Page 58 of Not that Impressed
“Your mom and Janelle have been checking Libby’s creditcard account. There haven’t been any charges since they left the airport last night. Maybe that’s something, maybe it isn’t.”
I chew my taco carefully, otherwise I’m going to choke. Given what we’ve already assumed about Hollis’s finances, at best, it’s odd that Libby hasn’t made any purchases. I don’t want to think about what the worst-case scenario is, but thoughts of trafficking and drugs run through my mind anyway.
Will reaches across the table for my hand. “It could mean that they’re just holed up at the hotel.”
I grimace because that could still be bad, and Will lets out a sigh too. “Remember, good stories until we know differently.”
I take another bite, only because I have to have food or I won’t be able to search for my sister. I wave for him to go on while I chew.
“The biggest news is that Law Card’s future brother-in-law, Caleb, is working on getting us their location.”
My mouth drops open, and I quickly close it. “What? How?”
Will smirks. “Law says it’s better if we don’t know. So probably something illegal.”
I nod. I’m not going to look a gift-horse in the mouth right now. We can deal with the repercussions for invading Grayson’s privacy later.
“You’ve told my family about the video of them in Cancun, right?” I ask. “Told my dad?”
“Yeah. He should be leaving soon to get here. He’s leaning on the FBI to get their location too, but he thinks Caleb will get it faster. He told me to pass on the message that he’ll pay any legal fees he needs to if it comes to it.”
“Has Caleb found anything?” I shove another few bites into my mouth, eager to chase down the driver Ava found.
“He thinks Libby’s phone is off. He couldn’t get anything from it.” Will reaches over to take one of my hands and squeeze it. He doesn’t have to read my mind to guess at where my thoughts go with that. “She could have forgotten her charger,” he says calmly. “She and Hollis left in a hurry.”
I tilt my head at him, waiting to finish off the last bite of my first taco. “We already know she hasn’t tried to buy another one since she got here, right?”
Will shrugs. “Maybe she’s been busy.”
“Ew, Will.”
His face darkens. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He shakes his head, probably trying to shake away the image his words put in both of our heads. “Maybe they got here last night, got dinner, went to the hotel and checked in and didn’t realize she didn’t have one until later. It’s been raining all morning, so they haven’t gone out.”
I peer at him while I reach for another taco. “How is someone like you so good at making up happily ever afters?”
“Someone like me?” He arches an eyebrow at me.
“You’re going to pretend like you don’t know you have a strong-silent-type thing going on?” I arch an eyebrow right back. “Sexy brooding hero? The grumpy to my sunshine?”
“Sunshine?” he says dryly. How does this man make me smile even when my world feels like it’s crumbling? Every waking moment I’m pushing away thoughts of the worst things that could be happening to Libby, trying to tell myself that Grayson might have feelings for her, that Libby went with him willingly, that he has no reason to try to hurt her the way he did Anna.
What if he’s like that? What if he wants to hurt her?
How can I smile just because Will is here with me? Because Will is here with me?
“Okay,” I say, my voice holding more air than I want. “Maybe I do have more of a black cat energy.”
He furrows his eyebrows at me. “What does that even mean?”
“It’s a romance novel thing.” I wave my hand at him. I set aside my second taco, only half eaten. Though the tacos are small, I don’t have an appetite. I won’t until I know Libby’s safe.
Will eyes the taco. “You need to eat, Ellie.”
“I can’t.” I press my lips together. Will has seen me fall apart enough in the last day and a half. He sighs and retrieves his backpack pulling a chocolate protein shake for me.
“Then you’re drinking this. No arguments.”
I accept it. “You need to get back to Houston, Will. You have a game tomorrow.”
