AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter27
Everleigh
“Any news?”I worried my bottom lip, an annoying habit I’d picked up. Carter kept typing away at his keyboard, showing me footage of a surveillance camera.
We’d been staying with him for the past few days. Lucius coming back was a huge change for Sofie, and we were trying to give her as much time to get used to her dad again as we could.
She wouldn’t let Lucius out of her sight, but she also asked for Carter when he wasn’t in the house. Lucius was slowly building back the trust he’d destroyed by leaving, spending every free minute he had with his daughter.
But he also constantly checked all the exits and barely slept. He was on edge, and I knew it was because he was expecting someone to charge through the door and tell us we had to get out of Chicago.
“Maybe. There hasn’t been another clear image like the last one. But have a look at this.”
Carter brought up a few grainy still images, most likely taken from security cameras. He was amazing with computers. And when he’d heard about my brother disappearing, he offered to help.
Beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that, so I accepted. I had a little money left from my savings, and I’d gladly give him all of it if it meant getting my brother back.
I squinted, comparing the image on the screen to the memory of my brother. The hair was longer but the same color. The bushy beard made it hard to make out facial features, but when I saw the familiar scar over his eyebrow, I was sure it was him.
“Where was this taken?” I tightened my hold on the back of the chair I’d been leaning against. One of the rooms in Carter’s house was an office, housing numerous screens and a few computers, resembling a mini surveillance center.
“New York.”
I jolted. “New York? As in the New York that’s about eight hundred miles east of here?”
“Yup. I don’t have any other footage, though. And no idea what he was doing there. Or why he hasn’t contacted you.”
What the hell are you doing, Archer?
“I need to go to New York.”
Carter stilled. “Do you honestly think you’d be able to find your brother in a city of over eight million people?”
No, I didn’t. But it was killing me to sit here and do nothing when I knew he was only a short flight away. Of course, we had no idea where he’d gone after the surveillance camera captured his image a few days ago. For all we knew, he wasn’t even in New York anymore.
“But how do I find him?”
He cleared his throat. “Have you ever considered that he doesn’t want to be found?”
I’d squashed the thought of Archer deliberately staying away every time it sparked. It hurt too much.
A hand on my arm startled me, and then Carter gently led me out of his office. “Look on the bright side. You know he’s alive.”
But for how long?I let out a bitter laugh. A person didn’t just disappear for shits and giggles. But Carter was right. I couldn’t do a thing. And if Archer wanted to stay away, maybe I should respect his wishes.
If only it wasn’t burning a hole in my chest every time I thought of him out there all by himself.Why didn’t he ask me for help?
Lucius looked up when we came back to the living room, where he’d been helping Sofie paint her unicorn figurines. He had a purple paint smudge on his cheek.
I sank down next to them, and he put his arm around me. I already felt less like I was falling apart.
“What did Carter say?” he asked softly.
“He has footage of Archer in New York.”
Lucius leaned back so he could look at me. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t look for information before everything blew up.” He pressed his lips to mine in a brief kiss.
“Don’t you dare apologize. We don’t even know if Maurizio had anything to do with my brother’s disappearance. Chances are it’s all just a coincidence.” Laying my head on his chest I relaxed against him. “I’ll be okay.”
