Chapter 32
Jack sat amidst the stack of archived copies his assistant had delivered. Somewhere in this mess was the clue to Zoe’s family of origin. He began to sort through the family trees, diaries, and hidden random websites. What a nightmare to try to disassemble.
It was just about midnight when Jack, on his third cup of coffee, found a computer hyperlink with an astounding revelation.
“Motherfucker,” Jack muttered to himself. He found his phone under a pile of papers and glanced at the time as he dialed. It was almost two in the morning.
“Josh?”
“Do you know what time it is?” Josh bit out on the other end. “Honey, it’s Jack. Go back to sleep.” There was a creak and a shuffling of feet on the other end of the line. “Talk.”
“I’m going to send you a picture. Circulate it. Send out a red alert to every clan member. We’re on lockdown. No exceptions. Understand?”
“What’s going on?”
“I know who Zoe’s stalker is.”
Chapter 33
Zoe stared at the blood on her underwear and sat down on the edge of the bed, legs trembling. She doubled over, her stomach cramping. She crawled over to the bathroom and retched.
Something was very wrong and she shivered.
What was she supposed to do? After almost two weeks without Jack, she’d just begun to settle back into some semblance of normal. She’d been able to go back and forth to her job, her workouts, and therapy. She knew Jack had her followed, but that was okay as long as they didn’t interfere with her life.
Her crying jags were down to twice a day. Perhaps someday, she’d be able to think about Jack without falling into emotional quicksand.
She rinsed out her mouth and picked up her cell phone.
“Come on Olivia, pick up.” Zoe leaned back against the side of the tub and put her cheek to the cool porcelain.
“Hey,” Olivia’s singsong voice echoed on the other end. “What’s going on? Jack won’t tell me anything, and–”
Zoe hissed, another round of cramps gripped her gut, and she put her head to her knees.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Not really.” Zoe scooted over to the toilet and waited to see if she would puke again. It was a wonder the human species survived if this was what pregnancy was like. “I’m bleeding and cramping. I think something’s wrong.”
“You need to get to a doctor right away.” Olivia sounded worried and that frightened her more than anything else this morning. “I’m going to text you the number of an obstetrician. She’s one of our own. Tell her who you are.”
“Liv, I can’t–”
“Zoe this isn’t just about you. Stop being so damn stubborn.” Olivia sighed and softened her voice. “Let me know as soon as you find out anything.”
“I will.”
When her stomach finally settled, Zoe called the number Olivia had sent her.
“I’m…Jack Fialko’s…” Zoe cringed. “Solstice mate. I think something may be wrong with my pregnancy.”
The woman was all about efficiency as she took her name and information. “Can Jack get you here right now?”
“He’s working and I didn’t want to disturb him.”That sounded plausible enough.
The woman paused for a few minutes. “Can you get yourself to a cab?”
“Yes.” She’d do whatever it took in order to not have to call Jack.
