Page 5 of A True King

“Still at the palace,” I finish.

She’s quiet again.

“What are you doing?” I ask because I have zero patience left.

“I’m using some facial recognition software on airport video surveillance over the past two weeks,” she explains. I wait as I hear more movement of her fingers on her keyboard.

“Her parents don’t know where she may have gone?” Anna asks as she continues typing.

“No. Her mother thought she was with me,” I say dryly.

“Did you sense she was concerned?”

I narrow my eyes before realizing that Anna can’t see my face. “Of course, she’s fucking concerned, that’s her only child. I told her I’d locate her, and she might just be hiding because she’s mad at me. Hopefully, I sounded genuine.”

Anna clears her throat.

“What?”

“I mean…she was sort of pissed off when she left here,” Anna states.

“I know her, and she wouldn’t just up and leave her parents’ home like that. It doesn’t add up.”

“OK, no matches at Heathrow or Gatwick. Let me keep trying some of the smaller airports and maybe train stations,” she says. “I’ll call Jack.”

“I already talked with Pete.”

“Good. And, Lion,” she says, using my childhood nickname, “be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.”

I sigh. “That’s rich coming from you.”

“Do as I say and not as I do,” she retorts and hangs up on me. I groan. I love her, but she’s not helping me feel better about this situation.

I look out the window again. Where the fuck are you, Mia?

Chapter Three

Christian

If it was up to me, the entire branch of our military and national security would be looking for Mia, but, of course, it’s not. Sitting at my desk, I stand and begin pacing my office. I’ve been here since I landed last night, waiting to hear updates. There are so many questions. Why did she leave her work phone here? Why did she leave her parents’ house? Where’s her personal phone? Does she not have it? Is that why she hasn’t responded to my calls and texts? A knock at my door pulls me away from my thoughts.

“Enter,” I state. Part of me hopes to see Mia as the door opens, but instead, my sister stands there. She takes one look at me and rolls her eyes.

“Wow, don’t look so…disappointed.”

I motion for her to enter but she’s already barging inside. Typical Anna.

“So?”

She slaps a photograph on my desk.

“That’s very nineteen nineties of you,” I state as I glance down to look at the printed-out picture.

She shrugs. “I…never mind. Just look.”

I lean over my desk and stare at it. It’s a terminal for a ferry. I can make out a boat in the background. There are a half dozen or more people in the photograph. All walking with purpose to their destination, but then I see it. Out of the corner of the photograph, a bench with a woman sitting on it. She’s glancing up at the camera as someone stands in front of her. I can’t make out the person in front of her except to guess it’s a man. I can’t even tell if he’s talking to her or just happens to be standing in front of her. The woman though is most definitely Mia.

“When?” I ask.

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