Nathan said as much and even though he seemed so convinced, Mallory wasn't. It was just too much of a chance. She couldn’t see how she could take that chance.
“I just can't take that chance, Nathan. You know how much he hated me because of Balthazar.”
“Well, he didn’t hate you that much. You two have a kid together.”
She shot him a dirty look for his quick answer.
Nathan was quiet for a moment and finally told her that he did not believe that Vincent hated her.
“I mean, he doesn’t hate you, hate you. He hates Balthazar, and you were just attached to him.”
“What makes you think that he doesn't?”
“Because I know for a fact that he doesn't.”
“How could you know such a thing?”
He looked like he was going to tell her something and then he pressed his lips together. “I just know, Mallory. There are some things that I can't tell you because it would be like betraying him. But, you are way off the mark.”
“What sort of things can’t you tell me?”
She was trying to get information out of him, but he wasn't letting any of it go. Mallory had always known where she stood with Nathan. It had been pure desperation that had even brought him into the mix. While he was still playing along with her, she really had no idea for how long. She was thankful, obviously, but she had absolutely no idea why he was helping her.
Mallory was afraid to ask.
“Well, I wish I could be as sure about everything as you are, Nathan. But I can't be. I am not ready to come clean with it all. He can’t know about Ethen, not yet.”
When he didn't respond, she asked him if he was going to tell Vincent, and he said that he wasn’t.
“As long as he doesn't ask me directly, I don't have to lie to him. I would never volunteer that information. I am glad that you trusted me enough to tell me.”
She felt a little bit better, like he was not going to say anything, but Mallory still didn't like the way he was acting. Why could he be so sure that Vincent would be happy to know about Ethen? She had not seen proof of that at all. Was there something that she didn't know?
He stayed for a little while, but she finally shooed him away because Laura was going to be back soon. They had a lot to discuss and having Nathan around wasn't going to help matters.
Since Mallory had to get up early the next day for work, it was easy to tell him that she had to go to bed early. It was an easy excuse that got him to leave, and it let her breathe a little more. She wanted Nathan to be right. She wanted to tell Vincent the truth. It had been at the tip of her tongue for so long. It felt impossible, though.
***
Vincent was getting edgier by the day. He could not understand why one female couldn't be found. It didn't make sense to him. She had been underground for far too long and with his resources, she should have already been located. He had never had trouble finding somebody before.
His frustration was once again taken out on Nathan, and he accused him of not trying to find her.
“Why the hell would I not try to find her?”
“I don't know.”
“Well, the truth is that I've been sick of listening to your mouth for a while. I know that the sooner I find her, the sooner you will drop it. Trust me, Vincent, at this point, that’s all the incentive that I need.”
Vincent was a little surprised that Nathan was so short with him. It wasn't like him, and he asked Nathan what was going on. His second had something on his mind.
“You give me impossible tasks all the time and I don't say anything. I just do it. But this chick... It has been impossible to find her. It's not from lack of trying. She is just gone.”
That was the exact opposite of what kind of answer he was looking for. Even though he knew he was being a jerk, he still wanted to rage.
“I don't know why it's so damn hard to find her, but you just need to. Put some more men on it if you have to. I want to know where the hell she is. Now!”
Nathan agreed, but he still wasn't happy about it. Finally, he asked for a favor out of the blue that made Vincent pause. It wasn’t usual.
