Page 88 of Fallen Stars

Tymber narrows his gaze. “Not a word of this in the paper.”

“Ever?” Phoebe asks incredulously.

Inhaling a slow, deep breath, Tymber pinches the bridge of his nose. “Not untilIgive the all clear.”

Phoebe hooks her arm with Delilah’s, gives her girlfriend a soft smile, then turns her attention to Tymber and nods. “Won’t be a problem.”

“Then welcome to the team.” Tymber turns his attention my way. “Do you mind bringing them up to speed?” He turns back to his task before I answer.

For the next hour, I share what we know about Levi’s work and what he discovered. With each new revelation, I witness the color drain from Delilah and Phoebe’s faces. When I finish, I glance up and wait for them to say something.

Delilah remains stoic as her eyes roam over papers and photos on the table. Phoebe, on the other hand, has regained some of her strength. I study her expression and can’t deny the hope I feel at seeing her steely determination.

Bringing them into the fold was the right move.

“Where do you want me?” Phoebe asks.

I hand her a stack of files. “These are the most recently reported cases before Levi was taken.”

Without a word, she takes the folders, ambles over to an empty spot on the floor, and starts sifting through the contents.

Delilah rises from her seat and takes a step toward Phoebe. She pauses as she passes me and meets my weary gaze. “We will find him, Ollie.” And then she joins Phoebe on the floor.

August 5th

I will never give up on finding L, but I hate to admit I am starting to lose hope. It’s been a month since I last touched him, hugged him, kissed him. I miss the deep baritone of his voice. I miss the way I came to life under his touch and how it never felt like enough. I miss the way his bright blue eyes watched me, as if he feared forgetting one of my features. But most of all, I miss him. So fucking much. It’s never been so damn hard to breathe or focus or move forward. Without him, there isNOforward. He is my future, my soul, forever moje srce.

Thankfully I had enough sense to ask for more help today. And those extra eyes and hands… they may be exactly what we need to find him.

Until you’re in my arms again L, I won’t stop. Not ever.

TWENTY-FIVE

LEVI

Day Fifty

“In the shadows, we hide,”I murmur to myself as I scratch the same spot on the wall over and over. “Until every star falls.”

A stab of pain shoots up my finger to my wrist and along my forearm, but it’s bearable compared to the countless other afflictions I’ve experienced in this cell.

So I ignore it.

I go back to scraping the wall.

Moisture coats the tip of my finger and I bring it to my lips. I drag my sandpaper tongue over the wetness. Taste something metallic and cringe. Pull the finger from my mouth and go back to my task on the wall.

“In the shadows,” I repeat again and again, the words almost inaudible.

A tug at the tip of my finger, followed by a soft ripping sound and a fresh shock of pain, makes me hiss. I pop my finger back into my mouth and suck, only to realize my fingernail has detached from the nail bed.

The backs of my eyes sting as a shiver rolls throughout my body. Finger still between my lips, I pin my hand to my mouth with the other. I close my eyes and hum the words that have been swirling in my head for days. Familiar yet foreign words. I rock back and forth on the concrete and let the strange melody in my head soothe my pain.

It doesn’t last long, though. It never does.

Music roars to life and I yank my finger from my mouth.

Digging my bony heels into the floor, I shove myself as far into the corner as the chains attached to my cuffs and shackles allow. I draw my legs to my chest and hug them as best I can with my arms. The cuffs hang loosely on my wrists but are not slack enough to slide free. Every bone in my body complains as I fold myself in half and crush my femurs to my rib cage.

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