Mason (Carter Brothers #2) - Lisa Helen Gray Page 0,84

about to lose my fucking mind over it. I’ve gone out once, driving around the area not believing she’d go so far, but I’ve seen no signs of her.

Dialing Harlow’s number again, I’m about to give up and just call Malik when she finally freaking answers.

“Jesus, who set a light up your arse?’’ my brother greets me, and I growl into the phone.

“Where’s Harlow, jackass?’’ I snap, not having the patience to deal with him tonight. I need to know where Denny is, my stomach is all up in knots and something inside my head is screaming at me that something is wrong. I can feel it. I can feel it right down to my bones.

“She’s in the shower, where I just was before you rudely kept ringing every two seconds,’’ he snaps back.

“So Denny isn’t there?’’

“Bro, I think I’d notice a pregnant chick in that tiny shower with me and the missus,’’ he teases, trying to make light of my dark mood, but it does nothing but piss me off more.

“Shit! Don’t fuck with me Malik; I’m not in the fucking mood. Go check downstairs with Joan. I’m going over to see if she’s at the house.’’

“Where are you then? She could just be at home in bed asleep,’’ he laughs sounding amused at my paranoid, erratic behaviour.

“Cause I didn’t think of walking upstairs you twat. We had some sort of fight. I think it was a fight anyway and she stormed out and she hasn’t been back, Malik. I’m scared something’s happened, I can feel it,’’ I tell him, my voice breaking towards the end.

“Well shit. Maybe she’s just walking off some steam?’’ he offers softly.

“She’s fucking pregnant wearing only a pair of jeans, tank top and a cardigan Malik, she wouldn’t risk hers or the baby’s health.’’

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go downstairs then head next door if she’s not here. You call her Nan and see if she’s heard from her, if not call her dad. Call me if you find her. I’ll be over in a second,’’ he tells me before ending the call.

My body should have relaxed, that somehow saying what I’d been thinking for the past hour and a half would somehow make it all sound ridiculous, but it only makes me feel more anxious.

“Fuck Denny! Where are you?’’ I groan, pulling at the ends of my hair.

When her Nan answers and assures me she’s not with her I call her dad, who sounds just as worried as me, unlike her Nan did.

“Have you gone and looked for her?’’ he asks sounding pissed and worried. I want to bite back at him, telling him not to give out fucking advice when he’s treated her like shit her whole life. Instead, I bite my tongue and just tense my fists.

“Yes Charles, I did. I’m fucking worried. I can feel it,’’ I croak, the feeling of loss suddenly hitting me.

All of a sudden my phone beeps with an incoming call and I look down at the screen.

“It’s Denny, I’ll call you back,’’ I rush out, not entirely sure I finished before answering her call. “Denny? Denny? Where are you? I’ve been so worried. I’m so, so, so fucking sorry,’’ I beg, the tightness in my chest not releasing.

“Denny, babe, talk to me,’’ I plead, but soon shut up when I hear the sound of manic laughing.

“I’m going to have fun with you,’’ a muffled voice snarls, and it sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t figure out where. A woman’s laughter rings through the phone just as a loud scream rings through. All my blood drains from my face, leaving me dazed and weak.

Malik chooses that moment to walk in with Myles and Max, a startled look on his face when I start shouting into the phone.

“Denny? Denny? Baby, answer me,’’ I roar down the phone, breaking down when the call ends suddenly. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!’’

“Bro, calm down, what’s going on?’’

I ignore Max and dial the police on my phone, my eyes watering, a lone tear sliding down my cheek before I have the chance to wipe it away.

“999, What’s your emergency?’’

“Hello, my name is Mason Carter,’’ I explain, rattling off my address before going into the whole argument we had earlier, to the phone call I just overheard.

“Sir, I’ve sent uniform out to take your statement. They will be with you shortly. Please hold tight until then,’’ the woman on the other line tells me, and I want to scream at her to calm down,