My unease only doubled with each passing second. Gritting my teeth, I pulled up the LoJack app for the SUV while she continued to grill Maverick. The vehicle came with it when I bought it, but I hadn’t turned it on until Mila started driving it. Even if she was just going to the groc
ery store, I wanted to be able to see where she was at all times. Another reason I’d wanted her to take the SUV over her own car earlier.
Seeing that it was located at a café on campus, I glanced at Dad. “Can I borrow your SUV? Driving Mila’s car was hard enough earlier.”
“I’ll come with you,” he said, getting to his feet. Bending, he kissed Mom’s lips and followed me out the door after I promised Willa I’d let her know Monroe was okay once I saw Mila.
The entire short drive to the café, I felt physically sick to my stomach. When Dad pulled into the parking lot of the campus café, I jumped out before he’d even come to a full stop. I saw my vehicle and Monroe’s Jetta parked side by side, but no sign of either sister. Jogging into the café, I glanced around, praying they were just sitting in a booth talking girl shit and time got away from them.
But they were nowhere to be found, and my palms began to sweat as Dad walked in behind me.
Stopping some girl in a black apron, I glanced at her name tag. “Hey, Tiff. Did you see twin sisters in here earlier, by any chance? About this tall.” I held my hand up to just below my heart. “One with glossy black hair, the other’s more of a chocolate brown. Gray eyes. One might have been a quiet little thing, the other sassy and mouthy.”
Her lips twitched with amusement. “Yeah, I did, actually. That was hours ago, though.” The amusement died as if a thought came to her. “One was crying, though. Seemed really upset.”
“Which one?” I demanded, and Dad touched my shoulder, reminding me to stay calm without saying a word. The thought of Mila upset and crying was making me crazy, though.
“The quiet one. She was crying when she got here, actually. I asked if she was okay, but she only ordered a comfort tea and went to sit down back there to wait for the mouthy one.” Tiff pointed to the back corner. “I didn’t really see them leave, but I did notice they weren’t here about thirty to forty minutes after they arrived.”
“This place got cameras?” Dad asked and she nodded. “Show me any surveillance you’ve got outside.”
“I can’t do that. My boss would have my head if I just showed some random guy our security feed. Sorry, but I’m not risking my job for you two. I have bills to pay.”
Muttering a curse, I pulled out my phone and called Mila’s cousin Lexa. Once she realized her uncle Spider had welcomed me into the family, Lexa had been all too happy to do the same. She even gave me her number one night after dinner, when we’d all gone over to Bash and Raven’s house for a meal. Much to the unhappiness of her husband. But I was thankful for it now.
Fuck, maybe some nutcase realized who I was and had taken them. Maybe they were holding them for ransom because they knew I would pay it. I would pay whatever the hell they wanted as long as I got my Mila back.
Now I understood why Uncle Nik was constantly stressed over Aunt Emmie’s safety and sending bodyguards with her if he or one of the other Demons wasn’t able to go. I got why Mia’s husband was so growly about her leaving his side for more than ten minutes. Fuck, Lucy’d had her own bodyguard for years until she married Harris. I’d always thought it was stupid when I was a kid. Why did my responsible big sister need a babysitter? Yet, right then, I completely got it.
That train of thought was cut off when Lexa answered. “’Sup, rocker boy?” she said, and I heard Finn gurgling happily in the background.
“Mila and Monroe are missing,” I told her, and I could feel her sudden tension through the phone. “Their phones are both turned off. I’m at the café on campus, and I need the security footage to see why both their vehicles are still in the parking lot but they aren’t here. Can you have your husband come down here and help me out?”
“They’re missing?” she whispered. “Both of them?”
“I just said that, Lexa,” I barked, unable to control the volume of my voice as my panic began to push down on me.
“Lyric.” Dad tried to calm me down, but I couldn’t listen to him at that moment.
Something was wrong. I knew it, could feel it in my soul. Mila was in trouble. She needed me, and I wasn’t there to protect her and our babies. Sucking in a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm myself, I tried to lower my voice. “Please. Just send Ben over here.”
“Ben will be there as soon as possible. But I’m calling my dad and the boys. I…I think you’re going to need more help than the law will allow, Lyric.”
There was something in her voice that made my blood turn to ice. “What do you know?”
“Monroe…” She paused and cleared her throat. “Monroe stopped by to talk to me the other day. She needed to get a few things off her chest.”
“What the fuck does that have to do with either her or Mila being missing now?” I half shouted, my voice unsteady.
“She told me she’s in love with Gian Fontana,” she whispered, as if saying the guy’s name too loud would summon the devil himself.
“Is that supposed to mean something?” Because it didn’t mean shit to me.
“You wouldn’t understand. But trust me, my dad and Uncle Spider will. So will Ben. I’m calling them now. Along with my mom. Stay where you are. Ben will help you with anything you need, and then—” She broke off again, leaving me feeling like I was floundering, wondering what the hell “and then” meant.
Chapter 20
Mila