“There are?”
“Of course, Alyssa. Gray, Rita…me. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. And you mean the world to Gray.”
She rolled her eyes and stepped away from my arms. “Yeah, and where is she then?”
I took her hands, waiting until I had her focused attention. “Listen to me, Alyssa. I know how smart you are. And I know you understand things have been tough for Gray lately.”
She gave me a solemn nod.
“But no matter what is happening with her, you’re one of the most important people in her life. You can trust me on that.”
“Then why isn’t she here?”
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find her.”
We set off back to the apartment for one last check for Gray and to grab some things for her. Then we went to my place to figure things out. When we walked through the door, Granger galloped over, paws landing on Alyssa’s thighs.
“Down, Granger,” I said.
She knelt down and rubbed his head, sporting a smile I hadn’t seen in a while. “I forgot Gray told me you had a dog. He’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you. I need to let him out back.”
“Please, can I take him out?”
“Sure.” I led her to the back door and let them out, thankful for the slight reprieve Granger had given both of us. I stood at the glass, watching her follow him around the backyard. I feared the long-term repercussions her mother’s actions would cause her, but I vowed right then to do whatever I could to help her through it. Just as I had with Gray. And I intended to keep both of those promises. I’d allowed Gray to push me away too many times. She may still have loved me, but she wanted nothing to do with Dr. Harrison. I couldn’t separate the two. They both fell in love with her, and they would both fight to get her back.
I had to make some decisions, so I placed a few calls before getting Alyssa and Granger back into the house.
“Let’s have a talk about what we can do,” I said.
Alyssa sat on the living room floor, Granger plopped against her legs. Her hand rested on his back. “You’re not going to call the cops, are you?”
“No, I don’t think that will help you or anyone else.”
“Plus, I’ll be eighteen in less than a year.”
“I’ve just spoken with Rita, and she’d love to have you over for a bit—just until we find Gray and figure this whole thing out.”
Her face saddened, her eyes turned down as she ran a hand along Granger’s fur.
“Alyssa?” I waited for her to look up again. “I thought that would be best. You and Rita have spent a lot of time together. Don’t you like her?”
“Yeah, I love Rita. It’s just…I thought I could stay here with you…and Granger.”
I got down next to the two of them and patted my boy on his belly. “You’re a good dog, buddy. It’s been a while since you’ve had a sleepover with your aunt Rita.” When I said her name, he flipped over and looked at me wide-eyed, almost as if he knew. “You want to go, boy?”
He sat up and wagged his tail, smacking Alyssa in the arm.
She smiled in return. “Really?”
“Sure. He loves it there. Let me just text Rita to let her know you’re both coming.”
I dropped Alyssa and Granger at Rita’s place, relieved the three of them seemed to be content with each other. My next order of business was finding Gray and making sure she was all right. I’d pushed my worry away for Alyssa’s sake, but not hearing from Gray for so long had to indicate trouble. Either she was deliberately avoiding me and had disregarded her responsibilities with Alyssa or something kept her away. I couldn’t accept either scenario. So I headed to a place that might hold possible answers.
I banged on the door, my blood pressure increasing, rationality out the window. Without even knowing if Nathan was home, I almost broke down the door when it finally opened.
“Dr. Dan? What can I do you for?”
CHAPTER 25
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Daniel
“Is she here?” I stepped in without being invited.
Nathan held the door open, shirtless and wearing sweat bottoms. He threw a glance over his shoulder before turning back to me, seeking clarity. “Who?”
“Gray. I need to talk to her.”
“Sorry, man. She’s not here.” He shut the door and followed me to the middle of the living room, where I stared down his hallway. I heard the faint sound of water running.
“What’s that?” I stepped to the doorway that led down the hall.
“Uh, it’s a shower. What’s going on? Did something happen?” He came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t seem yourself, doc.”
I shrugged his hand off, glaring at him. “Who’s in the shower?”
“C’mon, man. It’s a lady friend of mine.” He raised his eyebrows and then shook his head. “Wait till she comes out and see. Unless you want to give her a nice surprise and maybe set another lawsuit in motion for me.”
I believed him, but that didn’t solve my problem or ease the tension. His relaxed demeanor, quite the opposite of the last time I’d seen him, reminded me of what Gray had told me. “I hear your legal matters are cleared up.”
“Yep. Charlotte dropped the whole thing. She’s moving back home.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Yeah, me too.” He smiled and strode over to the kitchen to pick up a glass of thick red liquid. “Can I get you something?”
“No, thank you. Like I said, I’m looking for Gray. Have you seen her?”
He squinted over his glass while taking a sip, then he set the drink down. “Today?”
I huffed and stalked over, my patience once again running thin. “Don’t screw with me. This is important. When was the last time you saw or heard from Gray?”
“You’re not going to like this, but…last night…”
“What?” My pulse raced; I got right up in his face.
“Hey,” a female voice said behind me.
He gestured with a nod over my shoulder. “Lacy, this is Dr. Dan.”
I turned and nodded to the young woman in a towel, wet, red hair flowing down her shoulder.
“Am I interrupting? I just came to get…”
“Here you go.” Nathan came from behind me holding a full glass of that same red drink. “Just give us a few minutes.”
Lacy disappeared down the hall. Nathan gave me that how about her look one guy gives to another.
“You obviously don’t get it. I’m worried Gray is in trouble. If you were any kind of friend, you’d be worried, too. Did she tell you what’s going on with her?”
“Look, she called me last night. I could tell something was wrong. She wanted me to pick her up, but I was at work, man. So I…I asked Kevin to go get her.”
“What the hell were you thinking? You both know he’s dangerous. And in the state Gray was in…I swear—”
“Hey, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said as he walked back to pick up his drink. “My brother’s changed.”
“Why? Because he said so?”
“Yeah. And I’ve seen it.”
“This is ridiculous. I can’t waste any more time on you or your brother. Just tell me what you know, and I’ll leave.”
He hesitated; his eyes gave him away. He wanted me to be wrong, but his instincts told him otherwise. “I sent Kevin to pick Gray up after she called. Lacy and I met them at some club, and then we all went back to Kevin’s place.”
“Then what?”
“Then Lacy and I left and came back here.” He threw back the last of his drink.
I lifted my chin and fought the urge to pound his face into the floor. “You left her alone…with him?”
“Hey, it’s cool. She was fine when I left.”
“Either you’re an idiot or in denial or…” I gestured to the empty glass he’d just set down. “…or falling off the wagon has impaired your judgment and turned you into
a selfish prick.”
“Judge me all you want, doc, but I got my own life to live now. I got a lot of shit I’ve been dealing with. I can’t be Gray’s babysitter anymore. Besides, she can take care of herself.”
“I am judging you. How about this? Fuck you, Nathan.”
His eyes widened, as if surprised I’d shattered his image of the good doctor.
“Everyone’s got shit to contend with. You think you’re the only one with a sad story? Yes, you and your brother got a raw deal. But if you’re anything like Gray says you are, then it didn’t take your soul. In fact, it shaped the person she constantly defends and sticks by because she thinks he’s worth it. And now you’re shitting it all away, including your friendship with her.”
He let out a long sigh, but I wasn’t done yet.
“Gray didn’t want you the way you wanted her, so that’s it? You don’t care what happens to her now? If you’d have been a friend to her and not dumped her on your brother, she might have told you that she just found out some devastating news.”
That got his attention, and he straightened. “What happened?”
I gave him a brief rundown of what Gray had found out, hoping she wouldn’t hold that against me later. I had to make a call. She’d have to understand that. Nathan’s face fell in shock as I explained what had happened with Noah’s death, how her memories of her father had not represented reality. “Now she’s in self-destruct mode, and you left her with the last person she should be around.”
He sat on the couch, leaned his arms on his knees. Then he ran a hand through his hair. “Damn. I had no idea.”
“Well, you know now, and I need your help. Gray needs you.”
“I’ll call Kevin.” His voice lost that laid-back drawl and became urgent.
I waited as he made the call, checking my own phone for any new messages and trying to call Gray’s cell again. Straight to voicemail. Dammit. My battery wouldn’t last much longer, either.
“No answer,” he said.
“Can you take me to his place?”
His sights focused on the doorway where Lacy had stood. “Yeah, just let me tell her.”
In a matter of minutes, he’d changed and ushered his date out, her still-wet hair dampening the back of her shirt. In the car, I filled him in on Alyssa’s situation, which made finding Gray even more imperative.
“Wow, this is just one big fucking mess. And I really am a selfish prick.”
I shot him a quick look. “I may have exaggerated some on that one.”
“I’m not so sure, doc. I wouldn’t know any of this if you hadn’t come and told me.”
“Well, we both know Gray isn’t the most forthcoming with information. And you’re here now. Together we’re going to make it right.” Even if I didn’t have the confidence behind the words, I still felt compelled to reassure Nathan. Gray cared about him, and though he faltered, I liked the guy and appreciated him for the times he had been there for her. I had confidence that he would once again be a friend to her.
At Kevin’s place, we knocked before Nathan remembered the hide-a-key. I braced myself as he unlocked the door, ready to deal with whatever scenario presented itself. I loved Gray, and no matter what she’d done, no matter how painful to me, I would forgive her and help her come back to me. My main concern was finding her unhurt.
“Kev!” Nathan called out when we entered.
Shock hit me when I sensed the silence in the small apartment, saw the scene set in front me. The closed drapes. The glasses and bottles on the tables and counters. The cushions on the couch in disarray. My gut lurched with fear at what might have gone on there.
“I don’t think they’re here.” His comment registered, but I couldn’t move my attention from that couch. A hand touched my shoulder. “Doc, let’s look around.”
I followed him to check the bedroom, dread filling my insides. Nothing appeared out of place, but who knew what that meant. I didn’t know if relief or fear of not finding her took me harder when we saw the empty room. Where the hell are you, Gray?
“Let’s go,” Nathan said, heading back to the living room.
When I passed the bathroom, something caught my eye, and I stalled. “Nathan!”
He stopped behind me in an instant. I stepped in while he stood in the doorway. My heart raced as I stared at the cracked mirror and then panned down to where a red smear stained the sink.
“Don’t jump to conclusions, doc. We don’t know anything.”
I clasped my hands on top of my head and thought, feeling the panic creeping up on me. It made no sense, yet at the same time it all made sense, given what I knew about Gray and her history. “We know a lot,” I said, looking at him pointedly. I took off back to the living room with Nathan following me. Just then the front door opened. I had Kevin in a choke hold up against the wall before he knew what hit him. “Where is she?”
“What the hell, man?” He noticed Nathan over my shoulder and called to him. “Get this asshole off me.”
A second later, hands pulled at my shoulders. “C’mon, doc. Let’s see what he has to say.”
The fear in Kevin’s eyes sobered my anger some. I loosened my grip, and he slipped away as Nathan pressed between us. I fought to catch my breath, both scared and surprised by my actions.
Kevin stumbled into the middle of the living room; Nathan followed, making sure to stay between us.
“You gonna tell me why this asshole put me in a choke hold in my own home?” Kevin said to him.
“Where’s Gray?”
“Shit, I don’t know.”
“She was here earlier…when I left.”
“Yeah, you left and didn’t seem to care then, so why now?”
“Just tell us where she is,” I said, about ready to try for round two.
“I don’t know where that crazy bitch is. And who are you, anyway?”
“I’m the guy who’s going to drag your ass to the police station. I know your MO. I know your history with her. She was here, and you did something to her.”
“I swear I didn’t touch her. I got an urgent business call and had to leave. When I came back, she was gone.”
Business? I could only imagine what kind of business that guy did. I closed the distance between us, pushing right by Nathan. “You’re lying.” I put us toe-to-toe and looked him in the eye. He held his own for several seconds until Nathan’s voice cut in.
“The mirror in your bathroom is busted, and there’s blood in the sink.”
That reminder only made my heart pump faster; I clenched my fists at my sides.
Kevin backed away. “What are you talking about?” He ran to the bathroom, and we followed.
“Shit,” he said, staring down. “She must have done that after I left. I don’t know. We had a few drinks. I wish I could tell you more.”
I grabbed his collar and pulled him back so he faced me. “If I don’t find her soon, I’m coming back here.”
“Hey, man. I’m getting tired of your crap.” He swung his arm around to knock my hand away.
Nathan stepped in once again. “There’s nothing more we can do. I’ll stay here just in case she comes back.” Nathan glanced from Kevin to me. “And I can make sure he stays put until you find her.”
Nathan and I exchanged nods, and I walked to the door. His plan made sense, but I had no idea where I’d go from there. The police? Comb the city? Back to her apartment? The door closed behind me, and I froze. Maybe Gray didn’t want to be found. Seeing me as her doctor, feeling pressured to face her pain, had caused her to run from me. My chest tightened. My past and my fears contributed to this nightmare and Gray feeling so alone, out there somewhere. But no matter what her reasons, I had to make sure she was safe before it was too late.
CHAPTER 26
--------------------------
Daniel
I raced to my car, intent on finding Gray and convincing her I’d never give up on her or our relationship. That kind of love, the love we shared, had the stre
ngth to get two people past anything. I just prayed my determination hadn’t come too late.
I took a moment to check my phone and plan my next move. If Gray had left of her own free will from Kevin’s place, where would she go? That would depend on her resources and if she’d been thinking clearly. Alyssa and I had found her purse in her bedroom, so it was likely she didn’t have money. We couldn’t locate her phone, but since she hadn’t answered a call or text, that could mean she had taken it with her.
I pressed the home screen on my phone. Blackness stared me in the face, mocking my failure. “Dammit!” I tossed the phone onto the passenger seat before starting the car. Everything inside me said that time worked against me. Every minute away from her put another brick in the wall that separated us. I could get to Rita’s the fastest, so I decided to regroup there, check on Alyssa, and make some calls while I charged my phone.
My eyes scanned the streets frantically as I drove. The more road that passed under my wheels, the faster my heart raced. Then a deep, penetrating ache took hold of my chest. I attempted to breathe through it, but at the same time, I needed to recognize what I was feeling. To own the emotion. It wasn’t fear. And it wasn’t the type of longing you felt when you missed someone who was away. It was more like the hollow ache you felt when you said goodbye, wondering if you would ever see that person again. That was what I was feeling for Gray. I ached for this woman, and I’d never be the same until I held her securely in my arms.
Alyssa opened the door with Granger at her side and a smile on her face. I dreaded disappointing her, but showing up without Gray told her enough.
I stepped in and patted my boy. “You taking care of Alyssa, buddy?”
“How come you didn’t answer your phone?” she asked, closing the door behind me.
“I’m sorry about that. The battery died, so I came back to charge it and see how you were doing.”
She watched me intently, her smile still in place. Gray had been right about her being brave and strong.
“Where’s Rita?”
“She had to take Elliot to the airport.”
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