Page 95 of Wicked Revenge

"Thank you, we appreciate that," Royal says, as he joins the guys in brief handshakes.

It’s not a bad first meeting– even if it is awkward as hell.

“Well, now that everyone has been introduced, can we go downstairs and bring everyone up to speed together?” I ask, turning to Royal for permission to invade their private space. I don’t expect an issue, but out of respect, I don’t want to just bulldoze over his hospitality.

Royal pulls me into him, leaning down to whisper into my ear. “I told you this morning, this is your home now. You don’t need my permission.”

I can feel heat creeping up my neck and staining my cheeks at his words. He knows just what to say to melt me into a puddle at his feet.

Chapter 47

“Can I see your phone?” Ronan asks Royal, as he pulls out his laptop and sets it up on the table.

We’ve been down in the basement for a little while now. We have all gone over every painful detail we can possibly think of that could help us.

“Sure, you can have access to anything that you think will be helpful,” Royal tells him, handing his phone over. He is sitting in the chair I was in earlier, his legs spread wide, with his elbows on his knees. I know he feels defeated.

Em has been missing almost a year and they’ve made no progress to find her. I don’t blame them, though. With everything on the table like it is now, they’ve had nothing to go on. No solid leads. Not even any half-baked leads. King has done everything in his power to make Em a ghost.

Walking over to him, I step between his knees. “Can I sit with you?”

“Of course, you can,” he tells me, leaning back so I can climb onto his lap, and I run my fingers through his hair gently.

“Get out of your head, Royal. Everyone here knows you have all done everything in your power to find Em. King is the only one to blame here. He kidnapped and kept me hidden away for three years, and no one found me. The best way to hide someone is if no one knows they still exist. No one even knew to look for me.”

“King is an evil bastard, but he’s smart. He’s good at what he does. We’ve been trying to tiptoe around him. Maybe we just have to be smarter if we want to get ahead of him,” I tell him, pulling his head into my chest and stroking his neck.

“And I think we just got him,” Ronan says from his computer. “He got cocky and fucked up.”

“What do you mean?” I ask as Royal stands with me still against him, carrying me to the table where Ronan and the everyone else is.

“The picture he sent of Em has no geographical landmarks in the image, but he missed one very important thing. This picture is geotagged.”

“Ronan, I swear to fucking God. You know I don’t speak ‘techie’. Tell me in words I can understand. What does that mean?” I grit out at him impatiently.

“It means, Little Red, I can pull the GPS coordinates and tell you the exact location this picture was taken,” he says, excitement and self-assurance radiating off him as his fingers fly over his keyboard at lightning speed. “It means we will know exactly where your daughter is, or at least where she was as of yesterday.”

“When?” Royal and I rush out in unison, disbelief and hope at war inside my aching heart.

“How long until we have her location?” Alek questions as Maddox paces the floor in excitement.

“Right now,” He pushes out of his chair and hands Royal his phone back. “This photo was taken right here in Shadow Forest. The time stamp was yesterday morning, so he took this photo while you were on the phone with him. I sent you the coordinates.”

“She’s here? Close?” I cry, scrambling down out of Royals arms. “Let’s go.”

“Not so fast. This was easy. Maybe even too easy. I know I’m not the only one not willing to put your safety at risk if this is a trap. Let us check it out first, Little Red.” Ronan says, and all three of my men nod with him.

“Fuck that, Ro. That’s my daughter. You’re telling me you want me to sit here and twiddle my fucking thumbs like a damsel-in-distress when it’s my daughter. You’ve lost your goddamn mind.”

“No, I’m telling you, this child has been missing for a year. Now suddenly, we show up and find her in the first few hours of searching– something smells fishy. I’m not willing to put Snow’s life at risk, either. I’m only asking you to let us do some scouting first, at least. Just to get an idea of what we are dealing with. Then we will regroup and make the decision together, as a family.”

“He’s right, Rae,” Ella says, taking my hands in hers. “I’m not saying don’t get your hopes up, but let them check it out first. I just got you back. I’m not willing to lose you again because King pulled one over on us. I can’t lose you again. Snow and I will stay with you.”

Looking around the room, my head spins with every possible emotion I’ve ever felt. Anger, pain, soul-crushing grief, but most of all, fear. I’m scared of what will happen if I go with them and she isn’t there. Or worse, if they find her dead. I’m also scared of what will happen if I don’t go and she is there.

I haven’t seen my daughter in two years. She was barely a year old when I lost her. She won’t remember who I am. She isn’t going to run into my arms and cry for the mother she lost that day, too. She will have to get to know me, just as I will have to get to know her again.

I’ve lost so much time with her. Staying behind seems like wasting even more of the precious time I’ve missed with her. But I also know that King could very well have laid a trap for us. I could put everyone in jeopardy if I go.

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