Page 95 of Bleeding Hearts

I manage to push myself up enough to look across from me and see exactly who yanked my father off me. Who just saved my life.

Asher.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

Asher – Thirty Minutes Earlier

Demi’s late.

This isn’t out of the ordinary. Demi has always run on her own clock. But she also hasn’t answered my calls or texts and that is out of the ordinary for her.

I wait an extra five minutes after I get off work before driving to her apartment, using the key she gave me to let myself in.

I look around the apartment, seeing no sign of her, so I check on Gordon, seeing that he’s been fed and now sleeping happily on his cat bed in his room.

I’m about to leave when I see her phone on the counter.

I breathe a sigh of relief, thinking she must’ve already been on her way to the shop and left her phone there. I pocket her phone, lock up the apartment and drive back to the shop.

Except when I pull into the parking lot, there’s still no sign of her car.

I walk back inside, ensuring that she’s not there before I let the panic set in.

I run up the stairs in the back of the shop that leads to Kade’s loft, practically pounding on his door when I reach it.

Today is his and Logan’s day off, so I’m not even sure if they’re here when I knock on the door and don’t get an immediate answer.

I’m about to knock a second time when Kade opens the door, a confused look on his face.

“Have you heard from Demi today?” I push past him, walking into the loft.

“Sure, come on in,” Kade mutters, closing the door behind me.

“Hey, Ash,” Logan calls from where she’s sitting on the couch.

“Demi,” I say again, looking at Kade. “Have you heard from her?”

“No, why?” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Did you do something? Is she mad at you? I hope you know I wouldn’t help you find her if she was hiding from you.”

“Shut the fuck up. I don’t have time for protective big brother right now.” I huff, turning away from him. “Lo, have you heard from her?”

“Not since this morning.” She frowns, looking concerned. “She sent me a video of Gordon snoring in her lap, and that was it. Is everything okay, Ash?”

“She was supposed to meet me here at four, and she never showed up. We had plans for dinner,” I rush the words out, feeling panicked.

“Okay, well, that’s not totally out of the ordinary. Demi’s always running late,” Logan says, standing from the couch to walk over to where Kade and I are standing.

“That’s what I thought,” I explain. “But then she wasn’t answering her phone, so I drove to the apartment, and there was no sign of her or her car. But this was sitting left on the counter.” I hold up her phone.

“Well, yeah, that’s a little strange.” Logan frowns, looking over to Kade.

“Did you look through her phone?” Kade asks.

“No, that’s a good idea.” I go to unlock the phone, but Logan grabs it out of my hands.

“Absolutely not. That’s an invasion of her privacy.” She holds the phone up, unlocking it herself.

“Aren’t you invading her privacy right now?” Kade raises an eyebrow at her.

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