PLAY WITH FIRE

CHAPTER 44

HOLDEN KINCAIDE

PRESENT TIME

The ringing woke me up from a sleep I had only just succumbed to. I felt around for my phone, sighing when I finally found it. I kept my eyes closed hoping this would be a three second conversation so that I'd be able to go back to sleep with ease. 

"Hello?" I yawned into the phone, already feeling my limbs relax and my eyes roll as I waited for the person to speak. I could hear their silent, shaky breaths through the phone and almost hung up at the thought that it was just a prank caller. 

"Holden?" My eyes shot open as I quickly sat up from Eros' couch I'd been sleeping on. Eros, Schmidt and Dean, the light sleepers they were all woke at the sudden noise I'd made getting up. My pulse raced in my throat at her tone. 

"Scarlett?" The three guys all sat up wide eyed at the name that left my mouth. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I know you probably hate me but...I'm scared" Her silent shaky breaths travelled through the phone, passing through my body until they got to my heart, making it skip a beat. The guys were watching me closely, all awake and alert. 

"Scarlett, where are you? Baby you've gotta tell me where you are" I jumped at the three loud bangs on Scarlett's end of the line, noticing the way she gasped at the sudden sound. 

"Scarlett? Why is the door locked?" I heard Quita yell. My blood ran cold. Scarlett was hiding from Quita. trying to distance herself from her. Something as very wrong and it was clear Scarlett was stuck in the middle of it and frightened for her life. 

"She started talking all this gibberish I couldn't understand-"

"Scarlett-"

"And then she brought up Wyatt and Demetrie-"

"Baby-"

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to do-"

"Scarlett, where are you?" A harsh breath and a sob left her mouth as the door she had locked herself behind continued to bang, Quita getting impatient with her. 

"The cabin park, down by the reservoir" I stood up, quickly grabbing my shoes and pulling them onto my feet. 

"Scar, that's 40 minutes away" 40 minutes wasn't going to do. Anything could happen in that amount of time that I'm away from her. I could just miss her. 

"I know. I'm sorry, I-" More banging made a more terrified sob leave Scarlett's mouth. The sound scared the living shit out of me. 

"Scarlett?" One beat, Two beats, Three beats and no response, but I could still just hear her shallow breathing. Just as I opened my mouth to speak she spoke. 

"Holden, She's got a gun" She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear her. My stomach sank to my feet at the whisper that was followed by a loud bang, and then the line went dead. I jolted up. 

"Scarlett?" I raised my voice, panicking at what the last sound was. 

"Scar?" I pulled my phone from my ear, looking down at my blank screen. 

"Fuck" I snapped, chucking my phone and heading for Eros' key bowl. Every set of keys for every car he owns in his garage laid in the bowl. Schmidt, Eros and Dean were all up and after me as I searched through the bowl. 

"Where are you going?" Dean asked as I ran my hand through my hair. 

"To Scarlett" I replied, grabbing a set of keys and heading for the front door. 

"What? After everything? What about your apart-" I spun on my heels, my wide eyes scanning the guys. 

"Fuck my apartment. Something's wrong and she's off with that friend of hers" My hand had only made it to the door knob when Schmidt spoke up.