Page 175 of Cold As Ice

I didn’t like second-guessing myself but that’s exactly what happened as I walked into O’Shea’s, frantically searching for her.

But there was no sign of her.

She wasn’t—

“Austin?” Hannah said, and I blinked, realizing she was right in front of me. “Thank God, have you seen her?”

“What?”

“Madison, have you seen her?”

I spotted Kingsley talking to two policemen and another man I didn’t recognize, and a wave of dread crashed over me.

“What’s going on?” My voice didn’t sound like my own as the pieces started to slowly fit together.

“Julian—”

“What did that fucker do?” I bit out, pure rage flooding my system. If he’d touched her. If that smug fucker had hurt her.

“Austin, perhaps—”

I spotted him, joining Kingsley and the officers, and I saw red.

“Austin, no, wait,” Hannah called but it was too late. I was already across the bar with my hand around his throat, slamming him into the wall.

“What the fuck did you do to her?”

“Whoa, easy there, boy.” Kingsley’s big hand landed on my shoulder. “Julian isn’t to blame here.”

“I-I… Breathe.” His face turned red. “Can’t breathe.”

“Let the man go,” Kingsley warned, his baritone voice reaching the rational part of me.

I let him go, and he slid down the wall, coughing and spluttering.

“You must be the boyfriend,” the other guy I didn’t recognize said.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Jack O’Shea. Madison’s boss.”

“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on? Where’s Madison?” I pinned Julian with a deadly look.

“I didn’t touch her, I swear.” He rubbed his temples and I realized he was injured, a big bruise blooming across his hairline. “I would never hurt her. It was him. H-he took her…”

“He?” I growled.

“The man who took her.”

“Shit,” the officer murmured. “We need to check that security footage pronto. And we’re going to need a description and a rundown of exactly what happened.”

“They knew each other,” Julian said. “Madison called him Wa-Warner or maybe it was—”

“Warren.” Fear hit me dead in the chest.

“Warren?” Kingsley frowned. “Her ex?”

Everything inside me turned cold.

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