Page 122 of Desolation

Her hands are on my back within minutes, holding the ice to my bruised shoulder. I look at her as the moonlight hits her face. She is fucking gorgeous. But I know I can’t be with her. I have to let her go. I drift off from the pain as her hands give me comfort.

* * *

I wake up a few hours later. Mari is passed out on the end of the couch still in her gown. Her head rests against the armrest while she is curled up in a tight ball. I stretch and roll my shoulder, the pain almost gone. I lift Mari into my arms and carry her into one of the bedrooms. I am sure she told the guys she didn’t want to leave my side but there is no way I am letting her sleep on the tiny couch.

She wakes as I set her on the bed. “What’s going on?”

“I am just getting you somewhere more comfortable.” I walk over to the dresser and pull an old t-shirt out. I sniff it and luckily it doesn’t smell musty. Who knows the last time this safe house was used. “Put this on.”

She grabs the shirt from me and sets it on the bed while she struggles to get the zipper open on the side of her gown. I push her hands away and shift the fabric it was stuck in, freeing the zipper. She pulls the one shoulder off her body and pushes the dress over her hips. I swallow at the sight of her body. Her full breasts showing in the moonlight.

She steps out of the dress and into me. “Landon, what’s going to happen?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I need to check with the guys. See what’s happened since I fell asleep.”

Her hand cups my face but I pull away. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I say shortly. “You need to get some rest.”

She grabs my hands and puts them on her bare hips but I tear them away. “I’ll wake you when I find out anything.”

“Landon.”

I know she is standing naked behind me, wondering why I am being cold but I can’t let her in anymore.

I walk out of the room, closing the door behind me, and head to the kitchen. Mark and Ben are both slouched in chairs.

“Any news?”

“Nothing.” Mark says as he rubs his face. “No one at the party even noticed the two of them went missing. No one saw anyone with guns.”

“Well, it was near the end of the night. Most people there were drunk.”

“Charlie and David tried recovering security footage but the cameras went out around nine thirty,” Ben adds.

“Did they see anyone new that came in around that time? Before the cameras cut out?”

Mark flips a laptop around to me. “Michael Waters and his father showed up. That was the only thing we saw.”

“It could be them. Mari said Michael threatened her. That this would all go away if she didn’t go through with the divorce.”

“It makes sense. They could have been a distraction to whoever they are working with.”

“What about Rebecca?”

“I can’t find anything. Neither can Charlie and David,” Mark cuts in. “Ben saw her leaving to use the restroom but never saw her come out.”

“There was only one way to the restroom,” I say.

“She used a different one. The staff restroom. I couldn’t wait in the hall but David was on camera. He never saw her exit the bathroom.”

“Was the video footage on loop?”

“More than likely.”

“Fuck. Don’t tell me it was her the whole time. Her and Mari were so close. She knew everything.”

“We don’t know yet, Stud,” Mark sighs. “We just need to find—”

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