Page 74 of Beautiful Vows

"It looks perfect." Cade swats her ass and gives a satisfied sigh as he stands back. The two of us look at her gorgeous ass, and now all I can think about it is my cock swapping places with the plug.

Chapter 25

Lia

My finger scrolls through the new footage of the night of the police raid, because no matter how many times I scroll through the different feeds, I can't find Amara exiting the club, only of her outside, running down the street.

"Who was Amara with in the club?" I ask Cade when he comes and sits by my side. He's chewing on a delicious smelling rasher of bacon and my stomach growls. "I can't find her inside."

"We had a blackout on some cameras, so I'm not sure. Also, as Amara knows about my facial recognition software, she knows to wear a mask that changes her face so we don't track her."

"How long were the cameras down for?"

My eyes strain as I continue to scroll through the footage.

"You need to eat," he replies instead. "I'll get you something."

"No, stay here. I can't face food at the minute. I'll get something later." My finger moves frantically across the trackpad, rewinding and fast-forwarding through countless hours of surveillance.

“Damn it,” I mutter under my breath, frustration building with each passing second. No matter how many times I review the footage, Amara remains elusive inside the club. It's as if she's a ghost, appearing only when she bursts out onto the street, her face a mask of panic.

I lean back in my chair, rubbing my tired eyes. The smell of Cade's bacon wafts over, making my empty stomach protest loudly. I try to ignore it, focusing instead on my sister.

"How long were the cameras down for?" I ask again, turning to face Cade.

He swallows a bite of bacon before answering. "About thirty minutes. It's not uncommon for the system to glitch occasionally, but the timing was ... convenient. But it was also the same time Rafe was kidnapped, so it might not have been related to Amara."

I frown, turning back to the screens. "Too convenient," I mutter.

As I continue to scan the footage, something catches my eye. I pause, leaning in closer to one monitor. There, parked on the side of the road, is a car. Its headlights are off, but I can make out a shadowy figure inside, waiting.

My heart races as I spot Amara in the distance, her tall, slim form unmistakable even from afar. She's alone, moving quickly down the sidewalk, constantly glancing over her shoulder.

"She is running from someone." I slide my finger over the trackpad to watch her running down the street again. Pointing my finger on the screen, I say, "Why is she looking behind her?"

"It does look suspect," Cade agrees.

I lean closer to the screen, my eyes narrowing as I track Amara's movements. "Wait," I murmur, "where did she go?"

Cade leans in, his shoulder brushing mine as he peers at the monitor. "What do you mean?"

"Look," I say, rewinding the footage slightly. "She turns down this beach access path... and then she's just gone."

We watch intently as Amara's figure disappears down the narrow path leading to the beach. Buildings partially obstruct the camera's view, leaving us blind to whatever happens next.

"How long is she out of sight?" Cade asks, his voice low and focused.

I check the timestamp.

"About five minutes," I reply, a knot forming in my stomach. What could have happened in those five minutes?

When Amara finally reappears, she seems more cautious than before. Her movements are quick but deliberate as she emerges from the beach access, her eyes darting around warily.

"Something's changed," I mutter, more to myself than to Cade. "Look at how she's acting now."

We watch as Amara makes her way back to the road. Suddenly, headlights appear in the distance, and without hesitation, she ducks behind a row of parked cars.

"Smart girl," Cade says approvingly.

---