“Where would you prefer to meet?”
She pondered this before replying, “The No-Doze Café on Boylston Street.”
Before Dante could reply, she hung up.
Cassidy held her breath as she studied Dante’s countenance. The set of his jaw and the muscle twitching in his cheek were the only indications of his irritation. He returned his phone to his pocket and stared ahead as he told the driver their new destination.
“Do you think she’ll be there?” Cassidy asked when his shoulders relaxed a little.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
Paris was the best lead he had to Julie; shehadto be there. If not, he was going to have to hunt the girl down, and stalking teenagers was a little creepy. However, the tears in Mrs. Abbott’s eyes, and the heartbreak she would experience if he failed to bring her daughter home, ensured he would camp out in front of Paris’s house for a month if that’s what it took to get some answers.
He’d seen his mother’s heartbreak in her eyeseveryday after Maya disappeared; he wouldnotfail another mother.
“If she doesn’t show up, I’ll hunt her down and get the answers from her,” he murmured.
Cassidy did not doubt that; he wouldn’t let himself fail in this, but he didn’t realize it wouldn’t be a failure. There were some things in life he couldn’t control. However, he probably knew that better than anyone. Yet, he was sitting here, beating himself up because of the whims of a teenage girl.
He was too tough on himself, but she didn’t think there was anything she could say to change that. No matter what, he would always see his inability to find Maya ashisfailure when it wasn’t. And if they didn’t find Julie, he would beat himself up more.
That only made her more determined to help him find the girl and bring her home. She couldn’t stand to see him like this, and she would do everything she could to stop it.
Dante drummed his fingers on his knee as he debated if Paris would be at the coffee shop or not. He didn’t understand why the girl was so difficult about this, but after Missy, he wasn’t sure Julie had any real friends. Which made him feel worse about the whole thing. She needed someone to fight for her, and he would do it.
When Cassidy settled her hand over his, some of his tension eased, and his fingers stopped tapping. Without thinking, he twisted his hand in hers and held it. The beautiful smile she gave him caused a small ray of hope to pierce through his dismal thoughts.
Chapter Twenty-One
When the taxipulled up in front of the coffee shop, Dante paid the driver and opened the door. He clasped Cassidy’s hand and helped her to stand beside him on the sidewalk. He closed the door, and the driver pulled away.
“Do you know what she looks like?” Cassidy asked as they entered the coffee shop.
The scent of fresh-baked pastries and brewing coffee washed over her. Warm, gooey treats sat behind the glass counter to her left, and she savored the aromas of creamer, cinnamon, and sugar.
Unlike the dark tones and dim lighting in Mugs’ coffee shop. This place was well lit, and splashes of color decorated the walls. The tables and chairs were eclectic and often clashing in color, but somehow, they looked amazing as they landed an air of vibrancy to the place. Mugs’ was designed as a place to relax; this place wanted to keep people up.
“No,” Dante said. “Hopefully, there aren’t too many teenage girls here.”
College kids and middle-aged men and women sat at the tables with their laptops, tablets, and phones. However, there was a table of high school students near the back. Paris could have brought a group of friends for protection, which would have been smart of her.
“She’s only expecting me,” Dante said. “I should approach them alone.”
Cassidy pointed to an empty, high top table near the back. “I’ll be over there.”
Dante hesitated before squeezing her hand and walking over to the table of teens. She didn’t hear what he said as she made her way toward the back and settled at the table. When she looked back at Dante and the teens, they were wearing‘who is this crazy old guy?’expressions.
Dante turned away from the table and walked back to join her. The set of his square jaw and the steely glint in his eyes told her he was growing increasingly frustrated. She had to find the time to call Brian soon. If her brother-in-law could do something to help, especially if he could locate Maya, she needed to know, and so did Dante.
He slid onto the stool across from her and turned so he could see the door. The tiny bell over the door rang, but it was a couple of guys who stepped inside. He drummed his fingers on the table as a waiter walked toward them.
The young man barely glanced at him before focusing on Cassidy and giving her an arrogant smile. Dante’s already high blood pressure started to skyrocket. It took everything he had not to smash the arrogant asshole’s face off the table.
“What can I get for you?” the man asked.
“I’ll have a water,” Cassidy said.
“But we have so many fine coffees for you to try, and you look like the adventurous type.”
