Philip eyed the small bag I’d packed and the small cooler whose top was open.

“Looks like you’re getting ready to head out before first light, though,” he observed.

I bit my lip as I copped to my intentions, “I am, Philip. I can’t simply sit here while Aerin is out there ….”

“Then I’ll go with you,” Matt said decisively. “You could need some help out there.”

Philip sighed. “If the wedding hadn’t been tomorrow …”

I shook my head from side to side.

“No, please, you both have been wonderful already. Maybe I should go to Vegas by myself …” I started to protest.

But Matt interrupted me. “Nonsense, Aerin. You realize that this is really, really dangerous now. They took Aerin for heaven’s sake!”

I held up my hand. “That’s precisely why I don’t want any more people getting exposed to danger. I ….”

Matt held me lightly by my shoulders and then cut in again, “Aerin, let me say right now that I absolve you of all responsibility over what could happen to me. Philip’s here to witness that statement. Right, Philip?”

“Heard you loud and clear, Matt,” Philip said and gave me a supportive smile.

I was about to open my mouth again when Philip raised his hand up this time. “Now I think you both should get some rest. I think you’ll have about three hours or so left before you can probably head out with enough daylight out there to make it safe to drive.”

I opened my mouth again but Matt turned me around and pointed in the direction of the bed. “Sleep, young lady!” he said sternly.

I was shaking my head as I grudgingly headed to the bed. By the time I turned around, they’d left my room and had shut the door behind them.

“Aerin,” I whispered her name as I lay back, looking through the picture window at the silent mountain range in the distance. “Stay alive, honey. I promise I’ll find you.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour before we were about to leave for Vegas, the lady in Brom’s firm who I’d spoken to earlier called to tell me that the team had successfully chased the van down and rescued Aerin, but she was being rushed via helicopter to Cedars-Sinai so that they could treat her for injuries she’d sustained when the van veered off the road and turned turtle several times.