Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“If you laugh right now, I’m going to reach through this phone and strangle you,” I snap, my patience fraying with each second Briar is gone.
More keyboard clicks. Dean’s tone grows grave. “I’m getting nothing on her phone. It’s either off, or destroyed.”
My stomach twists. I do a quick sweep of the bedside table. Nothing. On her dresser, just a few stray papers and a brush. “It’s not here,” I mutter into the phone. “She must’ve taken it with her.”
“Then there’s no way to track her right now.”
I drag a hand through my hair, turning back to Jeb. He’s pacing inside the cage, mumbling about cries and feelings. “Okay, thanks, Dean. I’ll figure something out. Keep trying. Maybe she’ll power it on eventually.”
Dean gives a curt acknowledgment, then hangs up, leaving me in a tense silence, save for Jeb’s agitated squawks.
I tuck my phone away, returning my attention to the bird. “Jeb, talk to me. You said Briar left. Did she say anything else?” My voice shakes with urgency. Damn it, Briar, where’d you go?
Jeb tilts his head, repeating softly, “Briar cries… I don’t have feelings for—”
I grit my teeth against the wave of guilt that surges up. She heard me say it. I slam a fist against the bedpost, frustration roiling inside me. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her, but in trying to keep things strictly professional with Dean, I ended up lying in the worst way possible.
“Jeb,” I say again, forcing calm into my voice. “If you know anything else, any word she said, you gotta tell me. Please.”
But the bird just shakes out his feathers, turning away. I exhale, pressing the heel of my hand against my forehead. Briar could be anywhere, and if she thinks I don’t care about her… who knows what kind of danger she’s running straight into?
I do another quick sweep of her room, and notice a photo lying on the floor. I quickly snatch it up, and glance at a smiling Jason looking into the camera.
Asshole.
“Where is she?” I whisper to the photo.
“I’m safe,” Jeb squawks out. “Jeb safe. Briar’s not.”
I glance at the bird, and then study the photo once more, noticing the location. It’s the zoo, but that’s not odd. Jason dated a zoo worker, so she probably took this photo.
I wish I could reach into this photograph and strangle Jason’s neck right here and now. She has to be at the zoo. It’s the only thing I can think of.
I take one last look at the photo in my hand, my gaze snagging on something I almost missed. There, in the far corner, is a stray arm draped in… tweed? A strange, old-fashioned sort of jacket—definitely not Jason’s style. My brows knit together.
“Who wears tweed these days?” I murmur to no one in particular, squinting at the grainy image.
A sudden flutter of wings makes me glance over to where Jeb stands perched in his cage. The bird cocks his head and repeats, in Briar’s voice of all things, “Here comes Heath, in all his shining tweed glory, swooping in and impressing Marcie with his fancy degree!”
My heart stutters. Heath Hone—He’s the new trainer at the zoo.
“Say that again?” I demand, stepping closer to Jeb, my pulse kicking into overdrive.
Jeb tilts his head, repeating word for word: “Here comes Heath, in all his shining tweed glory…” I don’t wait for him to finish. I’m already bolting for the door, keys clenched in my fist, the photograph crumpled in my other hand.
I’m in my SUV and firing up the engine within seconds, my brain spinning. Heath Hone. The new bird trainer. A tweed jacket. Possibly connected to Jason. The pieces snap together, conjuring images of Jason at the zoo, Jason’s weird photo, and now this detail about Heath. It has to be more than coincidence.
Once I’m on the road, I punch in Dean’s number, bringing the call up through the bluetooth. My tires squeal as I swing onto the main street, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Dean picks up on the first ring. “Orion?”
“I’m guessing she went to the zoo.” My voice is tight, anxiety tugging at my chest. The last thing I want is for Briar to confront Jason—or his accomplice—alone.
“Are you heading there now?” Dean asks, the sound of rapid typing in the background.
“Yeah, can you scramble a team? I know the zoo’s running some kind of bird night show on Friday nights. I’ve got a hunch it’s Heath Hone—the new trainer. I think Jason and him know each other. I have no clue what they’re planning, but it’s definitely happening at the zoo.”
“Shit,” Dean mutters. There’s a flurry of keystrokes on his end. “How the hell did we miss that?”
I shake my head, teeth clenched, even though I know he can’t see me. “No idea. But if Briar’s gone, I’m guessing she’s heading there now. She probably figured out Heath was in on this. Or at least suspects him.”