"Sorry, I've been worried." I kissed his head again.
"I know," he admitted.
"So, look, we're going to Astrid's?"
Des leaned back and looked at me. "Why?"
"Because Capone was her boyfriend," I answered truthfully.
"She knows how to pick 'em, huh?" Des shook his head.
Liam chuckled from the front and then reversed the car. We were traveling along before I realized I had never told him the location.
"How do you know where Astrid lives?" I asked.
Val laughed from the passenger seat, "Yeah, Liam, how do you know where Astrid lives?"
From the lights of passing cars rushing over his features, I saw his green eyes check the mirror and look at me. He was quiet and never uttered a word. Shaking my head, I sat back in my seat. The rest of the car ride we were all quiet, except for Desmond. He was going through all Yara's social media accounts, but nothing had been updated.
Liam parked the car near Astrid’s building, and I hoped out.
“Y’all stay here.”
All three of them looked at me like I was crazy because no one had made a move to get out.
Taking the steps up to Astrid's apartment, almost two at a time, I realized that it was way too late to be knocking on someone's door.
I didn't care.
Yara was missing, and that was the only thing that mattered.
The cold seemed to bite into my hand as though it were covered in rabid fire ants as I knocked on her door. I could see my breath in the cold air and finally I heard her yelling that she was coming. The door only halfway parted as she checked to see who it was after the door light came on.
"Nov...?" She stared at me from the crack, her brain trying to register what was going on.
"Yeah, look an emergency," I replied.
"Of course, come in," She yawned, and sidestepped. "What's going on?"
"Mommy who is it?" I heard Lexi say from the hallway.
"It’s Nova, sweetie," Astrid said in between yawning. "Go get back in bed."
I waited until Lexi disappeared and before speaking. "Where the fuck is Capone?"
Astrid's eyebrows rose up into her head. "What?"
"You heard me. That fucking psycho kidnapped my sister...he's the mysterious Mr. C and probably the one that put a hit out on me."
If Astrid had been asleep, she was wide awake now as her mouth formed in horror. "That can't be true."
I folded my arms and took a stance with complete and utter annoyance. "Your boyfriend likes little girls."
"He's my ex...and I don't know where he is." She rubbed her eyes.
"Well, somebody knows. Where did you meet him at again? Who are his people?"
She scrubbed a hand over her face. "Nova, I don't want to get involved with this shit."
