Page 78 of Beautiful Chaos

“Narrowing down our search would help,” Noah agrees. “But how?”

“Getting information from some of Donahue’s men, like we did with William, would be a good place to start,” suggests Ryder.

Kade hums in agreement. “But we need it to be someone who specifically does this work for him. Someone he’d have to trust at least somewhat. Otherwise they’d have nothing helpful to share.”

There’s a new type of quiet as we all think about his words. It’s so different from the silence that hung around them earlier. They’re actually working together now. The thought makes me smile.

“But we do know someone,” says Charles.

“I don’t think you count,” Declan deadpans, making Luca laugh. We all turn to give him surprised looks, but his smile has already morphed back into his blank look.

Charles gives him a wry look. “Didn’t mean me. I know how my father works. If he’s determined someone as a potential key to answers enough to have them watched foryears, he has his best men on that duty.”

His meaning hits me like a ton of bricks to the fucking face. “Josie,” I whisper.

He nods in agreement. “We don’t know who they are, but we know where to find them.”

Back to the East Coast we go.

* * *

After decidingwe didn’t want to put all our eggs in one basket, Charles and I agreed to rank the new list from least to most likely based on their interactions with both of our fathers.

It took us a little while to go through the list and finally come to an agreement on the final rankings of each one. Noah will use this to begin digging into each of their lives and dig up any potential connections.

Some of the confirmed names surprised me, like the Dean of our high school as well as one of the teachers who came from one of the elite families. No one ever understood how he got into teaching, but now I’m starting to see his cool teacher act as something else entirely. For what it is. Just another tactic to groom young students.

Charles and I both shuddered as we remembered our time in his class. The truth of who he is completely coloring all of our interactions. The rose-colored glasses are truly and wholly off now. He had been one of our favorite teachers in our second year. We would even visit him at lunch sometimes in our third and final years. Before that night anyways.

Goosebumps rise on my arms even thinking about him possibly being one of the men.

Though his creep factor was high, both of them ranked low on our list of likelihood. Neither had the same type of money or influence as our fathers. They weren’t very often found together outside of school functions.

In contrast, our top of the listers weren’t all that surprising to either one of us. The close friends of our parents. Some of our high school circles’ fathers included. Jackie was evil enough after I came back to school, I wouldn't doubt if it was her father at all. That was one of mine and Charles’ disagreements. I felt he deserved the top spot if evilness was genetic. He didn’t think their family had enough prestige to be that close to our asshole elitist fathers. He thought my best friend’s father was more likely. What a heavy dose of irony that would be if it were him. My boyfriend’s and my best friend's fathers as my rapists.

Then again, don’t know if we can really call her a friend after the way she was so quick to drop me. Josie was the only real friend I had before that night. I guess Charles too.

I smile at the thought. They were always my two favorite people anyways.

My eyes trail over each of their names, committing them to memory.

“Each one of them will die,” Charles whispers at my side.

I grin at him, feeling like old times when he could read my mind. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

The smile he returns pulls at something in my heart. Reminds me so much of our younger days. I wait for the stab of pain that will follow. That always has before when I’m reminded of who we used to be. It never comes.

I relax a little more in my seat beside him. “Okay, I think it’s done.”

“Close as it’s going to get,” he agrees, handing it over to Noah who barely acknowledges us before diving into work.

I watch him silently. His tongue always sticks out just a bit to the side when he really focuses on something. It’s one of my favorite things about him.

“I can’t believe you have a daughter,” Charles whispers suddenly.

Tearing my eyes away from Noah’s face I look at him and shrug. “Me either,” I admit with a huff. “But there’s nothing like it.”

He watches me, fighting with himself about something he wants to say. I know my reaction from earlier is still weighing on him. “I won’t break,” I promise him. “Don’t start treating me like I’m fragile.”

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