Joy (Hell's Handlers MC 7)

He tilted his head as though assessing the truth of her words. Prospects weren’t exactly used to someone having their back on something like this. “Yeah?”

“Cross my heart,” she said, making an X over her chest.

“Huh?” His brow scrunched.

“Yes. I promise.”

“Sweet. Thank you, ma’am,” he said as he shot out of the booth and headed for the kitchen.

It wasn’t until he’d disappeared behind the hinged doors that she allowed herself to check her phone again, which was stupid because she’d have heard or felt it should anyone have tried to get ahold of her.

With a sigh, she reached to her back pocket only to frown as she encountered the empty pouch. “What the…” Toni glanced around the dining area, then peeked under the last table she’d worked at. “Where did I…” She scratched her head, then cursed out loud. “Shit. I left it by the coffee maker.”

What the hell was wrong with her.

A balding man in a wrinkled T-shirt, eating alone, stopped her as she tried to rush by his table. “Excuse me, miss?” he asked.

Though she wanted nothing but to ignore him as irrational worry for Lindsey threatened to consume her, she slowed and gave the man her attention. “Yes, sir, is there something I can get for you?”

“I want some hot sauce.”

“Coming right up.” She shot him a smile then rolled her eyes as she turned away. “Wouldn’t kill you to say please,” she grumbled under her breath as she darted behind the counter.

First things first… Her phone rested screen down, right next to the brewing pot of coffee. Toni snatched it up. “Shit!” she yelled. Of course, of fucking course, there’d be a missed call from an unknown number in the three minutes she hadn’t been paying attention. Normally, she’d never answer or return one of those, but with Lindsey who knew where, she didn’t think twice about calling back.

The phone rang. And rang. And rang five times before generic voicemail picked up.

“Dammit!” Toni yelled. She blew out a breath, closed her eyes and counted to ten before trying the number again.

With each ring, Toni’s gut twisted tighter. As it rang for the fifth time once again, she began to lower it from her ear when she heard a whispered. “T-Toni?”

The phone was back at her ear in the blink of an eye. “Yes! Yes, it’s me! Lindsey? Oh, my God. I’ve been so worried about you. Where are you? I can barely hear you. Are you okay?” A rushing sound dominated the noise, hitting her ear.

Wind? Water? Where the hell was she?

“I-I need…um, is there any way you can come get me?” in a timid voice.

God, she sounded so small. So scared. She should never have let Lindsey leave the last time. This was exactly what she’d been afraid of. “Of course I’ll come. Where are you?”

“Uh…outside somewhere. I think it’s a campground. I saw a sign. Something about a river.” A repetitive clicking made her words difficult to follow.

Shit, were her teeth chattering?

Campgrounds. Her brain ticked through the ones she’d heard of or been to when she was younger. God, there had to be dozens through the Smoky Mountains. Was she even in Townsend? As the possibilities ran through her mind, the noise coming through the phone registered as rushing water.

There was campground not too far, set right on the river.

“Little River Campground?” There were a few areas of dangerous rapids along that river. The kind that claimed the lives of a few foolish and overeager tourists each year. Why would she be there? How had she gotten there? All questions she could quiz the girl on later. None of it mattered more than getting Lindsey to safety.

“Y-yes, I think that’s it.”

This time of year, the place would be deserted. Toni cast a quick glance out the window. Gray clouds rolled by, tumbling over each other in an ominous dance of impending precipitation. Snow was expected to start by noon, making for a picturesque white Christmas, but a nightmare for a thirteen-year-old girl without shelter in the mountains. “Okay, sweetie. I’m coming for you, but first, tell me if you’re hurt.”

“N-no. N-not really. I’m okay. J-just very cold.”

Not really? Shit, they didn’t have time to get into exactly what had happened right now. Not if Toni wanted to get to her as fast as possible. The longer they stayed on the phone, the worse Lindsey’s shivers sounded. “I’m on my way. Try to find some kind of cover where you can get warm. And keep this phone with you. I’ll call when I get there.”

“T-thank you, T-to-ni,” she whispered, then the line went dead.

She’d known something was wrong. Felt it deep in her bones. The feeling remained. That sense of doom, but she ignored it. “Shit, shit, shit,” Toni said as she darted to her office. “Jazz!” she called.