Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I’d always thought she was beautiful. She had long, thick red hair, incredible, emerald-green eyes, and an hour-glass figure that would stop any man dead in his tracks. And there was nothing in this world that could match her smile. It was the kind of smile that stuck with you for days on end.
When I fell for her, I fell hard, and I fell fast.
I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but a piece of me had always hoped that we would find our way back to each other. And now, that hope was turning into a real possibility, and it had me on edge. Memphis picked up on my tension, and asked, “You good?”
“Yeah,” I answered, without taking my eyes off the road.
“You sure about that?” Goose chimed in from the backseat. “Cause it looks like you’re about to break that fucking steering wheel.”
“I’m good. Just ready to get there.”
Thankfully, traffic wasn’t all that bad, and it didn’t take us long to make it to Hot Springs.
We pulled into the parking lot of a run-down apartment complex on the edge of town, and I wasn’t exactly impressed with the state of the place. There was peeling paint, cracked pavement, and a couple of broken-down cars that looked like they hadn’t moved in years.
“I thought Shep said her dad was a lawyer,” Goose said, breaking into my thoughts.
“He is.”
“Then, what’s up with her living in a dump like this?”
“No clue, but if I had to guess, I would say she wanted a place on her own or something. Won’t know for sure until I talk to her.”
I killed the engine and sat there for a moment just staring up at the building. This was it. She was in there.
“You ready?” Memphis asked.
“Yeah,” I lied, pushing open the door.
I stepped out of the truck, and I felt like I was being pulled into a hundred directions as I followed Goose and Memphis up the main entrance. It had been almost eight years since we’d been face to face, and I had no idea what I was going to say to her. There was always the chance that she didn’t want to see me. If she did, she would’ve reached out and let me know she was back in town.
She hadn’t, so I could only assume that she didn’t want to see me.
There was no way to know for sure until I spoke to her. By the time I reached her door, I was a fucking mess. I raised my fist and was about to knock, but I froze.
This was it.
The moment I’d been waiting almost eight years for.
I just prayed it wouldn’t blow up in my face.
6
TALLIE
“How did it go?”
“I’m not sure.” I shrugged. “They don’t have any leads yet.”
“Can you go?”
“Yes, but we have to come back tomorrow. The detective wants to ask you and Ford some questions.”
“But I’ve already talked to one of the detectives.”
“He’s just trying to be thorough.”
“Well, there’s only so many times I can say I don’t know.”
“Yeah, you’re telling me.” I knelt down next to Ford and took his hand in mine. “How are you holding up, kiddo?”
“I want to go home.”
“I know. Me too. Let’s get your grandmother home first, and then…”
“Please stay with me tonight,” Mom interrupted. “I know you have been through so much tonight, but I really don’t want to be alone.”
“Okay. We can do that.” I glanced down at Ford as I asked, “That going to be okay with you?”
I could tell by his expression he wasn’t crazy about the idea, but he answered, “Yeah, as long as I don’t have to sleep downstairs.”
“You can sleep with your mom or on the sofa,” Mom answered. “Wherever you feel most comfortable.”
“We’ll figure it out when we get there.”
I motioned them towards the door, and they both followed suit. As we started towards the parking lot, I couldn’t help but notice a sleek black Mercedes with dark tinted windows that was parked across the street. There was something about it that caused a flicker of unease to pass through me. I paused and gave it a hard look, then shook my head and pushed my doubts aside. With everything that was going on, paranoia was the last thing I needed.
We hurried to the car, and I did my best to shake the weight of the day as I got behind the wheel and started the engine. But just as I started driving, I noticed that the Mercedes pulled out behind us. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but with every turn I made, it followed quickly behind.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Mom, do you know who that is?”
“Who?”
“The Mercedes behind us,” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Do you recognize it?”
She glanced back and after a quick look, she answered, “No, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”