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“Alondra, he’s not welcome in my home.”
“Well, it’s my home too, and I say he is.” And just like that, the petite woman displayed her strength. The fire I’d seen in Reign’s eyes a million times appeared in her mother’s.
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said before the couple got into it over me.
“Of course, you’re not.” She nodded toward the living room. “Please sit down.”
“Then why are you here?” Bill followed, sitting across from me, his jaw tight.
“Honestly, Bill.” Mrs. Rochester rolled her eyes as she took the spot beside her husband.
“I need to speak to Reign, but her number’s been disconnected.”
“What for? You broke up years ago.” Bill crossed his arms over his chest and reclined. “Leave her alone.”
“I have to talk to her. It’s important.” They didn’t need to know about the gnawing feeling that something was wrong in the pit of my stomach. Why worry them? I stressed enough about it for everyone.
“I said—”
“We don’t have her number, Jonah.” She placed her hand on Bill’s knee. “We haven’t spoken to Reign in months.”
“Why haven’t you talked to her?” Alarms went off inside me. Reign adored her parents. She would never go months without talking to them.
“She got a new job. It keeps her very busy.” The sadness in Alondra’s eyes stabbed me in the heart. “City life isn’t the same as ours.”
“That’s bullshit. Reign would make time for you.” I scratched the infinity symbol near my eye, ready to come out of my skin.
“Some people have real jobs. They don’t get to play all day on their motorcycle, raising hell,” Bill hissed through his clenched teeth.
“Fuck you! I do work, asshole.”
“Okay, you two. Back to your corners.” Alondra raised her hands. “Reign wouldn’t want you fighting. And Jonah is right, Bill. Reign always made time for us, even during finals.” She stared at me with pleading eyes. “She’s not okay. I feel it in my gut.”
Bill exhaled and sagged in his seat. No words, just a worried expression.
“When did you last speak to her?” My mind went into overdrive, trying to think of every possible scenario that would keep Reign from talking to her parents. She was the kind of girl who wouldn’t let anything stand between her and her family. Unless she were dead.
No, don’t even go there.
“Easter. She’d called in the morning before we went to church, just as she always did.” Alondra wiped under her eyes and sniffled. “When we hung up, I had a strange feeling it was the last time I’d ever speak to her.”
“Weeks passed before we tried calling her.” Bill pulled his wife into his arms, holding her while she cried. “At first, it went straight to voicemail. Like maybe the battery was dead. We blew it off at first, but it was the same thing each time we called.”
“Until we got a disconnected message.” Alondra reached for a tissue on the end table and regained control of herself. “We haven’t been able to locate her. It’s like she disappeared. I’m so worried about her, Jonah. I hardly sleep at night.”
“Have you reported her missing?” I couldn’t fathom they hadn’t. If I were a parent, I would turn the world upside down, searching for my child.
“Really?” Bill snapped. “She’s our only child!”
Alondra winced. “I called the college but got nowhere. They said she dropped out, but we don’t believe it. Why would Reign do that after working so hard to get into a good college.”
“I think she did drop out because she got in trouble at school. Maybe she cheated on a test or got caught smoking pot in her dorm room.” He pointed at me. “I blame you for her rebellion.”
“Me?” I stabbed my finger into my chest. “You’re a piece of work. I didn’t teach her to rebel. She had a wild streak inside her that ran deep. I bet she got it from Mrs. Rochester.”
Bill jumped to his feet. “Get out of my house!”
“Bill, please.” Alondra grabbed his hand. “Jonah can help us find Reign. He has connections.”
