Free Intercepted by Love: Part Five: A Football Romance (The Quarterback's Heart Book 5) by Rachelle Ayala Page A

and panic later.
    Her fingers itched to text Cade, but it would be no use. The phone they gave her was programmed not to allow her to text or call any number. Besides, he thought she ran off with George. By now, Roxanne and Declan were sure to have gleefully told him everything they’d witnessed, and Cade could at this very moment be hating her and throwing whatever things she left at his house into the trash can—including the ruby red slippers charm she left in the bathroom.
    He wouldn’t hurt Gollie though, but his heart would be one hundred percent broken. He might text her cell phone, or he might not. The FBI agent wouldn’t know how to respond, and it was likely he’d break up with her forever—by a text message she’d never receive.
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    C ade rubbed his face against the furniture and dislodged the strip of dirty T-shirt tied over his eyes. He blinked in the darkness and surveyed the mess around him. Someone was using this place as a drug den since paraphernalia: spoons, syringes, bands, and crinkled pieces of aluminum foil were scattered over every surface.
    Moonlight streamed through the window which was cracked and jagged. Cade scooted up onto the window ledge and rubbed the cloth bands over the broken glass. He missed a few times, stabbing himself, but once he weakened the cloth, he flexed his muscles and tore through the rest of it, freeing his hands.
    Untying his feet was easy. Cade checked the rest of the small house and found it empty. The drug packets on the bookshelf were gone as were the balloons. Not wanting to waste any more time, he locked up the house and walked back to his car.
    He checked his cell phone and texted Andie. Coming back now. She wasn’t here but I ran into Dick. Talk later.
    Traffic was heavy, so he tossed another text to Andie. Hope everything’s packed. We don’t have much time to make the flight.
    She was probably busy getting ready for the trip. He was going to miss her, but her father needed her more. Hopefully his condition wasn’t too serious.
    Cade fidgeted through bumper-to-bumper traffic. An hour later, he finally tore onto his street and jammed onto his driveway, almost crashing into a shiny Prius sitting in front of his door.
    The lights were on inside, and Gollie and Red barked from the backyard. Cade opened the door and rushed in.
    “Andie? Are you ready?”
    “Oh, there you are,” Roxanne said, stepping up from the sunken living room.
    Behind her, Declan stretched. “Took you long enough.”
    “What are you two doing here? Where’s Andie and Bret?”
    “Bret’s sleeping in your room,” Rox said, with a strangely triumphant smile on her face. “Come, let me show you something.”
    Woodenly, he followed Roxanne into the kitchen. She swiped a note from the refrigerator. “We got here right as she was leaving.”
    “Leaving? She caught an earlier flight?”
    “You could say that.” Roxanne patted his arm. “You might want to take a seat, here.”
    She pulled a chair from the table, but he shoved it aside. The note spelled it out. Andie wanted to do her own thing. She hadn’t wanted his help. He’d blown it by overruling her and insisting on making the trip with her.
    “Damn.” He set the note on the counter. “I didn’t want her to fly home by herself, especially since her father took a turn for the worse and she’s recovering from the concussion.”
    “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about her. She wasn’t alone.”
    “Wasn’t alone, what do you mean?” Cade’s brain felt like mush, like time had ebbed to slow motion.
    “She took off with some big, hunky guy.”
    “I don’t believe you.” Cade exited the kitchen, running into Declan. “What are you doing here?”
    “Watching Bret for you.” The actor shrugged, still speaking through gritted teeth. “What’s the matter, you lost Andie?”
    “Shut it.” He tore into his bedroom and checked the bassinet. At least Bret was safely snoring his cute baby breaths. “Why’d she leave? Who was