I need to talk to him.

That’s the only way to make this right.

I need to tell him the truth without getting distracted by dates and popcorn and fantasies.

Forcing myself to get up, I went to grab my phone. I was surprised to find a bunch of missed calls and text messages, belatedly noticing it was on silent.

A few of the calls were from Ward, but those weren’t the ones that made my stomach sink—not as bad, at least.

What made alarm bells ring in my head were the multiple missed calls and texts from Everly.

She wouldn’t call me on a Saturday. Not unless it was an emergency.

Not bothering to read the messages, I tapped to call her back.

“Mac, thank God,” she answered by way of greeting. Her voice shook like she’d been crying.

Was it her mom? Aaron?

“What’s going—”

“I did something bad, Mac. I’m sorry. So sorry. I really fucked up.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Deep breaths. Nothing is that bad.”

“This is. I’m the worst. I was just so mad about you calling my mom. I thought you didn’t get it. I thought if you remembered what it was like to be in love, you’d understand. I didn’t know. I just thought it was like Aaron and me. You know, toxic true love. So I sent the message. But then I started feeling weird about it, so I talked to Mrs. Anderson, and she didn’t tell me anything, but it was what she didn’t say. But he always says how much he loves you and that you don’t get it, and I thought I was helping—”

With each frantic word I heard, dread coursed with the ice water in my veins. My hands began to shake. My stomach lurched, bile rising to burn my throat. A cold sweat broke out across my skin. “Who, Everly?”

But I knew.

I knew it in my bones even before she wailed, “Detective Bell.”

“The message you sent,” I said, trying to keep her focused and make sense of her rambling. “What was it?”

“That link. It was a thing so he could track your location.”

Oh God.

Oh God no.

“It’s okay,” I forced out, both to Everly and myself. “It’ll all be okay.”

I had Ward.

I hung up on her. But before I could call him, my front door opened.

I must’ve failed to lock it in my distracted hurry.

Stupid.

My gaze shot to the side, hoping to see a handsome wall. A cocky smirk. A heated stare.

Hoping to see my badass biker.

“Did you miss me, honey?”

* * *

Twelve Weeks Ago

I needed to stop him. Dinner would be ready any minute. But when I tried to shift away, his body and hold tightened.