Declan.
Dad.
But why should we leave?
Sierra’s career is here. I could start one…
“Maybe I’ll open a tattoo shop in town.”
I say it lightly, but Kai nods, pointing a finger at me.
“I’d love you to stay, but I want you to know that I understand if you can’t.”
The Uber slows, and we pull up at Kai and Lorena’s house.
“You do?”
I tug my suitcase to the sidewalk as Kai sighs.
“Yeah. This place doesn’t hold good memories for you. But, Crane, seriously, talk it through with my sister. I’ve never seen her this happy, and, well…I’ve never seen you this happy either.”
“Speaking of your sister, I need to get moving. I don’t like the thought of her on her own.”
“You’re her boyfriend, not her bodyguard.” Lorena laughs, heading toward the house.
Boyfriend.
What we have doesn’t feel like it deserves a term so juvenile.
Sierra should be my fucking wife.
And she will be, one day.
SIERRA
The house smells musty, so I open the windows to let in some air in.
My phone beeps again, and I grit my teeth when I see Declan’s name on my screen.
I set off to find the diamonds he wants so badly, tearing my room apart trying to find them.
But they’re gone.
I fall back onto my bed, staring at the empty velvet box I know held the diamonds before I left for Miami.
Iknowthey were in there.
Swallowing hard, I glance around the room like the diamonds are hiding, and groan.
“Fuck.”
I shower, racking my brain the whole time about where the diamonds could possibly be.
If I’d been robbed, surely they’d have taken the box?
There’d be signs of a break-in too, and as far as I can tell, everything seems fine.
So where the hell were they?
