Page 110 of Captivated

“Hello?” Liliana asked when the call connected.

“Hey, Tesoro,” Joe replied.

The relief was sweet.

Too sweet, even.

“Joe?”

“That’s me, ballerina.”

Liliana’s laughter coated his black soul.

Like a shadow meeting the light. He couldn’t hide with her.

She lit up every part of him. Every single dark part.

“Why haven’t you called? I missed you.”

Joe cleared his throat, saying, “Yeah, sorry about that. You’ll see me soon, though. I promise.”

“How soon?”

Beside him, Lucian said, “Are you going to help us track him, or not, Joe?”

Liliana was safe.

At least, for a day or two.

Joe had to finish this fucking business here, so he could get back to his girl. His girl that he waited so fucking long to find.

“Joe?” Liliana asked when he stayed quiet. “How soon?”

“A couple of days, maybe.”

“Oh.”

Her sadness cut him deep.

She didn’t know, though.

This was for her.

“But it’s still soon,” he added.

“Guess I’ll just keep snooping through your stuff, then.”

Joe laughed. “I hope you find something good.”

“I already did, and I didn’t need to be here to find it, Joe.”

FOURTEEN

LILIANA FLIPPED THROUGH the journal she had found tucked under the pillow on Joe’s bed. The house had two spare bedrooms—both decorated—and yet, she found herself compelled to sleep in the room she knew was his.

The journal didn’t seem like much on the surface with its matte black leather wrap, and a single cord wound around the cover. Joe clearly made no effort to make it safe from snoopers—like her—but she figured there was a point to that.

Like the fact she couldn’t understand what in the hell was written inside. Oh, she could read it perfectly fine, sure. Making sense of it was a whole other matter.