I eventually went inside, but I didn’t sleep.
Sleep felt irresponsible.
Instead, I leaned against the bar and stared at nothing while my mind replayed every moment from the last time I’d seen Clove.
She’d been laughing.
That was the part that stuck with me.
Laughing like nothing bad could touch her.
I sat at the bar for hours.The clubhouse was quiet, while all I could do was worry.
At eight, a message from Wrecker came across my phone.Church now.
At least he wasn’t waiting till later.I headed down the hallway and was the first in the room.
The room filled slowly.
Wrecker stood at the front, with his arms crossed, his presence steady.“We’re still waiting on callbacks,” he said.“We don’t move blind.”
Freak stood near the wall, his jaw tight, hands clenched so hard I could see the strain in his forearms.He hadn’t said much since Clove went missing.Didn’t need to.The silence around him said enough.
“How long are we gonna wait?”I asked.
The room stilled.
Wrecker’s gaze snapped to me, sharp.“As long as it takes to do this right.”
“Right doesn’t matter if she’s gone,” I shot back.
“She’s not gone,” he said firmly.
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes,” he said, voice hardening, “I do.”
I leaned forward without realizing it, something tight and restless crawling under my skin.“Then why aren’t we moving faster?”
“Because rushing gets people killed,” Wrecker replied.“And that includes her.”
Freak pushed off the wall, finally speaking.“We find her,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.“One way or another.We have to keep looking.”
Wrecker nodded.“We will.”
I clenched my fists, and my nails bit into my palms.“And if we don’t?”
The question hung there, ugly and heavy.
Wrecker met my eyes.“We will.”
The finality in his tone shut me up, but it didn’t calm the storm inside me.
Church ended without ceremony.
People filtered out in small groups, voices low, tension thick.Freak left with Carnie, his arm tight around her shoulders.Basil followed close behind them, his face pale and drawn.
I watched them go, something cold settling in my chest.