Page 56 of Wanted

Promising we would be back in an hour, Megan ushered me from theclub.

It was the last thing I remembered before darkness dragged meunder.

~34~

Alek

It was past midnight and I hadn’t heard from Sara yet. Nothing. Nota text or a phone call to let meknowshe was all right. Didn’t sheknow what a mess I would be, leaving me totally in the dark as to what wasgoing on with her? I wasn’t asking her to call me every hour or anything soextreme, but a simple check-in every five hours wasn’t asking too much. Ididn’t think so, anyway.

As I picked up my phone to try her, it rang.Thank God. I glanced down at the name displayed across the screenand my heart picked up speed.

It wasn’t Sara at all.

It was Calvin.

I was still waiting on information about Megan. The strangefeeling I’d been harboring simply wouldn’t go away. Instinctually, I knew therewas more to her story than she revealed to Sara. I was hoping it was somethingsmall, but my gut was telling me I should be wary.

And I always followed my gut when it came to the woman I love.

“Devera,” I practicallyshouted into the phone. I was already pacing back and forth and he hadn’t evenuttered a single word.

“Alek,” he said pensively. “Is Sara with you right now?” Thetremor in his voice made my heart constrict. There was obviously somethingwrong if the first words out of his mouth pertained to Sara’s whereabouts.

“No, she’s not. Why? Tell me what you know.” I was becomingincreasingly agitated, my fear overwhelming me to the point I could barelycatch my breath.

“I did a thorough background check on Megan Smith and at first,there wasn’t anything alarming. She had no priors. Nothing unusual. Until I dugfurther back and realized she changed her name eight years ago.” The silencewas deafening. I had no idea where he was going with his story, but mentioningeight years agoinstantly raised thehair on the back of my neck. “Alek, her name used to be Denise Colden.”

The world spun around me.

There was no way. It had to be a coincidence.Don’t freak out.As much as I tried toconvince myself there had to be another explanation, I knew better.

“Is it her?” I asked, myvoice dripping with worry. “Is Megan Samuel’s sister?”

I knew the answer, but hearing him say it was still a shock.

“Yes.”

All those years before, I’d done my research. I knew everythingabout Samuel Colden, mainly in part due to Calvin’s expertise. I kneweverything about his family, including his sister Denise.Or should I say Megan?I knew his family received death threats forwhat he’d done to Sara. I was assuming it was why she changed her name, but whothe hell knew.

I should have been more persistent in finding out about her. Or atthe very least, I should have asked Matt for Megan’s information immediatelyafter Sara’s refusal.

“I don’t understand, Cal. What could she want with Sara?”

“Not sure. Maybe she blames Sara for her brother’s death? All Iknow is that she changed her name right after he was put away for kidnapping her,probably because her family was receiving death threats.”Bingo. “Their parents passed away a few years back, so Samuel wasthe only family she had left. And now…”

We both knew what came afterandnow.

And now, she blames Sarafor her brother’s death.

And now, she is going toexact revenge.

ButIwas the oneresponsible for killing Samuel. Me. Not Sara. So why not come after me?

A sickening thought rattled my brain as I tried to take ineverything. Shewascoming after me. Bytricking Sara into thinking they were friends, she was going to use her asbait. To get to me.

The realization both infuriated and relieved me. If Megan’s attentionwas truly aimed at me, then Sara would still be alive.

Ifmy hunch wascorrect.

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