Page 174 of Possession

They’ll be free of the Marinos forever.

And Brax made it happen.

I feel a chill crawl over my skin despite the warm afternoon sun when Micah throws the car in park and looks over at me. “You okay?”

I can’t look away from the house I used to call home.

I take in the contemporary California architecture that I barely recognize and see details that I’ve never seen before. To anyone on the outside, it’s an upper-class house, with sprawling landscape, and windows for days. It sits on one of the biggest lots in the neighborhood. You can’t even see the garage from the front of the house. My mother always said it would ruin the aesthetic.

I wonder what our neighbors thought when it was raided yesterday.

I wonder if anyone asked where I was.

I wonder if anyone noticed I was gone.

I’m living proof a person can drop off the face of the earth and life carries on.

“Landyn,” he calls for me.

I turn back to Brax’s friend. “Sorry. I haven’t been here since Damian’s men took us.”

Micah checks the time. “We should be hearing back from the judge about the ping anytime. Let’s get in there and get this done. Brax wants you back with him.”

Since we were just sitting around waiting, we decided I needed to pack my bags sooner rather than later.

Micah did what he promised. He bought me a cup of coffee and never left my side while Brax talked to Spencer before sitting through meeting after meeting with his supervisors, their supervisors, and even the bigwigs who have their pictures next to the President and the American flag in conference rooms. This is the biggest DEA bust in over a decade and has garnered attention from everyone—including the media.

I pull in a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

We’re about to get out of the car when Micah gets a phone call. He looks at the screen and mutters, “It’s your Latin lover.”

I unbuckle and sit up in my seat. “Maybe they heard from Rocco.”

He answers and listens for a second before saying, “They got the ping order. It’ll be up and running any minute.”

We need to get back. If Rocco is close, I want to be there when they find him. “You figure out what’s going on. I’ll be fast.”

“Wait. Let me come with you,” he calls.

But I’m already out the door.

I run up the walk and type the combination into the keyless entry. When I open the door, I pause.

The house looks nothing like it normally does.

Furniture is askew.

Drawers are emptied and strewn everywhere.

Nothing is where it should be.

I look to the side, and my father’s office is even worse. Someone went through every inch of this house with a fine-tooth comb.

And that someone is the DEA.

Well. Good for them. It’s about time.

I need to get this done. I turn for the stairs but stop in my tracks.

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