Page 72 of Unexpectedly Wanted
“Um, it was just after six.”
Fuck. He had left when he said he would.
“Everything okay?” Austin asked.
“No,” I said. “He’s supposed to be here. He’s not here.” I sounded panicked to my own ears.
“Okay, hold on. I’ll double check his office.”
I waited, almost seeing Austin move through the office in my mind.
“It’s dark in there and it’s locked,” he told me. Then I heard him knocking on the door. “No answer.”
I knew there wouldn’t be. Even with how much he hated being bothered, he never locked his door when he was at work.
“What do you need me to do?” Austin asked.
I was usually good in these types of situations.
But I felt broken right now. I couldn’t think, and I was having trouble breathing.
“He parks on the street. Can you go out and look for his car?” I asked. “I’m on my way.”
I ignored Harold’s wide, worried eyes as I left the kitchen and made my way out of the house.
Nothing mattered but finding Milo.
I sped through city traffic as safely as I could, weaving in and out of the lanes, and not giving a fuck who I was pissing off.
When my phone rang, I hit the answer button on the steering wheel.
“I found it,” Austin automatically said. I heard a ton of commotion in the background. “It’s, uh, it’s on fire.”
I didn’t say anything. I just went faster.
By the time I made it to the building, I had worked my stomach into knots. I saw the road blocked off and the fire trucks parked in the middle of the street. I could see them working on putting the fire out.
No,I thought.No!
I parked and abandoned my car in the middle of the street. I moved as fast as I could to get there. It didn’t matter that I knew I couldn’t save him if he’d been in that car. I just had to get there.
Austin cut me off with an arm around my chest.
“Tell me it was empty,” I roared.
“They say it wasn’t burning long enough or hot enough to incinerate a body,” he told me. “He’s not in there.”
I nearly fell over. Thank fuck for Austin, or I would have.
“Then what the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t know,” he told me. “Two other cars were also set on fire. I’m not sure the point of it, but I have a feeling Milo’s was the target.”
“I need to track his phone.” But I also needed to stay here to see the damage.
“I’ll run up and go get your tablet. Key to your office?”
I handed the key over immediately.
