“That’s it!” Cami exclaims. “Maybe she couldn’t find her way back to your seats, and she ended up sitting somewhere else to watch the show. She lost her phone, so she couldn’t call you.”

“The show was over an hour ago,” I reply.

“Maybe she’s waiting for a cab,” Landon suggests. “I once went to a concert up in Tacoma, and after the show, it took me two hours to get a cab home. And let me tell you, that’s a sketchy neighborhood. I thought for sure I’d end up killed in a drive-by.”

“That has to be it,” Addie says with a nod. “And she lost her phone, so she can’t call or text anyone. She’s probably just as worried as we are.”

“Maybe,” I reply, hope finally starting to bloom in my gut. I take a deep breath and nod. “That does make sense. The show was sold out, so it could take her quite a while to hail a cab.”

“Not to mention,” Cami adds, “if she spent time searching through the crowds for you, she may still be waiting for a ride.”

“Maybe we should drive over there and look for her,” Stu suggests. “I can go, and if she turns up here, just call me and I’ll come back.”

“I can go with you,” Mia offers. “I know that place inside out. I love to go to shows there.”

Could it be this simple? She just got lost, and couldn’t find me? Jesus, all of this worry could have been for nothing.

“If you don’t mind going to look, I’d appreciate it,” I reply. “I’ll stay here in case she comes home.”

“We’ll all wait with you,” Riley says. “We won’t leave you alone.”

“Kat has an amazing family.” I look around at everyone and feel immense gratitude and love. “Thank you, everyone.”

“Sounds like we’re your family now too,” Addie says with a wink. “That can be both a blessing and a curse with this crazy group.”

“Run while you can,” Jake says with a smile, then sobers as he takes Addie’s hand in his. “Seriously, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have at my back if something were to happen to Addie. We’re going to figure this out.”

Just then, Jake’s phone rings. “Here’s my guy. Hello?”

He steps away to talk, then comes back with a frown. “He said until we actually hear from her, there’s not much they can do to trace her, especially since she doesn’t have her phone on her. But if she calls, they can trace it.”

“Shit, we’re dead in the water.”

“Maybe use a different idiom,” Sue says. She’s wringing her hands and biting her lip, exactly the same way Kat does.

I walk to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. “She’s going to be fine.”

“Okay,” she replies just as my own phone rings. “Maybe that’s her!”

I glance at the caller ID and roll my eyes, declining the call. “No, it’s my dad. I barely hear from him for years, and all of a sudden he’s become super chatty.”

“He’s called me a few times too,” Chase says with a frown.

“I think he’s lonely,” Mom replies. “But that’s not my fault.”

Chase and I both smile, share a look, and nod. “No, it’s not your fault,” I say.

“There he is again,” Chase says as his phone rings. “Hi, Dad.”

I watch Chase’s face as Dad talks. I wish I could hear what he’s saying.

“No, Dad, I really don’t have time to talk right now. Kat is missing, and we’re trying to figure out where she is.”

Chase rolls his eyes.

“Kat is Mac’s girlfriend. No, I’m sure you haven’t heard about her because we’ve all been too busy worrying about you to tell you what’s going on with us.”

“Don’t scold him,” Mom says, but Chase waves her off.

“We don’t know,” Chase continues. “Mac took her to a concert tonight, and when she went to the restroom, she never came back. We can’t find her.”

I pace away, not wanting to listen to Chase talk to Dad anymore. I don’t want to listen to anyone talk anymore, unless it’s Kat saying “I’m home.”

I wander back to the bedroom and just stand in the middle of the room, looking around. Her space is feminine, but not overdone. It smells like her. The heels she wore last night are on the floor at the end of the bed. There are dirty clothes on the chair by the window.

It looks like she’s going to walk out of the bathroom and smile at me in that way she does when she’s looking to get laid.

I fucking love that look.

I love her.

I need her back. Jesus, I’m a fucking mess. I wander back into the main living area in time to see Chase scowl and say, “What? My God, Dad, what the fuck did you do?”

Chapter Nineteen

~Kat~

Something smells horrible.

I’m slowly coming awake. Damn, I must have partied way too hard last night because my head feels like I went a round or two with a boxer. My mouth is so dry.

I’m just . . . sore.

I open one eye and frown. I’m not in my condo. I’m not in my bed.

Where the fuck am I?

And then it all comes flooding back. Meeting my parents for lunch and the concert. Being led away by Preston and his buddy.

Oh fuck, I’ve been kidnapped.

“Don’t panic,” I whisper to myself, and glance around the room. I’m the only one here. “This is quite the storm, Kat. What are you going to do to get yourself out of here?”