Page 46 of Begin Again
What kind of question is that? He knows I haven’t heard from Nick. My face must say everything I’m thinking, because Luke doesn’t hesitate to get the hell out of dodge, walking out of my office without me having to ask. When the door clicks behind him, I ask, “Why are you asking if I’ve heard from my husband? He’s withyou.”
“Shit.” My brother sighs.
“Sputalo fuori,”I say between clenched teeth.Spit it out.“Enough of the fucking games, Kai. What is going on?”
“Nick is…missing.”
My initial reaction is to laugh. This is a terrible joke. It’s not even funny, because obviously, he’s joking. What does that even mean?Nick is missing.
“That’s funny, Kai.” I chuckle. “Now, let me talk to my husband.”
“Nin, I’m serious.”
“Kai, this isn’t funny anymore. Let me talk to my husband.Proprio adesso.”
My brother remains silent on the other end.
“Rightnow, Kai. I’m not—”
“Nina, I’m sorry.” He sighs. “I’m so sorry. I don’t—I don’t know what happened.”
“I’m on my way.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
April 2028
“KAI JAMES VILLA, WHERE thefuckare you?” I walk through the door of our Haven home at seven o’clock on the dot the next morning. I wanted to be here sooner, but I had to pick Elena up and take her to Michaela’s condo so her grandfather, Jimmy, could get her this morning. He and Tessa are taking her down to Florida for the week, which gives me time to figure out what’s going on before I have to explain anything to her.
I struggled to hide my feelings from my daughter before I dropped her off at Michaela’s, but it helped that Elena was exhausted from a long day at the zoo and then the park. I don’t think she noticed something was wrong. At least, I hope not. When we walked into Michaela’s, she crashed on the couch, but Michaela had just gotten off the phone with Finn and was doing her best not to freak out. The severity of the situation was starting to hit everyone. One of our own was missing and no one knew where he was. Before I left, Michaela told me she had plans to join me in Haven as soon as Jimmy arrived to get Elena.
Walking through the mudroom into the kitchen, I find all the guys stationed at various places, a mixture of emotions playing across their faces—some pity, some fear, others sadness…and some a mix of all three. They look like hell, like they haven’t slept in days.
Good.
“Does anyone want to tell me what is going on?”
“Nina—”
Alex cuts him off. “We don’t know.”
My glare doesn’t waver as it moves from my brother to my brother-in-law. Alex is the reason they’re all here in the first place. This week-long trip was forhisbachelor party.
“You don’t know?” Each word is perfectly enunciated.
Josh steps forward, hand extended like he’s going to offer a comforting hand, but I shrug him off. I don’t want their comfort. I want to know what is going on. I want facts.
“How long has he been gone? Where did he go? Did he leave a note? Someone doesn’t justdisappear!”
Finn takes hold of my hands and bends to be eye level with me. “Nina, we understand, and we’ve spent the past two days looking for him. But we can’t—”
“Due giorni?” I yell.Two days?“Two fucking days! So, today makes it what…Three? Youidiotiwaitedtre fottuti giornito tell me my husband is missing?”
This is unbelievable. Why would they wait three days to say something? What the fuck is wrong with them?
The silence afterward is maddening. The eight of them look at one another before my brother finally speaks up.
“I thought we would find him,” Kai says. “I thought…Well, I just…I thought he went for a run or something and would be back. But…”
