Page 76 of Mile High Daddy

“But here’s the problem,” he continues, rolling his whiskey glass between his fingers. “I couldn’t give it up. I tried, for her. For Lila. But you don’t just walk away from this life. I spent years balancing the two worlds, and in the end?” He shrugs. “She left. Took Lila with her.”

I absorb the information, my mind clicking pieces into place.

Her mother’s family.

If they’re as powerful as he’s suggesting, then maybe Lila had help escaping.

Lila’s father leans forward, leveling me with a look. “If you’re smart, you’ll keep that woman breathing. Because if anyone can lure my daughter out of hiding, it’s her.”

I tilt my head.

He’s right.

But he’s also wrong.

Because I don’t need to lure Lila out.

I just need to find her.

And when I do?—

She’ll have no choice but to come back where she belongs.

19

LILA

Mom’s missing.

The thought slams into me like a fist to the gut as I stare at my phone, rereading the last messages I sent her.

Me:Hey, are you okay?

Me:It’s been hours. Please text back.

Me:Mom, I’m worried. Answer me.

Nothing.

The messages sit there, unread. The little delivered tag mocks me, but there’s no sign she’s seen them. I swallow hard, my fingers tightening around the phone as a heavy, cold weight settles in my stomach. She never takes this long to respond.

I try to tell myself I’m overreacting.

That maybe she lost her phone. That maybe she’s just busy.

But deep down, I know better.

Something is wrong.

I pace the length of my small apartment, my sweater pulled tight around me as my mind races through possibilities.

The last time I talked to her, she sounded off.

She had told me to be careful. Told me to find a way out if I could. And now?—

Now she’s gone.

I stop pacing, my pulse pounding in my ears.

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