Page 86 of Dangerous Pursuit

“You’re asking for more than that, and you know it. Mom and Dad are coming home eventually, and then I’ll be forced to deal with them.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe it’s time for you to?” I gave up trying to solve their issues a long time ago.

“You’re not helping your case with comments like that,” she snaps.

“Sorry. I’ll do anything, Cici. What’s it going to take? I’ll pay your rent in Bozeman. You can live in my condo while you’re here—it was always better than yours anyway—and I’ll even buy you whatever purse your heart desires.”

“A purse? Think bigger, Jackson—alotbigger. And you’re damn right you’re paying my rent.”

“Does that mean you’ll do it?” I’m afraid to get my hopes up.

She sighs. “Ugh… fine, I’ll do it. Only because I like Mia, though. It has nothing to do with you.”

I laugh for what feels like the first time in weeks. “God, you have no idea how much this means to me. I love you, sis. Seriously, thank you.”

“All right, all right. I must love you, too, if I’m agreeing to this. When do you want me there? I have to wrap up a few things before I leave.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure it’ll take a couple of days to track down the information, and then I’ll need to make arrangements. Is two weeks enough?”

“That should work. You owe me. And Jackson—don’t worry, you’ll find him.”

“I will. It’s just a matter of time.”

The information for my search came within a week. I’m starting at ground zero with Sofia’s family in Puerto Rico. They had to have met her husband at some point; maybe they’ll remember something about him that could help. I’m not leaving any stone unturned. I wish I could have gone right after receiving everything, but I waited for Cici and spent another week refamiliarizing her with the office and all current transactions. Now, I’m ready to get the hell out of here.

I’m looking forward to meeting the guys once more before taking off. Unlike my family, they’ve known everything from day one and are up to speed about my plan to find Roland. Braden helped by giving me two private investigators early on, but both came up empty-handed. I’m sick of relying on other people only to be disappointed.

“Hey, guys.” I greet the three men sitting at the table.

“You all set to head out tomorrow?” Braden asks.

“Packed up and ready to go. I’ve wanted to leave all week, but I had to get Cici up to date first.”

“I can’t believe you convinced her to come back. What did you bribe her with, because I know she doesn’t love you that much.” Eli chuckles.

“I’m pretty sure it has more to do with how much she and Mia hit it off, but there might be a purse involved. I would’ve offered more. I’m just glad she pulled through.”

“I can’t say the same since I’ve seen Lily less this week than I have all year,” Sebastian says sullenly.

“I think that’s the only other reason Cici agreed to come. She’s excited to be here for the wedding. How’s it going, anyway?” I ask. He and Lily are finally tying the knot in September. They had to wait for the venue they wanted. You’d think they could buy anything with all the money the Dubrees have, but what do I know?

“I try to stay out of it as much as possible. The wedding planner I hired has pretty much saved my sanity. Worth their weight in gold.” Sebastian says, holding his beer up before taking a sip.

“Do you have a time limit you’re setting for yourself or a plan for failure?” Braden asks out of the blue, bringing the conversation back to me. He’s the skeptical one of the bunch. Surprisingly, Sebastian has been the most supportive. The scare he had with Lily gives him a level of understanding the others lack. And I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that his onetime competition has a new obsession.

“You don’t tell someone to plan for failure, dumbass,” Sebastian quips.

I answer anyway. “I’ll keep searching until I find him. Failure isn’t an option.”

“Does your sister know that? I thought you told her it would be for a couple of months tops?” Eli asks, concerned.

“If everything goes my way, itwillonly be a couple months. She’ll be fine with Lily here, even if it takes longer. I’m sure some shit’s going to come up with my parents when they get back, though. Keep an eye on her for me. I want to make sure she handles it okay.”

“I’ll check on her and let you know,” Braden offers.

“Definitely not. Stay focused on your next piece of ass, and leave Cici alone. The last thing she needs is a ride on the Bradentrain. I can keep an eye on her. I’ll see her more than Braden anyway since she’s always with Lily,” Eli is quick to add. He can come up with any excuse he wants, but we’ve all figured out there’s more to the story by now.

“Hey, you know she liked me there for a while. Right after I broke up with Layla. If I weren’t so fucked over the breakup, I probably would’ve moved in on that.” Braden’s goading him at this point.

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