Page 76 of Mason

Conner grinned, the pain of minutes before replaced by that same cold glint that seemed to be prevalent these days.

“Don’t ask questions about things you don’t want to be liable for knowing, should police ask.”

Probably best he didn’t know, all things considered.

Minutes ticked by, turning into hours, with no word from Kade or Viktor. His family kept up a revolving door. Jo’s parents came to see him. They were a little skittish around Conner, but then everyone was. Mason filled them in on what they knew, and they’d gone to the hospital chapel to pray. He’d been doing a lot of that himself.

Viktor called around ten p.m. It was snowing again. What if she was out in the cold? She hated the cold.

“He isn’t at home. The police have an APB out on him, and I’ve got Max tracking him. He got back from Texas about half an hour ago and has started looking for McPhee.”

“I got it.” Nik looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He’d been glued to his laptop since yesterday. “Fucking public records.”

“What?”

“His grandparents owned an old farmhouse about eighty miles outside the city. It’s still in the family, but it’s been abandoned for at least ten years.”

“Text me the address.” Conner stood, picking up the duffel he hadn’t let out of his sight since he stepped into the hospital room. “I’ll bring her back.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Conner gave him a half-smile. “Always.”

Then he was gone, leaving Mason nothing to do but wait and pray.

Jo huddled under the blanket. The temperature outside had dropped rapidly, making the small amount of heat she’d been left with almost nonexistent. She’d be glad if he came back, just for something to eat. Her water ran out earlier, and her stomach’s rumbling was a constant companion. She was cold, hungry, and exhausted.

The moon was obscured by the snow clouds, so there wasn’t even any light which was why she was still in bed instead of walking. She was afraid she’d fall and hurt herself, and then where would she be? Worse off than she was right now.

It had been days since he’d been back. Where was he? Did he forget about her? Jo blinked, trying to stay awake. Even in her exhausted state, she knew she could slip into hypothermia and die in her sleep, so she fought to stay awake.

But what good did it do, anyway? She was here, and no one knew where she was. Or who had her.

Was Mason looking for her?

God, she hoped so.

Then she chastised herself for those thoughts. Mason would look for her to the ends of the Earth and back a million times if that was what it took to find her.

But would he find her alive, and not dead from exposure or starvation?

Stop it, she told herself. Don’t think like that. Someone would find her.

But what if they didn’t?

Frustrated, she threw the blankets off and stumbled to the window where she could at least look outside. Snow was coming down in heavy sheets, layering the already foot-high snowfall below.

She wasn’t going to die here, dammit.

Okay. How was she going to get out?

She studied the roofline. She was in the attic, and the window stuck up out of the roof. If she climbed out on the roof, she might be able to move around and find a way down.

The fact she was even considering this showcased how desperate she was. With her lack of agility, it was a sure death sentence, but she’d rather fall and die than slowly starve to death.

Or she could freeze to death even if she made it down.

But at this point, she was willing to do it.

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