“What?” I can’t breathe. I can’t think. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Colin. And my boyfriend knows where I am.”

He laughs, the sound of it raking down my spine, making me want to throw up.

“You don’t have to go willingly, Lila.” I try to run, but he grabs my arm, yanks me against him, and hits me on the head with something hard, making me black out cold.

Chapter Eight

~Asher~

“So, things are going well with Lila.” Matt sips his soda and watches me across the table of the crowded restaurant. I check my watch for the fifteenth time. The girls should be here by now.

“They are.” I smirk. “Are we going to get all girlie and talk about our feelings now?”

“I like her,” he says. “She’s good for you.”

She’s fucking amazing.

“Am I supposed to feel guilty, man?” I ask and glance out the window to the busy French Quarter.

“For what?”

“For moving on. For falling in love again. I loved Missy, you know I did. And it killed me when she died.” If it weren’t for Casey, I don’t know how I would have survived losing her.

“Missy would be pissed that you’re even thinking about feeling guilty,” Matt replies. “Asher, you didn’t die. It’s okay to move on and live your life.”

“Missy would be pissed,” I agree with a laugh.

“What does Casey think of her?”

My heart softens as I think of how great Lila is with my daughter. “She loves her. They have a good time together. And Lila is so patient with her. And she listens, you know? She doesn’t brush Casey off.”

“I’m happy for you, friend.”

“Yeah, thanks. How is the family?”

“They’re all crazy,” Matt replies with a laugh. “There are so many of us now, when we get together it’s absolute chaos.”

“And you wouldn’t have it any other way,” I reply dryly.

Matt’s phone rings. “Hey, little one. Are you on your way?”

He frowns, catches my eye, then puts the call on speaker and sets the phone on the table. “Okay, you’re on speaker. What’s going on?”

“Lila was gone longer than I thought she would be,” Nic says, her voice shaky, and my entire body goes cold. “I went up to see what the hold up was, and she’s not here.”

“What do you mean she’s not there?” I ask, immediately throwing bills on the table for our drinks and heading for the door.

“She’s gone. Her door was wide open and she’s not here.”

“Don’t touch anything, Nic,” Matt says, right behind me, racing to the car. “We’re on our way. Go back to the car and lock the doors.”

“I’m sorry,” she says with tears in her voice.

“It’s going to be okay,” Matt assures her as I start the car and speed into traffic, headed to Lila’s. I pull my own phone out and call Jordan.

“Hello.”

“He’s got Lila.” My heart stops, saying the words out loud. “He took her from her apartment. I’m on my way there now.”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

She hangs up and I immediately call dispatch. “This is Lieutenant Asher Smith. I have a possible abduction, connected to an ongoing case, at 4268 Tulane Avenue. I need all available units to respond.”

“Copy that, Lieutenant,” Dispatch responds. “Sending all available units.”

I hang up and swear ripely.

“We’re going to find her,” Matt says calmly, but his hands are in fists. I know he’s as worried as I am. “Walk me through it.”

I spend the ten minutes to Lila’s apartment filling Matt in on the specifics of the case. Fuck protocol.

Lila’s life is at stake.

I pull into the parking lot, next to Lila’s car. Nic rushes to Matt and hugs him tightly.

“I’m so sorry. She was gone for like twenty minutes, and I thought I should check. I should have gone in with her.”

“No, then we might be looking for both of you.” Matt holds her face and looks her in the eyes intently. “I want you to take Lila’s car and go to Asher’s.”

“I should stay and help—”

“That was not a question, Nicole.” Matt’s voice is hard. “I want you out of here.”

“My address is in the GPS,” I tell her as I run past and up the stairs to Lila’s apartment. The door is still standing open. I search each room, praying that Nic’s wrong and she really is here, but the rooms are empty.

“When was she taken?” Jordan asks as she runs into the apartment, Matt right behind her, and I’m shocked to see my brother bring up the rear.

“Less than thirty minutes,” I reply. “Thanks for coming, Mike.”

“I heard the call come in. I wasn’t far away. What do we know?”

“Jack shit,” I reply with frustration and pace the room. “We know he took her.”

“Do we know that for sure?” Jordan asks.

“She wouldn’t just leave. Yes, he took her.”

My phone rings in my pocket, and I pray it’s Lila, but it’s Kate’s office number, Lila’s best friend. I send it to voice mail and shove my fingers through my hair.

“Uniforms are pulling in,” Mike says as he looks outside.