Chapter 54

While Elodie was driving as fast as possible without killing herself towards Gabriel’s house, Dashiell paced in his room. The unanswered call, the menacing growl he’d heard on the other end, it all gnawed at his gut. He called Elodie right after, but there was no reply. His fingers hovered over Ari’s number, a last resort. ‘Ari,’ he said as soon as the call was picked up, ‘it’s Dashiell. Do you know where Elodie lives?’ Ari, sprawled on his sofa with a book in hand, frowned. ‘Yeah, why?’ ‘I called her earlier, and I heard some guy in the background, sounded rough, and then nothing. Something’s wrong.’ ‘Whoa, hold on. What kind of voice?’ Dashiell described the gruffness, the edge of threat. ‘I’m back in Danning now, and…’ he swallowed his pride. ‘Could you go check on her? See if she needs help?’ Ari remembered their first meeting, the way Elodie had taken him down with surprising ease. ‘Don’t sweat it, Dash,’ he said. ‘Trust me, she can handle herself.’ But Dashiell wasn’t convinced.