Page 93 of Loving Violet
“Let’s move,” he says, but I’m already ahead of him, my boots crunching through the leaves. My mind races faster than my feet. Every step feels like a lifetime, every second another chance lost.
In the distance, a faint light flickers. A cabin.
My heart seizes at the sight. Relief and dread flood me in equal measure.
Miller motions for us to slow down. “Careful,” he whispers. “we don’t want to tip anybody off.”
Careful? Careful is the last thing I want to be. I want to tear that door off its hinges, and…
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to listen. But the calm that used to come so easily, the steady focus that got me through hell in the Army, is nowhere to be found. It’s gone, stripped away by the fear of losing the woman I love.
When we reach the cabin, Miller stops me with a hand on my chest. “Austin, stay calm,” he says, his voice low.
“How the fuck do you expect me to stay calm?” My voice trembles with rage and fear, my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dig into my palms.
“We can’t just go in there guns blazing,” he says firmly. “You know better than that.”
“I know, but she’s been in there for almost two fucking hours, Miller. Do you know what that means?” I hissed trying to speak low enough so I don’t alert whoever has Violet.
“Yes,” he snaps, his tone sharp. “And that’s why we’re doing this right. We’ll get her back safely, but not if you go in there and make it worse.”
He’s right, and I hate him for it. I hate standing here, helpless, while Violet is in there with that monster. I turn away, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Noah and I circle the cabin, scanning for another way in. There isn’t one. Just the single door at the front, a tiny light swinging gently in the breeze. The sound of it creaking grates on my nerves.
Then I hear it. A faint noise. A shuffle.
Noah stiffens beside me, his eyes meeting mine. “Did you hear that?”
My chest tightens. It’s her. It has to be her.
“I’m going in,” I say through clenched teeth, taking a step toward the door.
“No, you’re not,” Miller says, stepping in front of me. “Let my team handle this.”
Miller motions for his team to move in, and Noah and I reluctantly fall back, knowing that this is the best chance to get Violet out safely. The officers move swiftly, surrounding the cabin, their weapons ready.
"On my count," Miller says, his voice low but steady. "One, two, three."
The door bursts open, and the officers rush inside. I follow closely behind, my eyes scanning the dim interior for any sign of her. My breath catches when I see the cabin is empty. No sign of Violet.
“Clear!” one of the officers calls out.
I wrack my brain, thinking of every possible spot they could be. This doesn’t make sense. They should be here. I try to call James again to verify the GPS location, but my phone has no signal. Frustration boils over, and I start pacing the cabin, looking for any clue.
That's when I notice the floorboards. They look different, almost as if there could be something hidden beneath them. I kneel down and start to pry at the boards; they give way surprisingly easily.
With the boards removed, we can see a tunnel that goes underneath the house. "What the fuck?"
Miller comes over and sees the tunnel and then snaps his head back at me. “We have to get my guys down there as soon as possible.”
Another officer approaches us. “Miller, I found this near the wall.” Miller grabs the earring and hands it to me, asking if I have ever seen it before. I become breathless while rolling the red ruby earring between my fingers.
"Fuck. It's Violet’s. She was here."
Chapter 31
Violet
