Page 58 of Twisted Hearts

“Yeah, but the money didn’t come from the mayor or any account he’s tied to.”

“So who fucking bought her?”

Just asking the question had bile rising in my throat, so much so I cleared it and grabbed a bottled water from a mini fridge behind Charlie’s desk. I chugged the whole thing, unable to wash away the acidic taste in my throat.

Addi had been fucking sold to an unknown, and then she’d vanished.

“Someone isn’t going to be fucking thrilled,” I said, staring back at the screen.

“That’s the dark I was talking about on the phone.”

Jaxon’s voice made me jump.Fuck.I hadn’t even noticed him come out of his office or heard his door open. He stood just outside, chest almost as wide as his doorway, arms crossed over it, muscles straining to tear through his t-shirt.

“Come on in. We gotta talk.”

“Thanks for the info, Charlie.”

“No problem. It’s my job. I’ll let you know what else I find.” She took a swig of some V8 Energy drink next to her and went back to clicking on her keyboard so fast steam should have been rising up from it.

18

Addi

Being in Shannon’s office was akin to being inside the mind of a madman, or madwoman in her case. There were tools everywhere, envelopes torn open and papers flung every which way. Wires draped over hooks on the wall, and beads, leather, and metal clasps were spilling out of glass jars she had stacked on every single inch of shelf space, the floor, and her desk. For a moment, I was so taken aback by the disaster in front of me, I forgot my current crisis.

But then Shannon looked up, cringed, and asked, “How are you?”

Everything barreled back into my brain with the force of a bass drum so fast I almost lost my footing. Thankfully, I backed up into an unopened crate that caught my fall.

Shawn was right. She needed to know. If she didn’t want the risk of trouble brought to her business or the building she owned, I owed her that much. “So, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She dropped the tools in her hand and spun in her chair. Her face went guarded but still open. I had the sudden fear she’d kick me out and the first person I was hoping I could count as a friend would turn her back on me.

“What is it?”

I chewed on my lip, tried to calm the nervous prickles making my hands shake, and pushed forward. This was the right thing to do. “I’m in some trouble, and you should know what’s going on.”

And then I told her my story. I told her about Daniel, about my dad, I told her about our engagement and what I was afraid of now. I even told her about Matthew calling Jaxon’s office. They were looking for me, and I had no idea what kind of trouble I’d be in if they did find me. Through it all, her brows rose on her head and she murmured surprise in the form of curse words, and, by the time I was done, she’d opened and closed her mouth like a fish a few times.

“So…” She rolled her lips together like she was still trying to find the words to say. “What you’re telling me is you might have some kind of crazy stalker who threatened to hurt your dad and maybe hurt you worse trying to find you, and you’re worried, what? That I’ll kick you out?” She huffed like the notion was completely absurd.

“Um…yeah. And I know Shawn thinks we should be at his place, but I like it up there and I feel comfortable. Plus, it’s close to work, but if you don’t want me here, I get it. Totally.”

She pushed her lips to one side, and I gave her time to consider the merits of that. “Shawn’s probably right, but I also understand where you’re coming from. So how about we compromise? For now, stay. If something happens and we need to re-evaluate, let me know. The apartment is secure, and I doubt it’s easier to find you upstairs than at Shawn’s, so we’ll try not to worry about worst-case scenarios. Deal?”

Easy for her to say, definitely easier to say than do.

Relief at her openness and willingness to understand my situation and at knowing she didn’t think less of me loosened the strain in my shoulders. “Deal. Thank you.”

“No problem at all. So, let’s change this heavy topic. Want to see what I’m working on for Bethany Carlson? She commissions new bracelets every tour for her and her bandmates, and she’s starting a new one soon.”

“Bethany…”Holy hot shit.“You know her?”

My eyes must have been as large as saucers, because she threw her head back and laughed. “Yeah. And sometimes I guess I forget how popular she is.”

“Yeah. You could say that.” Bethany Carlson was one of the country’s most popular country artists. She’d also had some crossover hits, and I’d been listening to her albums for almost ten years.

I shook my head in awe. “How did you meet her?”

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