“I have to go,” I mutter, spinning away from Rahn and heading to my place.

“Wait! Where?”

“Don’t follow me,” I call over my shoulder when I hear scuttling feet behind me.

She ignores my request and keeps coming.

I roll my eyes and pick up the pace, hoping to lose her around the next corner, but I’m jolted to a stop by the very person I’m after.

“Diego!” I roar, sprinting straight at him and tackling him off his feet.

He lands with a surprised thud. It takes him a moment to register what the hell I’m doing and he misses his first block.

My knuckles crunch into his cheek before I grab his collar and shout in his face, “Where is she?”

“Get the fuck off me!” He wrestles against me, powering a fist at my face.

It hurts, but not enough to let him go.

I taste blood and lick my split lip.

“I’m not letting you go until you tell me what you did to her.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he shouts, struggling to free himself. I dig my knee into his chest and grab his hair.

“If you’ve hurt her, I’m going to kill you.”

“I haven’t even touched her,” he roars. “I couldn’t find her last night! Get off me!”

His struggle is growing stronger as his rage builds to a boiling point.

Thumping him back down against the sidewalk, I throw all my weight into keeping him still while I glare at him.

His brown eyes glare back and I can tell he’s not lying.

There’s no arrogant smirk, just outright confusion and pure rage.

Shit. He hasn’t seen her.

He doesn’t know where she is.

Which means I have no idea either.

And no easy way of finding her.

Shock makes my muscles slack.

I release my cousin, standing tall and taking a step back while he scrambles to his feet. He’s not used to being beat by me, and he’ll make me pay for humiliating him.

Lunging forward, he comes at me with his fist and I give him a free right hook.

Rahn gasps while I stumble back and catch myself against a concrete wall.

“You’re fucking crazy!” Diego swipes a hand under his red nose. “Dad’s going to end you for this.”

I ready my fists, but Diego takes off, running home to Enzo. I tip my head back and swallow past the boulder in my throat.

Diego wasn’t lying.

So, where’s Chloe?

I fear for her more than whatever repercussions await me at home. I have to find my girl. I have to make sure she’s safe.

But I don’t even know where to start looking.

I gaze across the street, quickly calculating how long it will take for my family to return and make me pay. I need to get Rahn out of here before she gets hurt.

Turning to face her, I point in the direction of her car. “You’ve got to go. Get back to your side of town as fast as you can.”

“I’m not leaving without you.” She shakes her head.

“What?” I frown at her.

“I need you to help me find her. Please. Just come with me.” Her voice quavers as she wrings her hands and looks ready to burst into tears.

I can’t just leave her to look on her own.

“Where are you going next?”

“Her place.”

I shoot her a skeptical frown.

“Yeah, I know it’s a long shot, but we have to try. I’d rather show up looking for her than call and send them into a blind frenzy. At least if we’re there, we can help. We can…ask her dad for help.”

Her expression is kind of agonized as she no doubt reads my mind.

Shit.

Chief Barlow. Yeah, he’s going to love me for this one.

Rahn worries her lip while I swipe the blood off my chin and pat my split lip with the end of my finger.

“Here.” She rustles around in her bag and holds out a tissue pack. “You’re going to want to clean up before you see him.”

I sigh, taking the tissue pack and following Rahn to her car. We need to hurry before Enzo finds us, so I take Rahn’s elbow and walk a little faster.

Her car alarm beeps as she unlocks it. Sliding into the passenger seat, I slam the door and ignore the nerves battering me from all sides.

I feel like I’m heading into a war zone and I’m not wearing one scrap of armor.

“You better floor it. I don’t want them catching up and following us.” I glance over my shoulder to check the coast is clear.

Rahn pulls away from the curb and does as she’s told.

We speed back to her side of town while I fight off the storm that’s taking me out. Dabbing a tissue against my swollen lip, I try not to give into the waves crashing over me.

I have to stay strong for Chloe. I have to face her dad, her family…do whatever it takes to find her.

I don’t know where she is or what kind of trouble she’s gotten into. All I know is that if I don’t find her, my heart is going to disintegrate into a thousand pieces and I’ll never be able to breathe right again.