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The detective flipped through his notes. “Your boyfriend, Jacob, called us from The Caribbean and told us you’d been taken. A few months went by and the trail went cold. But then the trail picked up again when one of your friends found evidence to suggest this specific organization carried their prisoners to Italy.”
One of my friends?
“He insisted we continue the search there but we didn’t find anything. He was adamant about finding you. When I call him and tell him you’re safe and sound he’s going to be so relieved. That guy looked sicker and sicker with every month.”
It was a he? I didn’t have a clue who it could be. “What’s his name?”
“Jason.” He answered immediately like the name rested on the tip of his tongue. ”He said you two used to date in college.”
The blood pounded in my ears and I stopped breathing for nearly thirty seconds. Jason and I ended on good terms but I never expected him to work tirelessly to find me. If I’d known that, I would have turned myself over when the police came to the house. I was touched in ways I couldn’t explain. “Jason…”
“He’s a nice guy. If you don’t mind me saying so, he seemed to care a lot more than your boyfriend did.”
No surprise there. “Do you have his number so I can call him?”
“Sure.” He wrote it down on a piece of paper. “I need to call him anyway and tell him you’ve been found. You want to wait here so he can see you? I know it would really mean a lot to him?”
“He’s in the city?” Last time I checked he was living in California.
“He moved here shortly after you were abducted. When he saw your face on the news he got involved.”
I still couldn’t believe Jason did so much for me. He was a great guy and it was a shame we broke up to begin with. Long distance relationships never work, and we thought it would be best if we stayed friends instead of going through a painful breakup.
“So you’ll stay?”
I turned my gaze away from the note in my hand. “Sorry…lost my train of thought.”
“Will you stay while I give him a call?”
“Yeah, of course.” Right now, Jason was the only person on the planet who gave a shit about me. Jacob never cared.
And neither did Crow.
***
When Jason saw me, his eyes immediately watered. The relief was mixed with gratitude. He stared at me for several heartbeats before he closed the gap between us and stood just inches away from me. He examined my face to make sure it was really me.
I stared at my savior and felt the emotion catch in my throat. When I returned to the city I felt completely alone. I had to get money from the man who originally sold me and I had to sleep in his apartment. I didn’t have parents to care about me and I didn’t have any family. The fact there was someone, even a single person, made me believe I could really start over.
“Pearl, I’m so glad you’re alright.” He didn’t hug me even though it was clear he wanted to. “I was scared we would never see you again.”
“I’m glad I’m alright too. It’s nice to be back.”
He extended his arms but still didn’t touch me. “Can I hug you?”
“Of course.” He didn’t even need to ask.
He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. The embrace was full of the kind of tenderness I desperately needed. Feeling a pair of strong arms around me was exactly what I needed to get back on my feet. It gave me hope. It gave my joy.
“I have a million questions to ask but I’ll get to them later.” He pulled away and looked into my face with his blue eyes. He was exactly the same as he was years ago. He had a strong jaw with prominent cheekbones. His body was tight with muscle and lean from a slender build. Nothing had changed. “Do you have somewhere to stay?”
“I was going to check into a hotel—”
“You’re staying with me. I have a nice place over by Park Avenue.”
I couldn’t refuse his offer. I would much rather be in someone’s home than a lonely hotel room. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Great. Let’s go.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out of the police station. Despite the fact he hadn’t touched me in years, the affection felt right. Like no time had passed that connection was there. He still cared about me and never gave up on me. And I was grateful I had at least one person in my life who cared.
Because I knew Crow never did.
Chapter Two
Crow
I stared at the ceiling for hours.
The shadows shifted across the walls as the night deepened. Sometimes they formed patterns. One looked like a harmless cloud drifting over the clear sky. Another one looked like a butterfly.
