Page 103 of Seduced By You

My insides churned. I’d never opened the message from Joseph, the guy I had looking into Samuel’s whereabouts. I hadn’t wanted to ruin my trip with Lee. A bitter laugh crawled into my throat. I’d ruined the trip all right. Spectacularly. But it’d had nothing to do with an email.

I ran my finger over the subject line.You’ll want to read this.

Not true. I dreaded reading it, of having my hopes dashed yet again.

“Kadon?”

I looked up at my brother. “I’ve had a private detective searching for Samuel for over a year.”

Blaize’s eyes widened. “You have?”

“Yeah.” I swallowed. “I have to get closure, and this is the only way I know how. I have to know he’s okay.”

“And is he?”

“No idea.” I updated him on the many false starts, ending with the email from Joseph that I hadn’t opened yet. “I’m afraid this is yet another disappointment, and I’m not sure I can take that right now. Not with my life in the shitter.”

Blaize huffed. “Y’know, this woe-is-me bullshit wears thin after a while, and it isn’t you. Not the real you. Not the annoying little shit I grew up with.” He set down a plate of bacon and eggs. “I believe he’s still in there somewhere. Maybe the answers are in that email. Open it.”

I snapped off a piece of bacon. “You burned it.”

“I’ll burn you if you don’t open the damn email.” Sitting opposite, he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, then jabbed the empty fork at me. “Do it.”

Heart galloping, I tapped the screen. Blood pounding in my ears drowned out the sound of Blaize biting down on charred bacon. The words swam. I blinked a few times. No better.

“Here, you read it. They’re all jumbled up.”

“That’s because you’re in a panic.” Blaize took the phone from me. His eyes darted from side to side. Time stopped. Blaize set down the phone, his gaze seeking mine, expression flat. I couldn’t read him.

“Well?” I ran my tongue over dry lips. “What does it say?”

“He’s found him.”

My shoulders sagged. I caught my head in my hands.He’s found him.Taking several deep breaths, I waited for my head to stop spinning.

“Is he alive?” I croaked.

“Very much so.” Blaize broke into a smile.

“Where is he?”

“Lausanne.”

Less than twenty miles from the school. “What’s he doing in Lausanne?”

“He’s a therapist. Has his own practice. He treats victims of sexual abuse.”

God. God.

“According to this message, Samuel’s parents changed their surname after what happened, and given the Swiss authorities’ propensity to confidentiality, tracking him proved difficult.”

“Do you think…?” My throat narrowed. I forced a swallow. “Do you think he’d see me?”

Blaize hitched a shoulder. “Do you want me to call?”

“Would you?”

“That’s what older brothers are for.”

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