I get home and the back lot is full. Ally’s friends from work sit in a car waving. Two little girls are drawing on the pavement with sidewalk chalk behind my garage and doing it with Aunt Ivana. My ma’s van is there along with my brother Luka’s car. Luka sits on the hood with Abby and Roman is doing flip tricks with his skateboard. I hit the button for the garage on my visor and lift my phone. There are a whack of security system notifications to scroll through, probably from everyone arriving.
Aiden and Carly are pulling in behind me on Aiden’s Ducati and behind them is Uncle Niko’s Hummer.
“No answer,” Baka says to me from the open window on the passenger side of my mother’s van. “I was gonna go in with the app, but wouldn’t let anyone in because I don’t know if you two are in there naked or whatever.”
“Why would they be? They know we’re coming, Ma. Jeez,” my mother looks annoyed.
“Living together in sin like that, who knows?” Baka mutters.
She’s made her unhappiness that Ally officially moved in very apparent, dropping hints to me about buying an engagement ring and telling Ally she’s having her prayer chain pray for our souls.
“No answer? How long you guys been here?” I ask.
“Twenty minutes,” Baka says.
“Ten,” Ma corrects. “And we got here first, so no one else has been here long.”
“C’mon inside everyone.” I wave in a ‘c’mon’ gesture and hear multiple car doors opening.
I pull into the garage and park and then head up the steps.
“Vixen?” I call out stepping in. “Come on in everyone. Throw your coats on the loveseat there and c’mon up to the second floor.”
My garage is filling with people.
I find the kitchen empty of Ally but filled with food. The oven is on and she’s got food in the oven, covered vegetable dishes all over the stove, and the kitchen counter is covered with four kinds of cupcakes. No sign of her.
I head to the bedroom and both cats are crashed on the bed. No Ally. I head up and search the roof. The fuck?
I sit on the edge of the bed and open the settings on my phone to look at the most recent security footage, hearing the buzz of people downstairs.
“Everything all right?” Baka asks. “Where’s Ally?”
“Can you play hostess for a few minutes? I’m tryin’ to figure that out.”
My gut churns as I find the video of a cab pulling up and her rushing to it.
It’s not Ash’s cab.
Where the fuck is she?
I phone her again.
Voicemail after one ring so what’s that? A declined call?
I rush downstairs. Julian is now here. So is Rex. The place is crawling with people.
“Ma is making coffee and Baka is handing out bottled water and Cokes.
“Play bartender, Luka?” I ask, slapping his back, hearing his ‘Yeah, brat,” as I rush down to the main level to my computer, slapping Little Niko’s back in greeting. “Head upstairs. I’ll be there soon.”
I can check Ally’s phone log and location and see where the fuck she went.
I check the location of her phone. She’s in her old building.
The fuck?
I check recent notifications on my app of her cloned phone and see nanny cam alerts.
What’s she doing there?
I look at one and there’s a guy in her room.
My first thought is Jonah Steele, but the guy isn’t tall enough.
Who the fuck is that?
There are more alerts, including the most recent one of the guy stepping out of the room.
Wade Daystrom?
“Julian. Rex!” I holler. Julian peeks over the railing from the second that looks down on my entrance level. Rex looks over too.
“Packin’ heat?” I ask.
“Always,” Rex says.
“Roll out. Now,” I say and call 9-1-1 on my way out the door.
“What’s going on?” Baka calls down.
“Hold the fort, Baka,” Julian instructs and then he and Rex are in my SUV with me.
51
Ally
When we get into the hallway, I glance at my incessantly ringing phone. Jude again.
Shit.
“One sec, Wade.”
“Hey?”
“What in the name of fuck!” Jude roars.
“Oh hey, I had to run out and I’ll be home in like… twenty.”
There’s a beat of silence, then, “There a gun to your head?”
“Huh?” I ask.
“Ally, so help me God…what’s going on? And before you lie to me, I’ve seen where you are, and I saw who was in your room.”
“Where are you?” I ask.
“Pulling up out front right now with about three cop cars.”
Oh shit.
“I’m fine. I’ll be down in a minute. Stall them.”
“Al-”
I end the call and unlock my apartment door.
“Go back in there, quick, Wade. Hide in my second closet, my secret nook until the coast is clear and then clear out. The cops are here,” I say.
“Shit.” Wade palms his face. “I’m fucked.”
“No. Just go in, check the hippie cardigan in the other closet for the key and lock yourself in the other closet. Hurry.” I open the door and shove him before I close and lock it.