Page 59 of Protecting Charity

The couple we were watching slid into their car. I rushed to Vito. Time was of the essence. “Did you see her when you pulled up?”

Vito shook his head. “No, boss.”

Fuck, where did she go? She wouldn’t leave unless it was imperative or someone forced her. But someone would have seen that.

The couple’s car pulled away, and my chest suddenly became heavy, as if a tank parked on my heart. “Vito,” I said in a hushed tone. “I need you to follow that car. Don’t engage. Get their plates and call Nico with it.”

He nodded, slammed the back door, then drove off at a steady pace, doing as I asked. I turned back to find Elias watching me with bewilderment.

“What is going on?”

“Charity. She’s gone.”

“Where did she go? This was all her idea, right? Why would she just leave?”

Elias asked the same questions I was already thinking. She wouldn’t just leave without telling me unless it was necessary. Did this have something to do with the girl? Was there something I was missing?

I stepped back inside with Elias right behind me and scanned the room, noting the Priestess still at her table staring straight at me. Did she know something? She knew I was with her. She told her something that freaked her out to a point I had never seen before. I stalked towards her, ready to find out.

A grin rode her lips until I stopped at the table, and she flipped a card of a dog howling at the moon.

“DaMoon.”

“Do you know where she is? What did you say to her?” I didn’t give a shit what those cards said.

“DaMoon is a representation of your fears and anxiety being projected. Be cautious while making hasty decisions. You don’t have all the answers as you may think you do.” She drew another card but didn’t have time to fuck around. I turned just as she hollered behind me to stop.“DaStrength card. If you want to find her, you need to tame your animal instincts; they won’t help you.”

I stopped in my tracks and wiped my hand down my jaw, covering up the words I wanted to deliver to this woman. “What the fuck do you know?” I spun on her.

“I know only whatdacards tell me, no more.”

“Then, you know nothing.” I scoffed and shook my head while walking away. No wonder she had Charity so shook. I shoved someone out of my way, clearing a path to the front door.

“What’s going on?” the guard asked.

“I’m looking for the woman I was with. She was wearing a black dress. Do you remember her?” I asked with as little hope as possible. How could I expect him to remember everyone that came in?

“She went that way.” He pointed down the sidewalk and towards the woods.

I furrowed my brows with confusion. “Are you sure?” Why the fuck would she go into the woods? And in heels, no less.

“I’m sure. She followed a man around the back.”

My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit as I ran in that direction. I picked up my phone and dialed Max.

Elias placed his hand on my shoulder as I came to a stop at the corner of the house. “What can I do?”

“I don’t fucking know,” I said.

“Hello,” Max said with a chipper attitude that made me instantly seethe. He couldn’t possibly know that something terrible happened, so of course, he would be in a good mood.

“She’s gone; I can’t find her.”

Silence reigned from the other side, poking my irritation further. I didn’t have time to repeat myself. “What do you mean gone?”

“What does it fucking sound like, Max—she’s gone. I mean, she fucking took off somewhere, and I can’t find her. The guard said she followed some man.”

Silence again. It was pissing me off more so than ever before. I ran my hand through my stiff hair and exhaled my agitation. “I’m on it. Give me a moment, and I’ll call you back.”

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