Page 92 of Loving Violet
“Let me look her up in the system. Keep your phone close. As soon as I know anything, I’ll contact you.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “I will.”
Each second is a painful reminder that Violet is somewhere out there, possibly in danger. I pace back and forth, my thoughts a chaotic mess. I can’t lose her. Not now. Not ever. I haven’t told her how I feel. I haven’t had the time to finish my plan. And to think that we were joking about it earlier.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I yell out loud, pulling at my hair and kicking the grass beneath my feet.
Officer Miller tries to reassure me. "We’ll find her, Austin. We have the whole town looking."
I nod, but my mind is elsewhere. "Come on, James," I whisper, hoping for a miracle. My phone rings, and I answer it before the first ring is even finished.
"I got it," James says. "The GPS is pinging from a location outside town. I'm sending you the coordinates now."
Relief floods through me, but it’s quickly replaced by a renewed sense of urgency. "Thank you, James. I owe you."
"You just go find her, Austin," he says.
I show the coordinates to Officer Miller, who immediately alerts the search teams. "She’s located about twenty miles from town."
“Do you know this place?” I ask Miller.
“Yes. That’s part of the hunting area. If she’s there, then someone has a place nearby where they can hide Violet. In that area, there are only woods.”
“Do we know if there are any hunting cabins?”
“Not that I’m aware of. There are only woods in that area. I will tell the search teams to look for abandoned cars, deer stands, cabins, anything they notice in the woods.”
“We need to hurry,” I snap, fumbling through my pockets for the keys. My hands are shaking so much that I can barely grip them. My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out every other sound.
Miller places a firm hand on my arm. “Let me drive,” he says, his tone steady in a way I can’t match. “You keep your eyes open for anything suspicious.”
Violet has been gone for over an hour now. An hour too long. The thought claws at my chest like a wild animal, refusing to let go. I’ve faced life-and-death situations before. I’ve been trained to keep my cool—always steady, always calm, even in the chaos of war. But now? Now, at the thought of losing Violet, all that discipline, all that calm I once prided myself on, has vanished into thin air.
It’s terrifying.
“Let’s go,” Miller says, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. His voice is firm, determined. “We’re bringing Violet home.”
The drive to the GPS location feels endless, like every second is stretching out to mock me. I try to focus on the road ahead, scanning for anything—any clue, any sign—but my mind keeps spinning. My leg bounces uncontrollably, my knee hitting the dashboard, a nervous energy I can’t shake. My palms are slick with sweat, and no amount of wiping them on my jeans helps.
I’ve been under fire, outnumbered, outgunned. And yet, I’ve never felt this helpless. Never felt this out of control.
“Anything?” I ask Noah, my voice tight and desperate.
“Not yet,” he mutters, his eyes locked on the GPS tracker blinking in his hand.
I swallow hard and grip the seat, trying to keep my mind from going where it wants to go—picturing her hurt, scared, broken. God, I can’t lose her.
When we finally stop, the forest looms around us like a suffocating wall. The air is heavy, damp, the faint smell of pine mingling with the overwhelming fear that hangs in my chest.
Miller’s team moves out in practiced formation, but I can’t focus on them. All I can think about is Violet—where she is, what’s happening to her. Noah and I push through the underbrush, calling her name into the suffocating darkness.
“Violet!” I shout, my voice breaking. “Violet, answer me!”
Nothing. Just the mocking quiet of the woods.
Then Miller’s voice cuts through the silence. “Tracks!”
I sprint toward him, my heart hammering so hard it hurts. He points to the dirt where a trail leads deeper into the trees.
