Axel stood in front of Raelynn's apartment building, his jaw clenched as he stared up at the darkened windows. The air smelled of rain, damp concrete, and the faint scent of cigarette smoke lingering from the nearby alley. He had been here before—more than once—but today, the place felt different. Emptier.
Raelynn was gone.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. This was the last place she lived before she vanished. He had checked all her usual spots, called her phone more times than he cared to admit, but there was nothing. Just silence. Axel wasn't a man who panicked easily, but something about this situation sat wrong with him, like a jagged knife twisting in his gut.
His fingers twitched at his side. His instincts told him she was in trouble. His fingers twitched at his side, his mind pulling him toward a single, uncomfortable thought.
What if she's with Elion?
Axel's stomach dropped at the idea. Elion. That name alone had always made his skin crawl.
