Page 75 of Beautiful Vows

I nod, pride mingling with worry, because I know her outcome. My sister has always been street-smart, but seeing her need to use those skills makes my heart ache, especially as for some reason she didn't the next time.

The car passes slowly, its headlights sweeping across the area where Amara is hidden. For a moment, I hold my breath, irrationally fearing that somehow, this is the moment she runs into the road and gets knocked over.

But it isn't.

Once the vehicle is gone, Amara remains crouched behind the cars for several long seconds. She's clearly waiting, listening, ensuring the coast is clear.

Finally, she emerges from her hiding spot. With one last sweeping look around her, she darts across the road, her figure quickly swallowed by the shadows on the other side.

"What happened on that beach?" I wonder aloud, rewinding the footage once more to the moment she disappears down the access path. "What made her so much more cautious when she came back?"

Cade doesn't answer immediately, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "I don't know," he says finally, "but whatever it was, it spooked her."

I nod grimly, a chill running down my spine. Whatever Amara encountered during those missing minutes, it was the beginning of something bigger. Something that led to her disappearance.

"She was spooked in the club," I add.

"But that could be the cops. Her and friends are running. Maybe one was underage."

I nod. "We need to find out what happened on that beach," I say, determination hardening my voice as I stare at the black screen. "It might be the key to everything."

Suddenly, a car's headlights flare to life, twin blades cutting through the darkness. My breath catches in my throat as the vehicle lurches forward. Speeding up, its engine roaring as it hurries towards my sister.

"Cade!" My voice is tight with urgency as I grab his forearm. "Look at this!"

I feel him lean against me. Together, we watch as the car bears down on Amara. She crosses the road, her heels in her hand as the distance between them shrinks rapidly.

Her arms wave in the air. My eyes widen. "She's trying to flag the car down."

"Fuck, it's getting closer and faster!"

I nod, my eyes widening as I watch the car suddenly speed up towards Amara. My heart races, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

"No, no, no," I mutter, leaning forward, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. "Jump." But I already know the outcome.

Cade tenses beside me, his breath catching audibly as we witness the unthinkable.

The car slams into Amara, the impact sending her slender frame flying. She hits the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop, motionless. There's no sound, but I sense the sickening thud echoing in my ears.

"Oh God," I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth. "Amara!"

We watch, frozen in horror, as a dark figure emerges from the car. The person moves with an eerie calmness, approaching Amara's prone form deliberately.

"They're checking on her," Cade says, his voice tight with tension. "It must have been an accident."

But something doesn't feel right. "They were speeding."

"Drunk … maybe. Trying to escape the police."

But when the figure leans down, obscuring our view of Amara. We can't see what they're doing, can't tell if they're helping her or not.

"What are they doing?" I whisper.

Before Cade can respond, the figure straightens up and, with no sign of urgency or distress, returns to the car. They get in, and the vehicle pulls away, leaving Amara lying motionless on the street.

"They ... they just left her there," I say, disbelief and rage warring in my voice. "They hit her and then just drove away!"

Cade's hand comes to rest on my shoulder, a gesture of support that does little to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. "Lia," he breathes, "we need to stay focused. Can you zoom in on the license plate?"

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