“Tinsley?”
Tap.
Ari crept between the tables, looking under them, but paying more attention to the noises coming from the back of the room. She went around the shelves holding bowls and other artwork in various stages. Blocks of clay were piled to the right and the kiln was off to the left.
She looked around in the dim area. Nearly turned around until she noticed a shoe sticking out from the far side of the room. She almost said something, but stopped herself. Tip-toed toward the shoe, instead.
Ducked down and peeked around the corner.
Tinsley. She sat, her arms wrapped around her legs, shaking.
“What’s wrong?” Ari crawled under the table and scooted next to her. “Why are you here?”
Tinsley sniffled. “To get away.”
“From what?”
“Don’t want to talk about it.”
“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.”
Tinsley just shook her head.
Ariana frowned. “Everyone is worried about you.”
“Everyone?”
“Yeah. Nick and Genevieve are here.”
“Momma and Dad are at school?” Tinsley gave her a double take.
Ari nodded. “They’re worried.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody can find you. You’re supposed to be in class.”
“Oh.” Tinsley rested her head on her knees.
“You’re supposed to tell someone if you aren’t going to class.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you here? Why are you surprised everybody’s worried?”
She shrugged.
“Let’s go tell them you’re okay.”
Tinsley didn’t budge.
“Is something the matter?”
She didn’t reply.
“Well, I need to let them know you’re safe.”
“Bye.”
“I’m not leaving.” Ariana pulled out her phone to text Genevieve.
Tinsley knocked the device from her hand, and it bounced across the floor.
“Hey! That could break.”
“Sorry.”
“What’s the matter?” Ari demanded. “You have to tell me now.”
Tinsley sighed.
“If you won’t tell me, you can tell your parents. They’re worried sick.” Ariana tugged on her arm.
“Don’t want to go out there.” Tinsley stared her down.
“Why not?” Ari let go of her arm.
“They picked on me.”
“They? They who?”
“Kids. They’re mean.”
Ariana scowled. “Well, they’re not supposed to. Tell me who they are, and I’ll make sure they never bother you again.”
Tinsley just shook her head.
“Guess we’re back to you telling your mom and dad.”
They stared each other down.
“Well?” Ari lifted an eyebrow.
“Kids from my last class,” Tinsley finally said.
“Who are they?”
“Bad kids.”
“Clearly. Do you know their names?”
Tinsley sucked in a breath before speaking. “Yeah.”
“Who are they?” Ari exclaimed.
“I can’t tell you.”
She threw her arms in the air. “I can’t help you, then!”
Tinsley looked back down. “Nobody can.”
“I can, or your parents, or the teachers—if you tell us who they are and what they did exactly.”
“They picked on me.”
Ariana counted to ten silently. Getting frustrated with Tinsley wouldn’t get her anywhere because the girl could shut down completely for days on end. “Did they say mean things?”
Tinsley nodded.
“Did they threaten you? Say they would hurt you?”
She shook her head no.
“That’s good, because otherwise I’d have to hurt them.”
Tinsley looked right at her.
“I’m serious.”
“You would?” she asked.
“Why do you think I’m here? Come on. We need to find your parents. They’re worried.”
Tinsley frowned.
“Next time this happens, ask someone for help. Me, for instance. Or Parker. Or any of your friends. But no more hiding, okay?”
“Okay.”
Ariana helped her up, grabbed her phone, and sent Genevieve a quick text, telling her where they were at.
“Sorry,” Tinsley said.
“Don’t apologize. I’m just glad I found you. And think about telling someone who made you so upset.”
She didn’t respond, so they exited the room and barely made it down the hall before Nick and Genevieve skidded around the corner, both showing a mixture of relief and disbelief before wrapping their arms around her and talking over each other.
Ariana waved and darted toward her class before she missed any more, but then the bell rang. With any luck, the kids would forget about her being called to the principal’s office by the next day. There was usually some kind of drama that made everyone forget about something like that pretty quickly.
Chapter 22
Ariana waved to Jolie before turning to Damon. “That went well, don’t you think?”
He put the eraser back on the white board and turned to her. “I’m worried half of them won’t pass the next test. What do you think?”
“We could always offer a weekend study session.” She wrapped her arms around him and stared deep into his eyes. “Plus, that would give us some extra time together.”
“Will your dad be okay with that?”
She groaned and pulled away. “It’s for school, so what can he say? Plus, why do you care so much?”
He arched a brow, which sent a shiver down her spine. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Ari leaned against a table and frowned. “It wasn’t that long ago you kept telling me to do my own thing. Now everything is about keeping him happy.”
“I didn’t want to turn your dad against you.”
Everything he didn’t say hung in the air between them so thick she could almost see it—his Dad’s threats and subsequent beatings. Cal had used Damon and Ariana to get to her dad, but all he’d really accomplished was Ari and Damon falling for each other.
Damon tilted his head. “Wait a minute.”
His tone made her stomach knot. “What?”
“Did you initially only like me because I was acting like a rebel?”
“No,” she said quickly. Maybe too quickly. Guilt stung. Part of the draw to him had been the whole bad boy thing. But it had also been him. She still had to stop herself from drooling when looking at him.
He frowned, disappointment washing over his face.
She closed the gap between them. “I’m serious. I mean, sure, it made everything more exciting, but I fell for you.” Her heart thundered with him so close, like it always did. She grabbed his hand and pressed his palm over it. “Do you feel that? It always beats that fast when you’re around. You have that effect on me no matter what.”
His expression softened. “Good, because you have the same effect on me.” He pressed her hand against his rock-hard chest, making her choke. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, great. Maybe we could get some air?”
“Sure.” He picked up his bag. “To the practice?”
Ari shook her head, still feeling his chest on her palm. They got so little time alone, they could barely ever sneak in more than a few kisses. “Somewhere else. Maybe that field behind the parking lot.”
“Whatever you want.”
She relaxed a little. He was actually agreeing to some time alone, even though it could upset her dad.
Finally.
She grabbed her bag, then he put his arm around her shoulders.
He turned to her. “So, you were into the bad boy thing?”
Her face warmed. “Like I said, I was into you. All the sneaking around just made it all that more exciting
.”
Damon looked deep in thought. “It actually kind of did. Guess it’s a good thing we’re not going to the practice today.”
Her pulse picked up speed. “But we’re not exactly leaving the school grounds, either. So, technically we have nothing to get into trouble over.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You’re adorable.”
“Adorable?” She wrinkled her nose. “Not alluring? Beautiful? Just cute? Like a puppy?”
Damon laughed out loud. “That wasn’t what I meant, but for the record, you are all of those things.”
“Even cute, like a puppy?” She tried to scowl but ended up laughing.
He held open the door for her. “Yes, you’re a mixture of everything you mentioned. That’s why I couldn’t help falling for you. You’re the perfect combination of gorgeous, sweet, sassy, hilarious, and adorable. Kind of makes me wonder why you’d pick me.”
She gave him a playful shove. “You’re crazy, you know that.”
“Why? What’s so great about me?”
Ari just stared at him. “Are you kidding?”
“No.”
“Look at you.” She looked him over. “Everywhere we go, older girls flirt with you and scowl at me.”
“So, I’m just eye candy? That’s it?” His eyes sparkled with teasing. “I’ll have you know, I’ve always worked out so I can stand up against bullies.”
“Doesn’t change a thing.” She laced her fingers through his and led him over to a part of the field where the trees offered some cover of privacy. Hopefully nobody else was already there.
It was empty. Relief flooded her, and she led him under the leaves. They leaned against the tree, and she snuggled up against him, resting her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating. It was nearly as fast as hers.
He ran his fingers through her hair. “This reminds me of that study date at the beach.”
“The one where those boys made you spill your drink?”
Damon nodded.
Ariana remembered him taking off his shirt and not taking up her offer to grab him another one. “Was that planned?”
“Was what planned? Going to the beach?”
“The boys. You taking your shirt off and reading Shakespeare to me like that, making it impossible to pay attention.”
He laughed. “Sorry. I didn’t think about it like that. It was the beach, so I didn’t think I needed a shirt.”
Ari’s face flamed. “So, it was really an accident? The boys kicking the ball and making you spill?”
Damon nodded. “We went on a whim, remember?”
She shrugged. All she could remember was his rippling muscles and how she couldn’t pay attention to any of the poetry he’d whispered in her ear at the time.
He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“I didn’t realize I made such an impression at the time. That’s all. Honestly, I wouldn’t have done that if I knew the effect it had on you.”
Her mouth fell open. “Seriously? You didn’t realize it?”
His smile faded. “My dad had ripped me a new one that morning, and then before leaving my school for our study group, a couple guys from the football team cornered me.” He cleared his throat. “I was just enjoying the time with you. It was hard not to enjoy the way you kept looking at me. The rest of the world seemed to hate me, but not you.”
The pain in his eyes nearly broke her. “I don’t see how anyone could. You know what I think?”
Damon shook his head.
“Those guys at your school are jealous. You have brains and looks.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think that’s it. They’re mad I was assigned to tutor them, and think I was trying to show off. That’s why I won’t tutor there anymore.”
“They suck. Don’t pay any attention to those idiots. In fact, they—” Ari stopped cold as a woman in a long red dress stepped onto the sidewalk across the street.
“What is it?” Damon looked around.
Her breath caught in her throat, making it impossible to answer. She couldn’t pull her attention away. Could that really be the same lady who pulled Tinsley away from the sleepover? The same person who took those other kids? Who Ari had seen across the street from her own house?
“Ari?” Damon asked.
“Shh.” She leaned closer, moving some branches out of the way. The other night, the woman’s face hadn’t been visible, and now with the angle and branches, Ari could hardly make out any details.
“The woman in red?” Damon asked.
Ari just nodded as she studied the long, flowing dress and the red hair that went nearly to her waist. It could be a coincidence, but it would be a weird one. Especially with all the disappearances going on. And Dad always said there were never coincidences, but he was kind of paranoid because of his job.
Was he right? Was this the woman who had been luring away innocent kids? Did she want Ariana next? Or had she wanted her all along?
The thought made her blood boil. Tinsley and the other kids drawn away by her were so innocent. Even Ariana could be seen as vulnerable because of her past. But the fact that she’d been abducted before—practically a lifetime ago now—didn’t make her an easy target.
Actually, it made her the opposite.
She rose and dusted grass from her pants. Her pulse pounded in her eardrums. The woman needed to be stopped.
Now.
Ariana took a step, but a hand on her arm kept her from moving any farther. She turned and looked at Damon.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“I’m going to tell her to go somewhere else. To stop taking kids.”
“And you think she’ll listen to you?”
Ari clenched her fists. “She’d better.”
“She’s dangerous.”
“I’m not going to get myself abducted!” She pulled her arm, but his grip was too strong for her to get away that easily. “She needs to be stopped!”
“Let’s call the cops. They can handle it.”
Then Ariana remembered her conversation with her dad. “Fine.”
She turned around, but the lady was gone.
Chapter 23
Alex rubbed his temples. It had been one of the more frustrating days since joining the force. Not only did he not have two spare moments to look into the case he wanted to, but he’d gotten nowhere with the case assigned to him. It was beginning to feel like they’d never catch the rich couple’s killer. Going to the private high school to talk to the son’s classmates had been a monumental mistake. Nobody wanted to talk to him. Either they were covering for someone or they could sense Alex wasn’t one of them—a recovering alcoholic who had not that long ago lived in a run-down apartment with rent less expensive than most of their shoes.
If he’d been able to focus on the case involving the woman in red, he could’ve made a lot more progress. With all his paperwork, he didn’t even have two minutes to call the feds and find out what progress they’d made, if any.
The woman had been in front of his house the night before, and that was unacceptable. But there was also nothing he could do about it—unless he saw her himself, and so far, she’d managed to only ever be seen by children, coming out at night.
Maybe that was it. Alex needed to sleep by a window out front. Then he could keep an eye out for her. If he saw the lady with his own eyes, he could take action. Yes, that was his answer. He would sleep on the couch in the living room that night. Zoey wouldn’t be happy, but she’d understand. Especially if he helped get the babies to sleep first.
His heart hammered at the thought. Who knew how likely it was that she’d come by twice in a row? But it was a risk he was willing to take. What were the chances she’d show up near his daughter twice? Ariana could’ve been her intended victim in Nick’s woods. It made sense, given she hadn’t taken Tinsley. Although, she may have given up once Tinsley fell into the ravine.
There were too many questions and not enough answers. It wa
s enough to drive him mad.
Alex looked at his stack of files. He’d gotten through enough to call it a day. Nobody ever got through all their paperwork. It was a never-ending task. In the morning, there’d be more added to each one.
He glanced at the clock. Almost time to go home. Good. He could start setting up his unofficial sting operation to catch the crazy lady in her tracks.
Alex grabbed his completed files and went around the station, returning each one to its proper place, nodding greetings to other officers. It was nearing the shift switch, so the night crew was arriving and everyone else was eager to get home for some rest and decent food.
Nick stepped out of his office. “Any updates on the missing kid?”
Alex’s heart rate jumped to double-time. “That psycho took another one?”
“What?” Nick looked confused. “No, not that case. The one you’re working on. The dead couple’s kid. Has anyone seen him?”
“Oh, him. Nope. Can’t get anything out of anyone at school. I did get the feeling he wasn’t popular, but what little information I could get out of anyone—most of them lawyered up even though they didn’t have to—was minimal. If we believe everything those kids said, our missing teen was a loner. Unpopular and weird.”
“Nobody seemed surprised about any of this?” Nick asked.
“Not that I saw. They all just wanted to protect themselves.”
“And the daughter? Is she back in town yet?”
Alex shrugged. “Not that I’ve heard, but with so many moving parts, someone else might’ve heard something.”
Nick nodded. “Nothing ever happens fast enough, does it?”
“Gotta love red tape.” Alex handed him a couple of his completed files, considered telling him his plan to look out for the woman in red, but decided against it. It wasn’t his case. Not that anything would stop him from protecting his family or house. That wasn’t doing anything wrong. Alex was about to head back to his desk when he noticed his friend’s eyes were bloodshot. “Everything okay?”
“It’s been a day.” Nick sighed and leaned against the door frame. “I’ll tell you about it later. For now, I just want to get home.”
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