38
Frankie
The sun started peekingover the hills, not quite up, but my eyes adjusted to the gray morning pre-dawn light. My phone battery was in the red hours ago, so I shut it off to save what was left instead of searching for coverage in these stretches of desert highway. Of course, in my rushed state, I’d not grabbed a charger.
I hadn’t heard back from Harrison. In my desperation, I’d reached out to his friends. Maybe that had been a mistake. The more I drove, too stressed out to even listen to music, the more I thought about how alone I was. I had spent so much of my energy making sure that nobody got close, so this was what I got alone on a desert road at the crack of dawn.
I rubbed at dry eyes that felt like they vibrated out of my head. I ran on pure adrenaline, and the pressure behind my temples grew with every jaw-cracking yawn. Aside from the three-hour nap on the couch, I hadn’t slept in over a day.
“Are we there yet?” George popped up from the back seat.
I screamed and had just enough time to pull over into a gas station before accidentally swerving into incoming traffic. “George! What are you doing?” And how the hell had I not seen him?
“I’m here to get my girl,” he said and yawned. Calm and collected, he looked out the window curiously, like he hadn’t hidden in the car.
I placed a hand on my runaway heart.
“Oh, George.” The disappointment was evident in my voice. “How did you—When did you? I thought you were sound asleep.”
I thought of the panic that would be all over Brooks’s face, finding George missing.
“I have to call Brooks.” Dread filled me as I checked the clock and did some math. It would add at least four more hours to take him back and then all the way down to Nevada.
“I want to help, Francesca.” He held my gaze in the rearview mirror.
“George, I have no idea what I can even do, let alone…”
“An old man? I’m not useless yet. Stop treating me like I’m already gone. I’m not.” His voice shook with anger.
There was unbridled strength behind those gray eyes, so much love and compassion; they held power still. Yet, seeing him in the car, outside the house, there was no denying how frailer he seemed.
I shook my head, pulling out my almost-dead phone. “I need to get you home. I have no idea how long this will take. We don’t have any of the stuff you need. This isn’t safe.”
I called Brooks. She answered right away. “Frankie, I was trying to call you.” Her voice was panicked and filled with tears. “I just went to check on George because you said he’d usually be up by now—”
“He’s with me. He snuck into the car,” I said on an exhale, fingertips pressed to my forehead. “My phone is about to die. I had it off to conserve battery.”
“Oh, thank God.” She sucked in a shaking breath. “Thank all the things.” After a frantic laugh, she added, “Cheeky old fella.”
“Yeah.” I scrubbed my tired eyes.
“Wanted a grand adventure, I take it? What are you going to do?” she asked.
I thought of the additional hours. “What can I do? I’m going to turn around and take him back.” I looked in the rearview mirror. George’s brow furrowed, his fierce gaze locked onto mine.
Adam Abbots, of all people, popped into my head at that moment. He had the determination to save the people he loved. A final adventure. My throat tightened.
I sighed loudly. “After we go get our girl,” I said, holding his gaze.
He grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
We got some crappy coffee and used the loo. Thankfully, the gas station had an old-fashioned paper map because my phone died just after I wrote down the address.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but don’t do that again,” I said to him.
“This was too important for you to go alone. You aren’t alone.” He shifted on his feet with his chin lifted in defiance.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I said and threw my arms around him.
