Page 34 of Finding Redemption

“You looked for me?”I repeated, stunned.When I’d asked her to explain things to me, I hadn’t expected all the twists and turns.My emotions were all over the place.

“I just told you I know people who can kill your stepmother,” she said with a grin.“Why are you so surprised that I have connections to find a lost girl?”

“I’m really hoping you’re joking about that first part,” I muttered, grabbing the box of tea bags to have something to do.

“Okay, for your sake, let’s pretend I didn’t say anything about offing the hag,” she said teasingly.

“You obviously spend way too much time with Paxton,” I complained.“You are both seriously annoying.”

Her laugh was so musical, I sometimes wondered if it was real.I loved that sound almost as much as I loved Bella’s giggles.

Sariah sat back in her chair at the island, appearing more carefree than I could ever remember seeing her before.“You will never know how thankful I am to have found you, Brooke.It started off for Luck, but I kept you for myself.I felt guilty about that for a while, but who can blame me?You make everything so much better, and I was selfish enough to want to keep that to myself.Now, I get to share you with the people I love the most.”

ChapterTwenty

Paxton

A memberof our marketing department was droning on and on in meeting number two-hundred-and-kill-me-now.Even with yet another hangover, Luck was coherent enough to participate, but I’d given up listening an hour ago and had been watching my phone instead.

Brooke hadn’t answered any of my texts since she’d told me she was going into her neurology appointment.Four fucking hours ago.I’d told her to send me updates on what the doctor said, but so far, I’d gotten nothing but silence.Henry hadn’t been able to tell me anything other than she was still inside the medical complex.Sariah was with her, but she’d been unresponsive as well.Our meetings had started early, and since it was Friday and there was no way I was staying until next week, we’d worked through lunch, so I hadn’t been able to call anyone.

It was only an initial visit, so what the fuck was going on?

Impatiently, I drummed my fingers on the conference table, mentally willing someone to put me out of my misery.

Luck side-eyed me.“What’s up with you?”he muttered low enough so he didn’t interrupt the presentation.

“Stuff.”

“Bella okay?”I nodded, flipping through the previous texts in search of possible hidden messages.“Sariah?”

Hearing the change in my best friend’s voice when he said her name, I turned my head to look at him, momentarily distracted from worrying about Brooke.Luck picked up his coffee mug, sipping it without looking at me.He and Sariah had always been close, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d missed something.She was important to me, and I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if he did anything to hurt her.

It would be a slow death.I’d make every moment painful, until he was begging me to put him out of his misery.But then I’d cut his tongue out and keep going.

A new message popped up on my phone, saving Luck’s life.My eyes barely scanned the words before I was on my feet, barking over my shoulder, “We’re done.I’m going home.”

The others in the room started whispering anxiously, chattering to one another, upset at my abrupt exit.Some worried I was going to fire them.Some pissed because they thought they were entitled to my time.None of them mattered, though.All I cared about was getting back to Brooke as quickly as possible.

“What the hell, Paxton?”Luck complained as he followed me, jogging to keep up as I navigated the halls toward the front of the gym.“What happened?Is Sariah okay?”

“Sariah is fine,” I growled, bypassing celebrity athletes doing cardio or lifting weights.I was already texting the pilot before reaching the exit, making sure everything would be ready by the time I got to the airport.

“Then what’s going on?”he demanded, grabbing my arm.My mind was racing, my heart like a lead weight in my stomach.Whatever he saw on my face must have scared him because his eyes became wild.“Promise me Sariah and Bella are okay.”

“It’s Brooke,” I snapped.“She had her neurology appointment.”

His face paled.“Why is she seeing a neurologist?”

“Her migraines.”

“Fuck.”He combed his fingers through his hair.“Obviously, I’m missing key points to this conversation.Back up and start from the beginning.You’re in contact with Brooke?”

“Motherfucker, how wasted have you been if you didn’t know she’s Bella’s nanny?”Shaking my head at him in disgust, I had to clench my hands into fists to fight the urge to knock him on his ass.

“I don’t know.”He swallowed hard.“Okay.Shit, okay.Brooke is Bella’s nanny.She gets migraines.And you’re worried enough to cut a business trip short before a major fight that we are cosponsoring.How bad is it?”

My fingers clenched around my phone as I glanced down the road for our driver.If he didn’t hurry up, I was going to grab a cab.“She’s scared,” I choked out.

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