What If

He opens the door to the Hummer, and I stand there shaking. I gather all my will, spin around, and cock my arm back, stomping on his foot as I swing.

But he’s ready for me this time, and with a grunt, he’s got my arm twisted behind my back, and I’m shoved face first into the opening of the door.

“I’m dumb, but I’m not stupid, bitch. You may have gotten a hit on me once, but I’m getting the last one on you princess. Hey, I tried to warn you. You should have messaged me back. I hate being ignored.”

The sharpness that had poked at my side is now at my neck.

“Get your ass in the car.” He spits the words in my ear, and I climb up and into the Hummer, shaking as he grabs my purse off my arm.

In the next seconds, he’s in the driver’s seat, the car is started, and we are pulling out of the lot, going God knows where.

“Don’t touch that.” He puts my purse down between my feet, and I start to cry.

Chapter 11

Torin

I bring my phone to my ear and listen to the ringing, then the recording of Jessie’s voice saying to leave a message and hang up for the fifth time in the last hour.

I decide to head over to the bakery and see why the fuck she’s not answering my texts or picking up my calls. My stomach churns, wondering if I scared her off with telling her I loved her.

Not that it would matter. If she’s scared, I’ll deal with it, but she’s not getting away from me. I’ll track her down, stalk her ass, making sure she gets the idea this is the real deal, and she’s not going anywhere.

I’m out the back door and at the bakery in the next half hour. When I walk in, Helga looks up at me like she’s seen a ghost.

“Is Jessie here?” I ask as she looks around at no one, then at me with distress in her eyes.

“No.” She slowly shakes her head.

“Do you know where she went?” My voice is hard, and Helga tightens her lips.

She pauses, then shakes her head, but I’m not buying it.

“Helga, tell me where Jessie is.” It’s not a question this time.

Before she can answer, my cell rings and I dig it out of my pocket and see it’s Gerald. I debate whether or not to answer but decide to take the call and make it fast.

“What’s up?”

“Black Hummer.” Gerald’s voice comes through the phone. “Tip from a girl we arrested two weeks ago. Her attorney convinced her to take a deal. She gave us a name and a description of his car. They put it out on the radio and had a hit immediately. Wal-Mart parking lot, there was a cruiser there for a shoplifting call, and they took the driver and a passenger into custody. Female had a load of crack on her packaged to distribute man.”

“Fuck yes!” I’m excited, but I have to find Jessie before I can fully celebrate. “Hey, can I call you right back? Jessie’s gone M.I.A., and I have to—”

“Dude,” Gerald interrupts.

“What? I’ll call you back, like five minutes.” I grit my teeth until my jaw pops.

“No, man. It’s Jessie.”

“What about her?” My throat tightens.

“Jessie Patrick was the passenger. I’ve seen her mug shot, man, it’s her.”

My world goes dark. There’s a ringing in my ears as Gerald keeps talking, but I don’t hear anything he’s saying.

“Is she okay?” I bark as I hit the door of the bakery and throw myself back into my truck.

“She lawyer’d up. Bonded out. She’s gone already, man. They should have called you—”

“Motherfucker,” I grit out as I throw my truck into gear and pull out onto the street, heading who knows where but I have to be with her.

“Man.” Gerald’s voice sounds ominous. “This isn’t good for you. You have to distance yourself. You’ve only known her for a handful of days. You spin it right it won’t affect your promot—”

Fire engulfs me. “Fuck that shit!” I bark. “There’s no distancing. There’s no spin.”

“Torin, your promotion is dead if you don’t.”

“Then it’s fucking dead,” I spit the words, blood pounding in my ears.

“It might not be just the promotion, man. You have to think. This is your career.”

I hang up, do a U-turn in the street, park and march back into the bakery. Helga is standing there, wide-eyed.

“Listen. I love Jessie. Do you hear me?” The sturdy older woman stares back, then finally nods. “I love her, and she’s in trouble. I have to get to her.”

“But she doesn’t want to see you,” Helga replies, crossing her arms over her enormous chest, but there’s a hint of sympathy in her severe glare.

For a moment I’m taken aback. In a situation like this, I should be the first person she wants to see.