Page 142 of You Found Me

Annie — Don’t get me started on what else it could be.

Spencer — Maybe he took a morning run? He does like to start the day active, and early morning exercise is optimal for digestion.

Annie — He doesn’t run without his phone. Keep pinging him. If he doesn’t answer in thirty, get the cops to go knock on the damn door. I’m getting Diggs and heading to WC.

Ward swore and tapped out a text.No cops.

Before he could hit send, an incoming text shook his phone while a baby’s scream filled the silence.

Ward winced and hastily pushed the Volume Down button. How the hell had he slept through that? It was the most obnoxious noise he’d ever heard, and that was saying something considering basic training.

Spencer — Officially viral. Over 1.5 mil views and climbing. KenDahl: “That’s not Della Bellamy. That’s Lucy Carmichael, one of the waitresses at Sevens in beautiful downtown Wires Crossing PA.” DellBell4Evah: “You blind? That ain’t no dive rat. I know that voice. That Della Fckng Bellamy.”

“Fuck!” The word exploded out of Ward as he kicked the metal trash can next to his desk. It clanged off the leg of the desk and clattered to a stop under the bed.

Pain radiated up his foot.

If he’d slept in his own room, he’d have learned about this hours ago. They’d have cleared out by now.

If he’d stayed in his own room, his dick wouldn’t have controlled his head.

Odds were high that the stalker had seen the video by now. He’d have an alert set to any variation of Della and Bellamy that he could think of because the guy was tech savvy and smart.

Ward’s gut told him the stalker had hit the road already, heading for Wires Crossing.

Even if he wasn’t, they had to assume he was.

Della was at risk because he’d paid more attention to her happiness and his own damn desire than his damn job. It was the one and only time he’d ever done anything like that and it put her in danger.

It was a rookie mistake.

With short, sharp jabs, he punched up an audio-only conference call with Annie and Spencer.

Annie picked up first. “What the hell have you been doing?”

“Later.” He could hear road noise in the background. “Where are you?”

“On the way to you. I have Diggs.”

“Good,” Ward said, tone clipped. “Speaker?”

“Earbuds. What the hell happened? I was about to send a wellness check.”

“Not relevant.” He jerked open the top drawer of his dresser, yanked out clothes, and threw them onto the bed.

“What’s not relevant?” Spencer said as he joined the call.

“Sit rep,” Ward barked as he pulled on clothes.

“Secondary site’s ready,” Spencer said. “All quiet here.”

“Annie, how far?” Ward put on his gear belt.

“About an hour out, give or take,” Annie said.

“Shave that.” He clipped his holster into place.

“Oh, sure. We’ll teleport right over.” Annie’s sarcasm tweaked his last nerve, but he let it pass.