Page 39 of Escaping the King
“Good,” Asher said into the phone.“That gives us a better timeline.At least we know how long they've been gone for.”
Something sharp stabbed through my gut.
Yeah.
Giselle and Dani had been gone for fucking hours.
“They might've stopped to sleep, Carlo,” Asher said when I didn't respond.“I have my doubts about Giselle driving the entire night.”
I filled my lungs up with some much-needed air.“Let's hope.I'll call you with any more updates.”
After that, I closed my phone and dropped it on the chair.I wanted to sit down, but I couldn't.
The amount of pent-up anger and rage I had inside of me wouldn't allow it.
My phone rang, and I instinctively scooped it up.It was Nick.“Yeah,” I said to my best friend, hoping like hell he had some good news for me.”Nothing,” Nick said, not sparing my feelings.“Yet.I've got everyone on it.”
That should have made me feel better, but it didn't.I wanted to throw my phone again.“Just got off the phone with Asher.I told him Giselle's car was spotted going through a toll in the city at eleven-fifteen last night.”
There was a short pause before he said, “Last night?”Nick confirmed with me.
“Yeah.”
I heard him blow out a burst of air.“Fuck.They've been gone a long goddamn time.”His tone sounded exasperated—which was exactly how I felt.
“I know, man.I know.And I didn't hear a fuckin' thing.I was completely out.”
A forced laugh rushed through the phone at me.“Sex with Giselle can make a man really fuckin' tired, Carlo.I'm not surprised you passed out.”
I strode back to the kitchen, resisting the urge to toss my phone through the kitchen window.My best friend had fucked my fiancée many times.Hell, they had an “arrangement” when his wife was pregnant and Giselle served as his own personal sex attendant.
But right now, I did not want to be reminded of the fact that his dick had ever been within a mile of my woman's pussy.
When I didn't respond, he spoke up again, “We'll find them.I know it seems bleak—”
I cut him off.I couldn't stand to listen to him tell me how this was all going to be fine.
It wasn't.
“And what happens when we do find them?”I snapped, my voice sharp and loud.“She obviously wanted to leave.”I inhaled a deep breath.“She'd fucking planned on it for Christ's sake.”
Nick cleared his throat.“She's got a history we still don't know shit about.Unless she finally opened up to you about it?”
I shook my head even though he couldn't see.“No, nothing.I try not to bring it up.It always sets her into a spiral when I do.”And that was true.Any time I'd ever attempted to learn about her past, she always shut me down.
A sigh and a long, “Mm hm,” filled my ears.“Exactly.The woman's got secrets.I just wish we knew what they were.”
I looked at a drawing on Giselle's fridge.It was littered with Dani's artwork.One piece in particular caught my eye.It was a stick figure drawing of me, Giselle, and Dani.Giselle had drawn the stick figure people, and Dani had added her generous scribbles to it.
I reached out and touched the smooth surface of the picture with my fingertips.Fuck.
I wanted more pictures like that.
I needed more fucking pictures like that.
But with more kids.
“I know.What was I supposed to do?Torture it out of her?She's not one of our informants, Nick.The woman was closed up.Tight.I'm sure if we had a little more time, she would have—”
