Page 160 of Severed Rivalry
“I’m on my way.” He clicks off.
One day my brother will learn phone etiquette. That’s a lie. He says more than he wants as it is. He has no desire for pleasantries.
I make my way into the bedroom. I sit on the edge of the bed on Sariah’s side after slipping on some sneakers and a clean tee.
“Angel?”
She stirs and extends a hand.
“Sariah, I need you to wake up.” I rub her shoulder.
Her eyes drift open, and she looks around as if she’s confused.
“Why are you over here? And why are you dressed?”
My palm on her shoulder flexes. “I need to run out. Liam will be here while I’m gone.”
“Your brother doesn’t need to babysit us.” She sits up. “Why does he need to be here, and where are you going?”
“For my peace of mind, Angel. I want to know you’re safe.”
She grabs her phone off the nightstand. “It’s nearly one in the morning. Where are you going?”
“Rosie’s. Ruth ran away. I’m going to try to find her.”
Her eyes close, and her head drops. “She’ll be so lost.”
“Right.”
“And so scared.” Her head whips up. “I should go with you.”
“Renée needs you. And I will be more focused if I know you’re both safe.”
“I’m not weak.”
“No, baby, you’re not. You’re the strongest woman I know. But you are vulnerable. Jonas is making it so we’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop. We have more than enough pairs in the air as it is. Separating you and Renée right now feels like a good strategy for him.”
“Divide and conquer?”
“Would he?”
“I wouldn’t put anything past that man.”
Leaning down, I place a kiss on her forehead. “Same. So stay safe. Get some rest. You want to go climb in with Renée?”
She shrugs.
“That’s not a bad idea.” She slides the covers aside, and I can’t help but stare at the woman before me.
“I’m the luckiest man alive.”
“Please be lucky finding that runaway girl. I can’t imagine what she must be feeling. No, actually I can, and it’s not good, Ci.”
I kiss her softly as I hear pipes in the driveway. “I’ll do everything within my power.”
Everything within my poweris not enough. Ruth is gone. Liam even called in a favor with the sheriff’s department. Cameras have nothing to help us either.
It is not lost on me that Emma ran away from danger, though we found her and got her home to her mom, while Ruth ran into it. The brave girl, or the meek girl attempting bravery, has vanished.
