Page 73 of Can You Take It?

Did I, though? I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?

The lawyer guides me toward Victor. “Let’s get you to a safer place. We’ll sort this out, legally and sensibly.”

I nod, forcing myself to move away from Richard. Over my shoulder, I see the hurt, disappointment, and anger in his eyes. It tears me apart, knowing it’s taking everything in him to stop himself from grabbing me and locking me back in his house. And if he did, I’d willingly let him.

That’s why I have to let him go.

Because I’minlove with him.

Chapter 21

RICHARD

My blood is boiling, and I can feel the anger pulsating through my veins like a fucking inferno. I can’t believe I let it get to this point, that I lied to Izel. She deserved better, and now, everything’s in shambles. Luna’s still missing, Izel’s pissed, and I’m left holding the bag of my own mistakes.

“Everything okay, Rick?” Colton shoots me a look.

Okay? No, everything’s far from okay. I’m a fucking mess, and I’ve dragged everyone down with me.

“No, Colton, everything’s not fucking okay.”

“What’s going on? What do we need to do?” Emily chimes in.

I take a deep breath, keeping the rage in check. “First, locate Luna’s phone. She might be using it or something. We need to find her.”

Emily furrows her brows, typing away at her computer like her life depends on it. After a moment, she looks up.

“Her phone was last tracked at your house, Rick. Since then, there’s been no activity—it’s been turned off.”

My grip tightens on the edge of the table, and without thinking, I slam my fist onto the wall. The frame with all our notes and plans crashes down, like my whole fucking world.

“Fuck!” I curse.

Colton’s eyes widen, and he steps forward. “Richard, man, calm down. Losing your shit won’t help Luna.”

I shoot him a look that says, “Easy for you to say.” But he’s right. Losing my cool won’t fix anything, won’t bring Luna back.

I take a deep breath, collecting myself. “Sorry, Colton. It’s just... everything’s a mess. I fucked up with Izel, Luna’s missing, and I don’t know where to start fixing this shit.”

Colton puts a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. First, let’s focus on finding Luna. We can deal with the rest later.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I glance at Emily, who’s still staring at the mess on the floor. “Emily, any other leads? Anything we can use to track Luna down?”

She shakes her head, her eyes going back to the computer screen. “Not yet, but I’ll keep digging.”

“Noah, any word from forensics yet? I need those reports on the letters.”

Noah nods and steps out for a moment. He comes back with a manila. “Got ’em right here.”

He hands it over, and I waste no time ripping it open. I spread out the reports on the table. The names jump out at me, each one a victim, each one tied to the blood in those letters. But when I get to the last one, my heart fucking stops.

Luna.

It’s a match for her blood.

I do my damndest to keep my shit together, but the room tilts, and I feel like I’m about to lose it. My grip on the table tightens,and every instinct I have is telling me to smash everything in this goddamn office. I can’t fucking breathe.

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