Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

M y knee bounces as I check my phone for what feels like the millionth time. Rylee should have gotten here by now. How long does it take to pack a bag to go home for a week?

"Guys." I look up, raising my voice over the loud music. My brows furrow when I see some of Missi's friends giggling, as they hand the guys sitting on the couch across from me another drink. "Guys!"

"What?" Mateo narrows his eyes. "Relax, Colt, have another drink and take the stick out of your ass." His voice is a slur. How many drinks have he and Lennox had?

I've been so busy looking at my phone, waiting for a text from Rylee to let me know she's on her way, I haven't been paying much attention to what's going on around me.

"I'm good," I tell him. I've already had three drinks and I'm feeling a little buzzed, but I don't want to get drunk before Rylee even gets here. "Where the hell is Donny?"

"Fuck yeah!" I hear him cheer. Looking across the room, I see him standing at the beer pong table.

"You guys. It's nearly ten. Rylee still isn't here."

"Really?" Lennox looks at his phone. "Fuck. Has she texted you?" he asks me, then looks at Mateo.

"No," he answers him, looking at his own phone.

"Nothing," I tell him, a feeling of unease casting over me. "Guys, I have a bad feeling."

"I'll try calling her, you go find out from Donny if she's texted him," Lennox says, getting to his feet. He wavers a little before stumbling his way out of the room, probably looking for a quiet place to call her.

"Hey." I grab Donny's shoulder, turning him to look at me.

"What the fuck, man?!" he groans. "I would have made that shot."

"Who cares," I hiss. "Give me your phone."

"Why?" he asks, but digs it out of his back pocket and hands it to me anyway. "What do you need it for?"

I unlock his screen and check his messages. Nothing. "Fuck," I breathe out, that worrying feeling starting to amplify.

"Colton, what the hell is going on?" Donny steps closer to me, snatching his phone back.

"It's Rylee."

His eyes widen and he grabs my shoulders. "What about her? Is she okay? Where is she?" He looks around the room frantically, as if he's expecting her to be here.

"No. She's not here. That's the problem. We've been here drinking for the past two hours. She hasn't shown up. She hasn't texted."

"Fuck." He runs his hand through his shaggy blond hair.

"Come on. Lennox went to see if he could get a hold of her."

Donny follows me as we weave our way through the crowd.

We're just about to make it to the front door where Lennox disappeared to when Missi steps in front of us.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business," I mutter, trying to step around her, but she moves with me. "Missi, I'm not in the mood for your shit tonight. Move."

"God, Colton. You don't have to be so rude. I only asked where you're going? Are you leaving your own party?"

"Listen, sea witch," Donny hisses. "Get the fuck out of our way. My woman is out there somewhere and I need to go find her."

She huffs, rolling her eyes. "Relax, Romeo. I'm sure she's just out fucking one of her thousand boyfriends."

"Fuck you," Donny spits as he pushes past her.

"Watch who you're talking to, Adonis!" she screams, as I follow after him.

We find Lennox and Mateo talking in harsh whispers in the middle of the front lawn.

"Did you get a hold of her?" I ask as we join them.

They both look over at us. "No," Lennox says, casting his eyes over to Mateo. "Went to voicemail."

"I'm going to call Alex. I haven't seen him here yet, maybe he knows where Rylee is." I bring up his name on my contacts.

"No need," Donny says, nodding his head forward.

I look up to see him and Serenity walking toward us.

"Alex!" Donny shouts.

"What's up?" he asks us, his gaze flicking between us all.

"Have you seen Rylee?" Mateo asks him.

"No." His brows furrow. "I left her in the dorm to give her room to pack while I came over here to get ready with Serenity. But we decided to go out for supper so we're running late."

"Fuck!" Donny shouts. "Guys, something isn't right."

"You don't think we don't already know that!" Mateo barks.

"We gotta go." Donny starts toward the cars.

"We can't fucking drive!" Lennox shouts after him. "We've all been drinking."

"Alex, take them. I'll stay here in case she's on her way," Serenity says.

Alex nods. "Okay." He gives her a kiss and looks at us. "Come on."

I feel sick as we all climb into Alex's car. The whole time we're driving, I can't help but think the worst. She better be okay. If she's hurt, I don't know what I'd do.

"Could you drive any slower?!" Mateo snarls.

"Listen, I'm going as fast as I can on campus. You want the campus police to stop us for speeding and keep us longer?"

Mateo says nothing, turning his attention out the window.

Every second that passes, more and more dread fills my veins. Where are you, Rylee?

After what feels like a lifetime, we pull up to Alex and Rylee's dorm. We shove our way out of the car and race toward the lobby.

"Fuck the elevator," Mateo says, heading for the stairwell entrance. We all follow, taking two steps at a time.

Once we get to their floor, Alex steps in front of us and heads to his door. He unlocks it and we all burst inside.

"Rylee?" Donny says her name with too much hope. Because there's nothing. Her side of the room is not packed up like someone going home for the holidays. There's nothing. Her bed is stripped. Her whole side is gone.

"What the fuck?!" Mateo roars.

A little meow sounds from under Rylee's bed. Peaches pops her head out from underneath, looking up at us with her big kitty eyes.

"Shit." Alex bends down and scoops her up. "What the fuck is going on?"

"You tell us!" Lennox seethes. "Where the fuck did she go? What the fuck is going on?!"

"I don't fucking know!" Alex shouts.

A buzzing in my ear rings so loud as a numbness settles over me. Slowly, I walk over to the desk as the others shout at each other.

Sitting there is a piece of paper.

With shaky hands, I pick it up and let my eyes scan over the words.

This was a mistake. I should have just left after the Halloween scare. Don't come looking for me, it won't matter. We're done. I'm done. It's over.

I should have known never to trust a Black Widow, they always have a venomous bite.

— Rylee.

My heart thuds painfully in my chest, nausea swelling violently in my stomach. "She's gone," I whisper, so low that I don't think the others will hear me. But they do.

"What?" Donny asks, snatching the paper out of my hand. "No. No, no, no!" he shouts after reading it over. I stare at the wall, shock filling my veins.

The others go back to shouting and arguing as my mind works overtime.

No. There has to be more going on. The Rylee we know and love, she wouldn't just leave. Not like this. She's so fucking strong. If she had an issue, she would stand up to us, tell us. There's no way she would turn and run without a word.

Something else is going on. And we need to find out what.

You better be okay, baby. We just got you back, and we're not losing you again.

No matter what. I will fight until my damn dying breath for this woman. This note means nothing unless I hear these words straight from her lips.