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“Carlos,” my father growled, and Carlos dug his phone out of his pocket.
I recited the number from memory, the action automatic, giving me a sense of calm and control. Carlos put it on speaker while I confirmed with the woman at the bank I would be there shortly.
Carlos ended the call, and my father gave a satisfied grunt. “Give the General the address.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Stone
The milk was slightly coolerthan room temperature.
She couldn’t have been gone too long. But one second was one too many.
I paced to the window as I dialed Daniel. Ashes stained the cream rug near her chair. I could barely breathe.
“Hey, man. You guys calling to rub in how good your dinner is?” Daniel answered jovially.
“She’s gone,” I choked out.
“What do you mean ‘gone’?” His voice turned deadly in an instant.
“Her purse, phone, and keys are here,” I choked out. “Milk’s on the coffee table. Ashes on the floor.”
“Where. Is. She?” he grated out, his frustration evident through the phone.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be calling you,” I snapped.
“Fuck!” he roared. “How long since you’ve seen her?”
“This morning,” I said, frantically pacing the living room floor.
“When did you last hear from her?”
“I forgot my phone today. That’s why I came by.” I switched to speakerphone. With fumbling fingers, I scrolled through the missed calls and texts. “Fucking Zegas.”
“What does he have to do with this?”
“He called and texted so many times, I didn’t see the text from her.”
“When did she send it?”
“About forty-five minutes ago.” My knees went weak when I read it. “Her brother is here. Oh God.”
“What?” Daniel shouted.
“Her father knows she’s alive.”
“Fuck, fuck,fuck.” He shouted the obscenity over and over. I heard something break on the other end of the line. “Vivian!” he called.
“Is he here to take her back?” All I knew of her brother was from Muriella’s memories of him from childhood. By now, he could be the same kind of monster as her father, or worse.
“What’s going on?” I heard Vivian ask.
“I think Muriella’s father has her.” Without giving her time to answer, he spoke to me again. “Keep your phone by you.”
“Of course. How do I find her?”
“I’ll let you know when I have something,” Daniel said brusquely, and then I heard dead air, indicating he’d ended the call.
