Curiosity sparked in me as I looked up at him, "Why do you call me 'blue'?" Asher smiled, his eyes filled with love, "Because your eyes remind me of the vast, deep ocean, and your soul shines like the clearest sky on a bright day. You're my calming...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The moment I hear Mason's escaped, my mind's already racing, thinking about Addy and where she might be. I grab my phone and call Christian, my voice coming out tight and serious. "Christian, listen up. Mason's out. He's out there somewhere."
Christian curses on the other end, and I can almost hear him pacing. "How the hell did that happen?" he says, trying to keep calm. "I'm on my way. Where are you?"
"Liam's checking on Addy," I say, looking over at him. He's got her location pulled up on his phone, and I can tell by the look on his face that it's not good news.
"She's half an hour from the penthouse," Liam says, handing me his phone. "We need to move."
I tell Christian to meet us at the address Liam shares, and then we're both out the door. The elevator can't come fast enough. As soon as it arrives, we shoot down to the lobby and make a beeline for the parking lot. Every second counts when Mason's involved. He's got a score to settle, and I'm not about to let him get near Addy.
Christian's voice crackles through the phone again. "I'm already on my way. You sure she's there?"
"Yeah," I say, unlocking my car and throwing my stuff on the passenger seat. "Liam's got the location. We'll be there soon. Just... just get there fast, okay?"
"Will do," Christian replies, then hangs up. No need for extra words. We know the deal.
Liam and I hit the road, driving like we have no time to spare-because we don't. I'm weaving through traffic, my mind racing with all the worst-case scenarios. If Mason's out there and he's got Addy in his sights, it's going to be a problem. A problem I intend to solve.
It's a tense ride. Liam's got his eyes on the road, checking his phone every now and then for updates. I'm focused on getting us to Addy, on making sure she's safe. Because if Mason even thinks about causing trouble, he's going to have to deal with me. And that's not a good place for him to be.
Liam and I are driving like maniacs, racing through traffic to get to Addy's location. When we finally get there, I slam on the brakes. The first thing I see is Lily's car-totaled, with smoke rising from the wreck. The place is deserted, eerily quiet. My heart sinks.
Liam's out of the car before I even turn off the engine. He runs towards Lily's car, and I'm right behind him, but he's faster, fueled by pure adrenaline. He finds her, crumpled but conscious, leaning against the wreckage. "Lily!" he shouts, taking her in his arms. "Somebody call an ambulance, now!" His voice is filled with rage and fear, and he's swearing to make Mason pay for this.
I'm scanning the area, but it's like a ghost town. No sign of Addy. Panic starts to creep in, and I drop to my knees, my legs suddenly weak. If she's not here, where is she? The silence is deafening, the uncertainty worse than anything else.
Christian arrives, pulling up in his car. He sees me on the ground and rushes over. "Asher, you've gotta be strong," he says, his voice urgent but steady. "Addy's counting on you. She needs you to find her. Get up. Come on, get up."
I'm listening to him, trying to pull myself together, when something catches my eye. Near Lily's car tire, there's a glint of metal. A bracelet. I crawl over to it, my heart racing, and pick it up. I recognize it instantly-it's Maya's bracelet, the one she wore when she barged into my office that day.
My mind is spinning, trying to connect the dots. Why would Maya's bracelet be here? Did she have something to do with this? And if she did, does that mean she's involved with Mason's escape? It's a jumble of questions, but I know one thing for sure: I need to find Addy. And now I have a clue, something to point me in the right direction.
I grip the bracelet tightly, feeling the anger build. If Maya's in on this, if she's helping Mason, then it's not just about getting Addy back-it's about making sure this doesn't happen again. I stand up, fueled by a new determination, and turn to Christian. "We need to find her," I say, my voice steady now. "And when we do, Mason and Maya are going to regret ever crossing us."
I yank my phone from my pocket and call the police chief. He picks up, and I don't waste a second. "Chief, I need you to find the location of Maya Sanders," I say, my voice barely holding it together. "It's an emergency. We've got a flipped car, and she's somehow involved. I need you to find her, now."The chief doesn't ask questions. He knows I wouldn't call unless it was serious. "Got it," he replies, his tone sharp. "We'll get on it right away."
I can't stop myself from chanting it under my breath, like it's the only thing keeping me from losing it. "Addy, be safe. Please be safe." It feels like a prayer, like if I say it enough, it'll somehow make things better. But I can't shake the guilt eating at me. I should've kept her safe.
I turn to Christian, my voice low but desperate. "I failed, man. I was supposed to keep her safe, and now she's gone. I... I let her down." It's hard to even say the words. It feels like a punch to the gut.
Christian grabs my shoulder, his grip firm, his voice steady. "You haven't failed, Asher. We're gonna find her. We're not giving up, okay? She's out there, and we'll get her back." His reassurance helps, but it's hard to focus with everything spinning around me.
Then my phone rings, jolting me out of my spiraling thoughts. It's the chief. I answer quickly, "Chief, what have you got?"
"We traced Maya's phone to a location near the outskirts of the city," he says. "It was last active there before it was switched off. Sending you the coordinates now."
I thank him, my fingers gripping the phone so tightly I can feel my pulse in my grip. The coordinates pop up on my screen, and I quickly share them with Christian. "We have to move," I say, my voice a mix of fear and determination. "This is where Maya's phone was last active. We need to get there fast."
Christian nods, his face set with grim resolve. "Let's go. We'll find her." He glances at the wrecked car, then back at me. "We'll bring her home."
I follow him to the car, my heart racing. I can't afford to fail again. Addy's out there somewhere, and I need to find her. I won't stop until I do. Not until she's back in my arms, safe and sound.
