Mackenzie tried to text her sister, but they were in a dead zone, and the text wouldn’t go through. Ten minutes in and her nerves had her wanting to crawl out of her skin. “This is taking too long. I’m going to call one of your county friends.”

“I did already.”

“What? When?”

“While you were grabbing your bag and computer. I texted Terra to let the gang know.”

“The gang?”

“Yep. Easier that way.”

“But she said whoever was controlling her car would know.”

“Not likely. This isn’t going through regular police channels.”

He steered through a neighborhood and parked in front of a house. “We have to keep quiet.”

“Where are we?”

“I’ll explain later.” Alex led her around between the houses. A dog barked nearby. He unlatched the gate and headed into the backyard. She assumed this was his family’s home.

He headed to a big workshop at the back. Alex lifted a padlock on the door and groaned.

“What?”

Lights came on in the backyard and a man rushed out, cocking his shotgun.

“Great,” Alex said. “Ron, it’s me, Alex.”

“What are you doing, sneaking around my house?”

A woman rushed around the man, pulling her robe tight. “Alex?” She continued forward. “Ron, what are you doing? It’s your stepson. Alex is here for his car.”

“His car?” he said, lowering the shotgun. “I didn’t give him that car.”

“You’re right, you didn’t. It wasn’t yours to give. It belongs to him. You know he never meant those words back then. Wait here.” Alex’s mother stepped into the house for a moment and came out jangling keys on a key ring and handed them to Alex. “I’m sorry, son. I didn’t know he would try to lock you out. He never locks this.”

Mackenzie hated the tension she sensed between Alex and his stepfather.

“I’m sorry I didn’t knock on your door first, but it’s late and I didn’t want to wake you. And it’s an emergency.”

Alex’s mother glanced from Alex to Mackenzie and thrust her hand out with a smile. “I’m Alex’s mother, Carol.”

“I’m Mackenzie.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I hope Alex will bring you back during the day for lunch.”

Alex unlocked the padlock and, inside the workshop, flipped on the lights. His mother pressed a button that opened the garage door. Alex yanked off a big tarp to reveal an old car.

A convertible Mustang.

What? She came here for . . . Oh. Now she got it.

He hopped in and started it. “Are you coming, or what?”

“Alex Arthur Knight. That’s no way to treat your date.”

“Oh, I’m no date.” Mackenzie opened the door and sat in the leather seats.

No. I’m much more than a date.