Page 82 of Desolation

“I’m going to Landon’s.”

“Mari, I honestly have no idea why he isn’t answering. But I think it's in your best interest to stay here.”

“My best interest?” I shriek. “Don’t talk to me about my best interest. You two are keeping something from me and I am going to go find out what.”

Dax grabs my shoulders. “We aren’t keeping anything from you.”

“Bullshit.” I spit in his face.

He sighs, “Fine. We stumbled upon something. I don’t trust anyone that you know and I am worried about your safety. Remember me telling you this was bad. Well, it got worse yesterday. Whatever is going on I don’t want you caught up in. Someone could kill you and not give two shits about it. I am not risking your life.”

“Kill me?”

“I don’t know if Michael is involved in this. I don’t know why he had that file. But I do know that those accounts that deposited funds into your foundation can be linked back to known terrorist groups. I am trying to keep you safe.”

Terrorist groups? What the hell is going on?

“Tell me what you know, Dax.”

He holds up his hands. “That is all I know. We are trying to connect the dots.”

“Then why is Landon ghosting me?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. He worked late last night from what I can tell from his emails. But he didn’t go in today. Jackson told me so.”

Something is wrong. I can feel it. Landon hasn’t stopped talking to me for this long since we first met. “I need to find him.”

“Mari. Please don’t leave.”

“You told me yourself you aren’t sure about what is going on. I’ll be fine.”

“Mariela.”

“No Dax.” I shake my head as I walk to the pool house. “I need to talk to him.”

He runs his hands through his hair. “Fine. But call me when you get there. I want to make sure you are okay.”

“Fine.”

I stomp into the pool house and change before rushing to the garage and jumping into the Jaguar I’ve been driving around.

I get to Landon’s house and park in the garage. But when I get to his door and pound on it for ten minutes without him answering I know he isn’t here. I know he is close since I saw his Jeep in the garage.

If he got sent out into the field for work over whatever the two of them uncovered I know Dax would have told me.

I think about all the conversations I have had with Landon and remember that the beach is his favorite place. It’s where he finds solace.

I jump back in the car and drive the couple blocks to the beach. Trying to find someone on a beach is like looking for a needle in a haystack but my gut tells me he’s here.

I walk the coastline for over an hour before I finally find him.

He’s sitting alone, elbows propped on his bent knees and he stares out into the horizon. Tears crest his cheeks and I can tell from the redness surrounding his dark eyes that he’s been crying for a while.

I sit next to him without saying a word.

I wrap my arm through his before resting my head against his shoulder.

His silent tears turn into guttural sobs as he grabs my hand, clenching it so tight I feel it might break.

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