Page 149 of Distress Signal
Even in the face of my worst nightmare come true, I refused to destroy their dreamlike reality.
Doing my best to put on a brave, happy face, I trailed behind my brothers to the barn. Thankfully, as we crossed the threshold, Aria was up on the mic telling everyone to gather outside for Crew and Aspen’s sparkler send-off.
I merely went through the motions, allowed Lane to shove one of the stupid, sparkling sticks into my hand, pasting on a bright, fake smile as Crew and Aspen danced down the aisle formed by the guests still remaining. He helped her into his truck, both of them blowing kisses and waving like the fucking King and Queen of England, basking in the attention of their adoring public.
When their taillights faded into the distance—they were heading to Boise for an overnight before flying out to Hawaii in the morning for their honeymoon—I turned to Lane.
“Find. Her.”
Though his eyes narrowed, and I was sure he would scold me, he merely sighed deeply through his nose and faced the crowd.
“Excuse me!” he shouted, and the guests who had started to peel off, moving toward their vehicles, stopped. Under normal circumstances, Lane wasn’t a man you wanted to ignore, butespeciallynot when he adopted his sheriff tone. Everyone watched him expectantly.
“First, on behalf of Crew, Aspen, and our entire family, we want to say thank you all for being here tonight. It’s been the perfect day, and I speak for all of us when I say we couldn’t be happier for our baby bro and his new wife. Unfortunately, though, something…unimaginable happened here tonight.”
A collective gasp rose from the crowd, murmurs kicking up and filling the silence in the wake of Lane’s words.
“One of our own, Reagan, seems to have gone missing. So before I can let any of you leave, I’m going to need everyone to come back inside so we can conduct some interviews and searches.”
“You can’t hold us!” someone shouted from the back.
“You’re all under suspicion,” my brother replied. “As far as the law is concerned, holding you isexactlywhat I’m entitled to do.”
Several people grumbled in annoyance but didn’t put up a fight as my brothers herded them back into the barn. In their absence, Mama, Aria, Delia, and Owen approached me. Owen held a sleeping Jace against his chest, and all of their faces were lined with concern.
“She’s really gone?” Mama asked.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
Owen inclined his head to where Lane had flipped on his sheriff mode, organizing people into little groups and directing Trey and West to question them.
“They’ll find her.”
They.
I should be—neededto be—involved, but at the moment, I was completely useless. All of my training had vacated me the moment I needed it most, needed it to save the woman who meanteverything. Whose loss I would not survive.
“What do you need from us?” Aria asked.
“Stay—” I started, but my words were cut off as the roar of an engine filled the quiet night.
A beat later, headlights flipped on, illuminating a section of the drive and yard beyond the house, where we’d instructed guests to park. Tires spun and gravel flew as the vehicle peeled out.
I burst into action, racing down the road after it. But of course, the driver was speeding like a bat out of hell and put too much distance between us too quickly.
I didn’t think as I turned to Owen, the only one who had followed me, despite carrying his dozing son.
“Keys.”
“You’ve been drinking…”
“Keys, Owen!” I shouted.
The longer he stared at me, delaying giving me what I asked for, the further away the escapee got.
And so did Reagan.
Because I knew without a doubt she was in that truck against her will and being taken away from me.
