Page 41 of Yours To Keep
I knownothing I say to her will ever heal the pain her mother causes. Not until she decides enough is truly enough and stops believing the lies. I want to run after her, to slap that bitch mother of hers in the face right here in front of all these people. But I know that wouldn’t help the situation at all, so I choose to give her a little space. At least for a few minutes.
“Maybe we should-” Ember starts, but I give her a sharp shake of my head.
“Just give her a little time.” I say, a sick feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. “I’ll go in a minute.”
Ember nods and curls into Eli’s shoulder. The party goes on, as if Magnolia’s mother didn’t just derail the entire evening. Fireworks explode over us and the crowd oohs and ahhs over the colors painting the sky. Across the pool deck, Magnolia’s mother wraps a hand around her father’s arm, playing the perfect doting wife.
Magnolia has told me the fireworks are her favorite part of this party at least a dozen times. She wouldn’t want to miss this.As much as I want to give her the space she obviously needs right now, I can't let her wallow alone.
“I’m gonna go find my girl. Be right back, keep an eye on her mom,” I say, and Eli nods back to me.
I take the wide staircase two steps at a time, tension building in my stomach. I can’t explain why I have this feeling that something bad is gonna happen tonight, I just do. I’m not sure which room is Magnolia’s, but I’ll check them all if I have to. It’s eerily silent on the second floor, so I just check the first room I come to. The door swings wide to reveal a study with one wall lined in bookshelves. I imagine this is probably one of Magnolia’s favorite places in this house, but it’s not where I find her, so I move on. The door to the next room is slightly open and I see light peaking through from the other side.
“Angel? You in here?” I ask, pushing the door open.
This is definitely Magnolia’s room. Touches of her personality surround me, and I breathe in the soft scent of her shampoo.
“Magnolia?” I call out, thinking maybe she’s in the bathroom or something.
Silence.
A light wind blows through the open balcony doors and panic grips my spine. Equal parts fear and anger flood my body. Where the fuck is my woman? She wouldn’t run, would she? I know she’s been so overwhelmed with everything that’s been going on. But she seemed so sure when we got here tonight, so strong. I can’t imagine the heinous things her mother said to her tonight, but she knows how dangerous our lives are right now. She fucking knows better than to disappear.
The only explanation I can think of is the last thing I want to imagine right now. Peering out her balcony doors, I can see down the side of the house to the driveway. The spot where I parked Magnolia’s car is empty. Someone took her from me.
Rushing back downstairs, I bump into several party goers on the way, not wasting time with the pleasantries of saying sorry. I search the crown outside for my friends, needing to cling to some kind of hope. Breaker’s eyes clash with mine across the pool and he mumbles something to the rest of the group. They meet me halfway, urgency and worry blanketing their faces.
“She’s gone,” I say, and they understand what I mean.
“Which way?” Break asks, looking to every entrance for security cameras. “I can hack this system. I just need my laptop.”
“Where is her fucking mother?” I ask, and we all scan the crowd.
There’s no sign of her anywhere. Magnolia’s dad talks happily to a man watching the fireworks show next to him, completely oblivious to the danger surrounding him. I pity him, honestly.
Once we make our way back to our cars, Breaker opens the back of Rory’s Bronco, revealing a much smaller version of the massive setup he has back home. Of course, this guy would have a mobile command unit.
“You never know when somebody’s gonna get kidnapped. Especially in this fucking group,” Breaker says, logging into his programs.
“I didn’t see her phone or anything else in her room, so I hope she still has it on her,” I comment, but he’s already one step ahead of me. He’s halfway into the phone provider on one screen and hacking the home security system on another. I trust my friends will do anything and everything necessary to bring her back safely, but the pit in my stomach grows with every passing second she’s not in my arms. I need to see her, need to feel her to truly know she’s safe.
“Whoever took her was smart enough to disable the GPS in her phone. It’s not transmitting anything.” Breaker says.
“We all know who took her. That’s no secret, guys,” Everett says, stating the obvious.
“Well, here’s your proof,” Break says, pulling an image up on the left screen.
Aaron has Magnolia at gunpoint, one hand pushing the pistol into her ribs and the other wrapped so tightly around her upper arm, I can see her wince.
This motherfucker put his hands on my woman. He will die for that, along with the long list of other bullshit I already want to kill him for. But right now, my only focus is on bringing her back to me.
“Her car. Hack into her LoJack, Break. If anyone was gonna make such a stupid mistake, it’s Aaron.” I suggest, and everyone nods. My friends share looks of fear and pity, worry and anxiety, and I don’t have the energy to confront anything I’m feeling inside right now.
I will burn this town and everyone in it to the ground to find her.
twenty-four
Tears slideslowly down my cheeks as I huddle into myself on the floor of the empty beach house, but I don’t dare make a sound. Aaron paces back and forth in front of the wide windows framing the back side of the house. It reminds me so much of my parent’s house just a few miles down the beach, but this space is cold and empty. I can hear him mumbling to himself, and the thought of an unhinged man with a gun deciding the fate of my future makes my heart pound harder and harder in my chest.
