“I think you’ve got the wrong number.”

“Oh, little lamb, how I’ve missed your voice.”

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