Page 44 of Echoes of You

Wren’s laughter finally won out, bursting free. “I’m going to keep eating your donuts every time because it’s too fun to watch your reaction.”

I stalked toward her. “I am going to—”

Lawson caught me by the back of the shirt. “Don’t finish that statement. I’d hate to have to report you.”

“Report me? What about the thief in our midst? Can I press charges?”

Lawson shook his head. “You should know by now that if you want food protected, you need to keep it in the locked drawer at your desk.”

My eyes narrowed on my brother. “Holt taught her how to pick locks. Last week, she stole the cookies Mom made me.”

Wren threw a paperclip at me. “You mean the snickerdoodles Kerry made Holt and me that you stole offmydesk?”

“Mom said I could have some,” I huffed.

“She said you could haveone. But you took all of them.”

“Children…” Lawson began.

The phone in dispatch rang, and all humor instantly fled Wren’s expression. “Cedar Ridge police, fire, and medical. What’s your emergency?”

She listened intently for a moment. “Hey, Maddie. It’s Wren.”

My entire body went cold. Maddie. Calling 9-1-1?

Lawson gripped my arm. “Just wait. She called the non-emergency line. See?”

He pointed to the light illuminated on Wren’s phone. It wasn’t the one that corresponded with 9-1-1 calls. But there was no loosening of the vise around my chest. Why the hell hadn’t Maddie called me?

Wren’s fingers flew across her keyboard. “Nash and Law are right here. I’ll have one of them come over and make a report. I’m so sorry this happened. I bet it was tourist teenagers. It wouldn’t be the first call of vandalism I’ve taken this week.”

She paused for another moment. “Okay. Hope your day gets better from here.”

Wren disconnected the call and spun around in her chair.

“What happened?” I growled.

Wren’s eyes flared at my tone. “Maddie’s fine, but all the tires on her car were slashed.”

Lawson let out a slew of curses as a mixture of anger and fear coursed through me.

Confusion lit Wren’s expression. “It sucks, but she has insurance. I’m sure it was the same kids who spray-painted the dock.”

“I gotta go,” I mumbled, already moving for the door. God, I hoped it was nothing more than a couple of angry teens with too much time on their hands. But the worst fears filled my mind. Adam being here. Watching.

“I’m coming, too,” Lawson called.

I didn’t wait for my brother. I charged out of the station and into the afternoon sunlight. My mood didn’t come close to matching the beauty of the day. Looking around the picturesque downtown area of Cedar Ridge, a person would never think a dark deed could happen here. But we all knew they could. A small town didn’t save you from that.

“Would you hold up?” Lawson barked.

“She’s alone,” I gritted out. Unprotected. She’d been that before and had gotten hurt. She’d almost died.

Lawson picked up to a jog to catch up with me. “She’s okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. She was just on the phone with Wren.”

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