Welcome to the third chapter of "Missing You," a Written Fireside story written by a group of wonderfully talented Harper Impulse authors!
***Follow the story from the beginning by clicking on Part 1 and 2***
Part 1 by Lori Connelly
Part 2 by Lisa Fox
***
Written Fireside: Missing You
Kaylie fed George. Based on how quickly the dog scarfed down his kibble, she guessed he hadn’t eaten in a while, but then again, he always gobbled down his food. No. Her gut told her he was starving, which did nothing to alleviate her anxiety over her brother. While she waited for Sam, she scrounged around Max’s belongings looking for something, anything, to give her a clue where he was.
The old abandoned mansion.
There was no reason Max should be there, but it would be the next place she looked, with or without Sam.
Her hands trembled as she fingered the files on Max’s desk. Her nerves were raw, and not only because her brother was missing. This would be the first time she’d seen Sam since the night she’d called off their engagement. They’d both said such terrible things.
A thud in the next room distracted her from thinking about the man she’d once hoped to spend her life with. Curious as to what George had gotten into, she started in that direction, but a chill danced along her spine and her stomach tightened, causing her limbs to freeze.
Don’t go out there, her instincts warned.
Her fingers wrapped around the first object they found—a plaque her brother had been awarded for some of his volunteer service. A floorboard creaked nearby as Kaylie readied the makeshift weapon and pressed against the wall beside the door. A tall figure in black crept into the room, a ski mask covering his or her features. As the person turned toward her, Kaylie swung the plaque, connecting with bone and sending the intruder sprawling forward with a loud masculine groan of pain. She spun and ran, colliding with someone else in the hall. Air escaped her lungs as she was slammed against the wall, iron hands holding her in place.
“Where is the flash drive?" an unfamiliar voice growled from beneath a mask. "Did your brother give it to you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her eyes widened as he aimed a gun at her. Before she could think, let alone react, a streak of white and brown plowed into the stranger, sending the weapon sliding underneath the desk. George! The man and growling dog wrestled on the ground for several seconds until the man managed to get away, scurrying through the hallway and out the back door. Kaylie glanced toward the spot where she’d last seen the other man. He was gone, the curtains flapping as a breeze drifted through the now open window.
Trembling, she whistled for George to follow her as she ran for the front entrance. She would call the police from the safety of her car.
Kaylie swung open the door and caught herself before crashing into the man on the doorstep. Dark hair damp from the rain framed familiar blue eyes, which were currently drawn together in a scowl.
“Sam!” she cried, and threw herself into his arms.
Her fingers wrapped around the first object they found—a plaque her brother had been awarded for some of his volunteer service. A floorboard creaked nearby as Kaylie readied the makeshift weapon and pressed against the wall beside the door. A tall figure in black crept into the room, a ski mask covering his or her features. As the person turned toward her, Kaylie swung the plaque, connecting with bone and sending the intruder sprawling forward with a loud masculine groan of pain. She spun and ran, colliding with someone else in the hall. Air escaped her lungs as she was slammed against the wall, iron hands holding her in place.
“Where is the flash drive?" an unfamiliar voice growled from beneath a mask. "Did your brother give it to you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her eyes widened as he aimed a gun at her. Before she could think, let alone react, a streak of white and brown plowed into the stranger, sending the weapon sliding underneath the desk. George! The man and growling dog wrestled on the ground for several seconds until the man managed to get away, scurrying through the hallway and out the back door. Kaylie glanced toward the spot where she’d last seen the other man. He was gone, the curtains flapping as a breeze drifted through the now open window.
Trembling, she whistled for George to follow her as she ran for the front entrance. She would call the police from the safety of her car.
Kaylie swung open the door and caught herself before crashing into the man on the doorstep. Dark hair damp from the rain framed familiar blue eyes, which were currently drawn together in a scowl.
“Sam!” she cried, and threw herself into his arms.
**
Be sure to visit Mandy Baggot's website June 24 for part 4 of "Written Fireside: Missing You."
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