Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Things were pretty quiet for the most part, with everyone researching and calling contacts for information—but we hadn’t found much. Warren’s group was surprisingly quiet for a bunch of white supremacists, which I was pretty sure worried all of us.
We were sitting around the kitchen table Monday afternoon, eating some sort of chicken bake Eli had concocted, when Forrest’s chair dropped down onto all four legs. The noise got my notice, and when my head snapped up, I realized why he’d come to attention.
Casper had stepped just inside the back door with his phone clenched in his fist, tension radiating from him in waves. “Cam, Farrah,” he called. “Need a word.”
They were up and out of their seats immediately, and even though he hadn’t asked us, Cecilia and I followed.
“Rose and Mack are missing,” he said without preamble once I’d closed the door behind us.
“What?” Farrah replied, gaping. “Together?”
“That’s what it looks like,” Casper responded. “Went outside during one of Rose’s breaks at the bar and never came back in.”
“Jesus Christ,” Cam snapped.
“What do they know?” I asked.
“Nothin,’” Casper growled. “Haven’t heard a fuckin’ whisper.”
“We need to get home,” Farrah said, looking from her man to Cecilia. “Are you ready to make the drive?”
“As long as I’m not the one driving,” Cecilia replied. “I can sleep most of the way.”
“We can follow you up,” I said, my stomach twisting. “More eyes and ears, just to be safe.”
“Appreciate that,” Casper replied. “We’ll leave in the morning.”
“We’re waiting?” Cam asked, surprise and frustration making the question sound more like a pissed off statement.
“Your sister is sick as fuck and she’s got a newborn,” Casper told him. “And we’re gonna have to stop a fuckin’ million times on the way up. I’m gettin’ some sleep before we head out.”
Casper and Farrah walked back into the house and Cecilia turned to Cam, who had walked to the end of the patio and was staring out at the sandy yard.
“I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh. “I know you’d rather be up there helping.”
I bristled as Cam turned, his scowl so nasty I was surprised when Cecilia held her ground. Before I could say anything, his face softened.
“I’m right where I’m supposed to be, little sister,” he said quietly. “Takin’ care of you. We’ll all head up tomorrow, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Cecilia replied.
Cam threw his arm over her shoulder and led her into the house.
Jesus, sometimes I was glad to be an only child. By the way Cam bitched about Cecilia, it was easy to assume he couldn’t stand her—but I guess the truth was never that simple. The bond they had, even when they didn’t get along, was still solid. He’d known just what to say to her.
It made me wonder why for so many years, he’d never realized that there was something wrong.
“All good?” Lu asked as I came back into the kitchen.
“Change of plans,” I said, sitting back down. Casper, Farrah, Cam and Cecilia must have gone upstairs. None of them had even bothered to clear their plates. “We leave for Oregon in the morning.”
“Somethin’ happen?” Forrest asked.
“Cecilia’s cousin went missing,” I replied.
“Shit,” Eli said, drawing out the word. “That family has a lot of drama.”
“They’re part of an outlaw motorcycle club,” Wilson said, striding into the room. “It’s not a lifestyle that promotes stability.”
“He’s not wrong,” I mumbled into my food.
“I will not be traveling to Oregon in the morning,” Wilson said as he grabbed a plate of food. “I assume you all can make it without me.”
“What’s up?” Forrest asked him.
“I believe that I’ve found Richard Campbell’s daughter, Kaley,” Wilson replied. “I’ll continue trying to make contact and follow up on leads from here.”
“Sounds good,” Eli said.
“So glad you approve,” Wilson replied emotionlessly.
I wolfed down the rest of my food and went searching for Cecilia. When I found her, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her phone in her hand.
“Whatcha doin’?” I asked, closing the door behind me.
“I was trying to work up the courage to call Lily,” she said with a self-conscious huff. She flicked at the charger connecting the phone to the wall. “My phone was dead, so I plugged it in, but then I chickened out.”
“I bet she’d be glad to hear from you,” I said, sitting next to her.
“No, she wouldn’t,” she said simply. “Did you know she’s with Leo now?”
“No shit?” Cecilia and Leo had been a thing when we were kids. He’d been the one to look the other way while Cecilia ran around with me.
“No shit,” she confirmed. “I always kind of saw it coming.”
“Really?” Lily was around five years younger than us, and had been just a kid when I’d left.
“Not when she was little. Gross.” She wrinkled her nose at me. “But later, yeah. They just always had a connection.”
“Huh,” I said, trying to wrap my head around it. “Still, you’re her sister. She’d want to know you’re thinking about her.”