Page 65 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“I’m guessing he didn’t know that, Nico.”

“Oh gosh.” He paused. “It’s been a while.”

The thudding in my chest quickly replaced the ringing in my ears, drowning out the high-pitched sound with the raging thump. I clenched my fist.

I should have been grateful she ran off, but I wasn’t. There wasn’t a part of my body that didn’t want her dead now. I’d bury her right next to Charity’s traitorous brother so they could spend eternity in Hell together.

“Help me find her,” I said, grinding my teeth as if asking for help was the hardest thing I’ve had to do.

The sun dipped, casting ominous shadows across tombstones as far as the eye could see.

“Anything you need. Just let us know.”

I nodded and pulled out my phone, showing him an updated picture of Adelaide with her black hair.

“Oh… that’s Adelaide,” Charity said, laughing as if there was a joke I didn’t understand. “I saw her hobble off that way.” She turned and pointed towards the road. “Like twenty or thirty minutes ago.”

“Which direction?”

“Towards the road… I just said that… and pointed.”

That’s it, I’m swearing off women.

I clenched my teeth and sent the image to Nico. “I need everyone looking for her. Anyone you can spare. Get the word out.”

“No problem,” he said, tugging his phone out.

Charity’s phone dinged in her pocket. “I’ll send it to some people around,” she said. “Do you want my dad to put out aBOLO?”

“No.” I shook my head. “This needs discretion. There are mercenaries after her. But if they think she’s taken off on me, our deal is over...”

“How does she have such enemies at her age?” Nico asked, shaking his head.

I scoffed. Because she’s a hardheaded nineteen-year-old girl who thought she had the competence to piss people off and not face the repercussions.

“She got caught up in the wrong crowd.”

“I’ll talk to Max, and we’ll get out there,” Charity said, walking around the Porsche I should’ve recognized when we arrived.

“I need to drop Becca off at the hotel.”

“Meet at our place when you’re done,” Nico said. “I’ll send you the address.”

“Thanks.” I hopped into my rental and sped off backward, then switched it into drive and went around his car.

“What happened, Jake? Where did she go?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

But when I find her, I’d make her regret ever looking in my direction.

18

BythetimeI’dfinished my phone call with my mother, the sun’s rays filtered through the buildings onto the streets below. Her desultory cries wrecked me, making me beg for her forgiveness with everything I had until we’d both shed tears.

She’d never understand how much it killed me inside to hear her cry over me—for all the stress, worry, and heartache I’d caused. And a small part of me hated Jake for all of this. They never had to be involved.

Mom urged me to come home, saying we’d work it out, but she didn’t know how much trouble I was really in. Besides, I couldn’t continue sitting around Jake’s home waiting for the other shoe to drop.

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