Page 11 of Finally Found You

“Yep,” I confirm, my chest tightening with protectiveness.

“So when can we have her back in Colorado?” Finn asks. There’s a hint of urgency in his voice.

I scoff and leave the kitchen area, feeling defensive. “Never. She’s my daughter.”

“Presumably,” he acknowledges. “We’re still working on the paperwork you sent earlier. You’ll have to get a DNA test and… there’s a lot in play here.”

“We’re not going to get into an argument over this, are we?” I ask, my patience wearing thin.

He sighs. “No, but I already gave my contacts the whereabouts of this kid. Camilla is desperate. I heard the state is going to take Kenzy away if they figure out she’s not at home.”

“But—” I start to protest, feeling a sense of helplessness.

“I’m just telling you that this is a pretty fucked-up case, and you might want to use your resources to help them both before one ends up in jail and the other in foster care.”

“Do you have a way to reach out to Camilla?” I ask, my mind racing with the implications of the situation.

“I’ll text you her number. I assume we won’t continue our meeting?” Finn questions.

“You keep working on that, and let’s talk once I have a handle on this new development.”

“Good luck,” he says, his voice somber as he hangs up the phone.

Chapter Six

Camilla

It’s been over a week since Kenzy vanished, and my heart aches with worry. The private security company JJ’s parents hired managed to track her to San Francisco. I assume she’s searching for her father. I’ve been pacing the streets of downtown day and night with no luck. Desperation claws at my chest with the fear of what can happen to her. She’s only fifteen and alone.

The only break I took was last night when I went to the bar to grab a bite, and… I’d rather not remember the incident. Nothing happened, and I have to focus on Kenzy.

I find myself outside Spearman LP, trying to figure out how to get in touch with Lysander Spearman. Without a proper ID or an appointment, they won’t let me inside. Once Kenzy is with me, I’ll get a new driver’s license, and… Well, there’s no point in replacing my credit or debit card when one is over the limit and the other has a balance of negative three hundred dollars.

If it weren’t for the Drago family, I wouldn’t have been able to afford this trip—or the people tracking Kenz. I swear, when I see her, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind.

As I step inside the building, the security guard stops me again. “Don’t force me to call the police,” he warns me.

“I have an idea,” I plead, desperation lacing my voice. “If you can just ask them if they’ve seen my cousin. She ran away, but I’m sure she came looking for him.” I pull out my phone and show him the most recent picture I have of Kenzington. “Just show it to Mr. Spearman, please.”

He offers me a sad smile and sighs. Taking my phone, he fidgets with it and his own device. “I forwarded it to the boss’s assistant. If I hear anything, I’ll text you, miss.”

“Camilla Balsamo,” I say, my voice trembling. “My name is Camilla, and that’s Kenzington. We call her Kenzy.”

“Have you contacted the police?” he asks, concern in his eyes.

I shake my head. He wouldn’t understand why I’m avoiding it. If I do, they’ll find her and take her away from me right away. I’d be failing her, Nonna, and myself.

Before he speaks again, my phone rings with a 415 number I don’t recognize. I hold my breath and answer, my heart pounding. “Yes.”

“Camilla Balsamo?” A gruff voice comes from the other end.

“Yes?”

“Where are you?” the male voice asks.

“Who is this?”

“Don’t be cryptic, Lysander. That poor woman is probably hanging by a thread, and you’re being obtuse,” a female voice says in the background.

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