The Trouble With Lust by T.M. Cromer

Author:T.M. Cromer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TM Cromer

Chapter Seventeen

When the call came in, Shonda hadn’t been sleeping. Oddly enough, it wasn’t because of the decision to end it with Mason. No, she was confident in her course of action regarding him. While it wasn’t any less painful to make the correct decision, now that she’d cried her eyes out, she could work on forgetting and moving forward.

Tonight she was uneasy on Erica’s behalf. For whatever reason as Shonda tossed about, attempting to catch some shut-eye, her mind had been plagued with thoughts of her bestie. It wasn’t surprising she hadn’t received a text or call detailing Erica’s first real date with Zack. Shonda figured if they’d gotten busy, it was par for the course. Yet, the urgency to speak with Erica was overwhelming.

As Shonda picked up her cell to whip up a short text, it rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but she had a compulsion to answer. “Hello?”

“Shonda? Hey, this is Zack.”

Concerned she sat straight up in bed. “Hey. Is everything all right?”

“Erica and I had a fight tonight.” Even through the phone she could hear him swallow. “Shonda, I’m not asking you to give up any confidences or anything, but have you heard from her? She left the hotel, and I can’t find her. I’ve driven around town, trying to think of all the places she might have gone. I’ve even checked the hospitals.” The hysteria in his voice was escalating. “If she isn’t with you…”

Nothing more needed to be said. Erica, knowing a whacko was on the loose, would never not check in with Shonda. She would also have stopped by to rant or cry out her heartache after the fight she’d had with Zack.

Shonda was suddenly terrified for her friend.

“I’m on my way, Zack. Are you at home?”

He confirmed he was, and she broke speed limits to get there. His house was crammed full of people; the police, his brothers, and now her. She walked in on Zack having a meltdown. Not that she blamed him.

“Why are any of you still here? Go out and do your fucking jobs!” he yelled in the face of the officers. His hands gripped his hair, ready to pull it out in his frustration.

Officer Bucky Whitmore slammed a hand into his chest, shoving him back a step. “Zack, you need to calm the fuck down.”

The surprise of the push and the authoritative tone had him acceding to the order. Zack searched the faces of the officers in the room, what he saw must have calmed him somewhat.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He walked to each officer and shook their hand. “I really do appreciate what you are doing. I’m…”

Shonda was reminded again how very lucky Erica was to be the recipient of Zack’s love. He was a warrior with a cause. He intended to find his lady fair. If it weren’t so terrifying that Erica was missing, likely in the hands of a nut-job pyromaniac, Shonda would have found it exceedingly romantic.

“We’ll find her, man,” Bucky promised, raising a hand to clasp his shoulder.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.