“Do you know where she is?”
She looked up at me, looking miserable.
“Yes. I . . . I think so.”
“Tell me.”
My heart was racing. Had she left me? Did he have her? Something was wrong, I could feel it. I felt like jumping out of my skin, willing this not to be true.
She wasn’t gone. She couldn’t be.
“She got an invite to a wedding. I knew she wanted to go but I completely forgot about it.”
“Whose wedding?”
“I forgot their names. I’m sorry! This cute old couple that she set up. They go into her diner.”
I bit back a roar. I didn’t need to scare Cassie with the deep well of rage bubbling up in my belly. But I wanted to rip the doors off the walls. To tear the world apart until I found her. I wanted Kelly! Now!
“Where is the wedding?”
“I don’t remember. I’m so sorry—”
“Tell Connor.” I cut her off. “I’m going to the diner.”
I tried to sound calm and failed. My voice was unfamiliar. I sounded fucking scared.
I was fucking scared!
“Wait!”
Cassandra stood there, looking contrite. She held out a box. I stared at it. It was a device of some kind.
“Cain. Wait. I did something a few weeks ago, when she first brought it up. It might help.”
“What?”
I was too angry to be polite. Never mind that I’d known Cass since she was fourteen years old. I was furious and scared, all at the same time.
“I sewed one of Connor’s transmitters into the dress she was going to wear.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kelly
Oh, my God, I freaking love weddings.
I pulled a tissue out of my pocket and dabbed it at my eyes. The ceremony was so beautiful. It was a small affair, held in the private offices of a local judge. He was a friend of Mr. Debonay’s family, and they were all here.
He had children and grandchildren from his first marriage. He had nieces and nephews and cousins. They were a happy, healthy looking group.
Mrs. Buchholz had confided in me when I arrived that other than the ladies from her bridge club and an old school friend, I was her only guest.
I’d squeezed her hand and offered to give her away. She had graciously accepted. And that’s how I ended up walking a sweet old lady down the aisle.
The judge kept it short and sweet, talking just a little about the happiness Mrs. Buchholz, soon-to-be Mrs. Debonay, had brought to the groom in the short time they had known each other. I was practically bawling by the time he told him he could kiss the bride.
Mr. Debonay laid one on his new wife, tipping her back slightly. I jumped out of my seat to cheer for them, not caring if I looked like a freak. Thankfully, everyone else was doing the same thing.
They walked down the makeshift aisle and through the courthouse to the front steps. We all ran ahead, waiting breathlessly at the bottom. Mrs. Debonay winked at me and threw the bouquet.
Right. At. Me.
I caught it, staring at my hands. Then I looked at her in surprise. Everyone was cheering. I was still in a daze as we all started to drift across the street to the park. There was an informal celebration set up there, with pink and white flowers and streamers around a gazebo and tables. It was a picnic-style wedding straight out of my best Pinterest dreams.
It couldn’t have been more perfect.
I couldn’t help dreaming a bit about a wedding of my own.
I sipped iced tea out of a plastic Champagne flute and nibbled on cake. I was sitting at a picnic bench with the bridge ladies. A bunch of were kids running around. It was idyllic.
I only wished that Cain were there to share it with me.
Not that cake and flowers were his thing, but there was a lot of love here. I would have loved to share it with him. My dreamy smile faded when I thought of Cain. He would be so mad at me. Hopefully, I would be back home before he even realized I was missing.
I was feeling more than a little guilty when I remembered my phone was still off. I’d shut it down, knowing that Con could find me if it was on. Not that anyone was looking for me.
Not yet, I hoped.
If they had, though, the instant I turned the phone on, the FBI would be on me like white on rice.
“Kelly?”
A grizzled biker stood just past the picnic area, not far from a strand of trees. I frowned, wondering how Cain’s guys had tracked me down so fast. I guess they knew I had snuck out. It hadn’t been easy either. Maybe one of them had followed me the whole time. He smiled and waved me over.
I stood awkwardly, walking slowly toward the trees. The guy looked familiar, but I couldn’t recall his name. I didn’t want to be rude about it though.