“Yes. Sheriff Raines and one of his deputies are on their way.”

“Can you—?” My voice began to tremble as I started my SUV. “Can you call the girls to the office? I just want to know they’re in someone’s sight, just in case. Wait. My dad, is he still there?”

Sue huffed. “No. He’s not. He left. But not before punching Mr. Reilly in the face.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, picturing our mid-fifties gym teacher sprawled out on the ground. “I’m so sorry. I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Please look out for my girls.”

“I will, sweetie. Nothing’s going to happen to them. You just drive safe.”

If by safe, she meant like a bat out of hell, then I had her covered. My lungs seized as soon as I hit end on my screen. Will. Oh, God. I hit the number for the high school. The secretary answered, and I quickly explained the situation. “Please call him to the office, and don’t let him leave. No one has shown up for him, right?” What if my mother had gone to the high school? Will would’ve gone with her just for the opportunity to give her a piece of his mind.

“No one has been taken out of school today, Caelyn. Just take a deep breath. I’ll call him to the office.”

“Thank you.” I was shaking now, slight little trembles I couldn’t seem to stop. “I’m going to have someone pick him up. I’m not sure who, but they’ll be on the list.”

“No problem. And if you need anything else, you just call.”

I nodded but then realized the woman couldn’t see that action across the phone. “Thank you.”

I hung up as I rounded the bend in the road that would take me to the elementary school. My finger hovered over the names in the favorites section of my contacts. But there was only one person I wanted to call. He answered after two rings. I kept my voice as strong as possible but knew it wavered a little. “Griffin? I need you.”

36

Griffin

My entire body locked, froze in the middle of an aisle in the hardware store. A man muttered a curse as he stepped around me, but it barely registered. “Where are you?” It was the only thing I could think of to ask.

“I-I’m driving to the elementary school. I need you to go to the high school and pick up Will. Then drive over and meet me. Can you do that?”

The tremble in her voice gave me a burning desire to thrash the row of fixtures in front of me. “What happened?”

“My dad. He showed up at the elementary school and tried to take the girls.”