Page 97 of Second Chance for Mr. Alden

Alden

Ijuggled the multitudeof bags in my arms and opened the door. As I dropped them on the floor and put our takeout containers on the island, I could smell Jess’s lingering perfume in the air mixing with other spicy scents from the dinner I’d picked up from our favorite Indian restaurant.

“Jess,” I called out, surprised she didn’t greet me at the door. Lately, she’d decided running at me full speed and jumping into my arms was fun. As much as I grumbled about it, I secretly loved it. I loved having her curvy body wrap itself around me, her lips peppering kisses down my neck, the feel of her lush ass in my hands.

My cock decided it liked the memories too as it hardened and pressed uncomfortably against my zipper. “Hey, Jess?”

Where was she? I tapped out a quick text message on my phone, thinking maybe she’d gone to Greta’s. Or perhaps she was waiting for me in the bedroom. I smiled as I strode quickly forward, pushing the door wide open.

The bedroom was empty.

That familiar tingle started at the base of my neck warning me something wasn’t right. “Jess, this isn’t funny.” I checked my phone.

No response.

I headed back to the kitchen. We had a little notepad stuck to the refrigerator. If she’d run out, she’d have left me a note. I ran the remaining distance. My heart pounded in my chest, and my skin grew tight, while dread gnawed at my insides.

No note, but the top page had been ripped off. I didn’t remember it being left like that earlier. Jess would always tear off any extra pieces at the top if the page had been ripped out unevenly. And gave me shit for it if I didn’t do the same.

I slowly turned, my eyes taking in the nearby empty countertop, and then the island. A small piece of paper stuck out from under the food bag. I snatched it, reading Jess’s note.

What the hell was she thinking going off without me? I crumbled the piece of paper, ready to toss it in the trash, but instead shoved it into my pocket.

I needed to figure out where the hell she’d gone. I dialed Jess’s number, ready to smash my fist through a wall when I got the generic voicemail message.

I paced in the small space, my muscles tensing with each second that passed. I dialed Gage next.

He picked up on the first ring. “Alden, fuck man.”

Alarm skittered down my spine, my hand clenched tight around the phone. “Where the fuck is Jess, Gage?”

“Jess? What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about?” The tingle in my neck traveled over my entire body. I wanted to scratch and scratch at it until the skin was raw and bleeding.

“It’s Lexi. She disappeared. She gave me the slip about forty minutes ago. I tracked her phone to the Monroe building in the downtown area, but when I got here, she wasn’t anywhere in sight. I think someone turned the tracker off her phone after they left here.”

“Fuck!” I yelled, curling my hand into a fist.

A loud knock sounded at the door and then Paul popped his head in. “I need to talk to you,” he said.

I gritted my teeth. “Not now, Paul. It’s not a good time.”

“It’s about, Jess.”

“Hold on, Gage.” My eyes laser focused on Paul. “What about her?”

“About twenty minutes ago she came tearing over to our house, demanding Greta take her to the airport.”

If Jess was heading to the airport, then it meant that she was flying back home to get Lexi. I rubbed at my forehead, trying to make sense of it all. “Did she say where she was flying to?”

“No, and Greta just called to let me know she was on her way back. Jess looked shaken.”

Gage piped up. “Ask him what airline she took. I can pull the flight plan.”

“Did Greta or Jess say which airline she booked?” I asked.

“It wasn’t a commercial flight. Jess booked a private plane with Jet Ahead. I don’t think she told Greta where she was going though.”

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