Page 58 of Paradise & Vodka
She held out her phone. "Press the call button. I got your mom's number."
"Really?" My eyes widened, and I grabbed the phone.
"I made a call." She shrugged.
"Right." I chuckled. "FBI."
"Yeah. Has its perks." She grinned.
"Thank you for this." I held up the cell phone. "For all of this."
"Of course. I hope she answers."
"Me too." I smiled tightly and then hit the call button. It rang, and rang, and rang, and I thought she wasn't going to answer, but then the sound of her voice rang back in my ears.
"Hello?"
"Mom! It's me, Ashleigh."
"Oh my God! Where are you? We've been so worried."
"I'm on the other side of the island. Where are you?"
"At an evacuation center."
"All of you?"
"No." She paused, and my heart stopped beating. "Everleigh and your father are here, and some of the other wedding guests, but no one has seen or heard from Douglas and his parents."
I frowned. How was Everleigh there but not her husband? Even if they weren't in love, the marriage had taken place. I'd assumed they would need to keep up the ruse until they were back in New York. Plus, weren't they together when the warning came through?
Mother continued, "The people running the center have said that flights should start going out again tomorrow from the airport on the other side."
"That's where we are," I advised her.
"Are you leaving?"
"I—hold on." I held my hand over the phone and asked Joss, "Is there room for three more?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"My parents and sister are safe. Can we get them out of here too?"
"Of course."
I returned to the phone. "Mom, we have a private plane. We can get you and take you back to the US."
"What about the Alexanders?"
"Ask Evie what she wants to do."
I waited as I heard whispering, and then Mom said, "She's fine leaving."
"Okay." I nodded to Joss. "Find out what address you're at, and we'll come get you guys."
I wasn't lettingAshleigh out of my sight. I didn't care that she was with Paul and Joss and they were FBI. After everything that we'd been through the last two days, I had to make sure she made it home safely with my own two eyes. Until then, I was going everywhere with her, and that included going to get her family. Plus, I wanted to know what Everleigh knew since she was leaving without Dougie, and the kidnappers had wanted her originally.
"What happened to the leader?" I asked.
