Page 70 of His Sacrifice

It doesn’t matter how nice she is, I can’t speak to her about this. It wouldn’t be right.

“No one.” I shake my head and change the subject. “Where are you staying?”

“Oh come on, I can see that ya pining over someone. If you're to be me husband, you're to be honest with me. Who is she… or a he?”

“A she.”

“And does she have a name?” Briella’s intrigued, but I sense that it’s in a non jealous kind of way.

“This is weird.” I sigh, taking a sip of water and wishing I could put an end to this shit show and go home to Evelyn.

“No, the situation we’ve been put in is weird. I figure we should try to become friends before we hope for anything else. Friends share their problems, don't they?”

“That sounds strangely logical,” I admit, it’s not like I have anyone else to talk to, and since Briella's in exactly the same position as me, maybe she’ll understand. “Her name's Evelyn, you might remember her, she used to live with her mother in one of the houses on the estate.”

“Aye, beautiful girl if I remember. She asked me once how it felt to know that I get to spend the rest of me life with ya.”

“And what did you say?” It’s my turn to be curious now.

“I told her it be like a prison sentence.” I can’t help smile at her insult.

My phone vibrates and I excuse myself to take a look at it. And when I read the single word that comes up on my screen, I feel my heart plummet.

LOTUS

“I have to go.” I stand up from the table, the feeling of panic starting to overcome my reaction. I don’t know what I should do, or who I should call.

“Of course, good luck with ya girl.” Briella smiles at me, and I don’t have the time to worry about how rude I’m being as I rush out to my car. I try calling Evelyn and when I get no answer, I dial Ludo.

“Speak to me. Where is she.” I shout down the phone at him, getting into my car and ordering Niko to head toward the city.

“In her room sulking, where she’s been all day,” Ludo sounds uninterested.

“Go check,” I order, praying to anything fucking holy that he’s right. The wait is fucking agony as he moves up the stairs to seek her out.

“Shit! I don’t know where she could have gone, Raoul, I’ve been here the whole time.” Ludo’s tone rapidly changes.

“Get me Kendra’s address,” I hang up the phone, and immediately try to call Evelyn again, this time it goes straight through to voicemail.

I’m panicking, losing control, and I don’t like how it feels one fucking bit. A few minutes later an address comes through, and I shout it out to Niko so we can head in that direction while I keep trying Evelyn.

I try her studio first as it’s on the way, and after persistently trying the buzzer and threatening one of the residents, I manage to get inside the building, but there’s no answer from her door.

After fifteen minutes of knocking, I decide to move on to Kendra's place but find no one there either.

I leave a voicemail on Evelyn's phone, trying my best to make myself sound calm. I’m so mad at myself for the way I left things with her earlier. I should never have left her on her own today.

“Do you think she might have gone to be with her mother?” Niko suggests when I get back in the car. I can’t rule it out. Evelyn is kind by nature. Despite what she said this morning about not wanting to see her mom, being alone might have given her the time to think about things.

“Try the studio one more time,” I tell him, texting Petyr in case I need to fly back out to New Mexico.

“We’ll find her, sir, don’t worry,” Niko assures me, looking through the rear mirror.

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