“Okay, let’s go. I’ll go and see your father after.”
I follow her back toward the car and she wobbles a little as her heel hits uneven ground. My hand curls around her elbow, steadying her.
“Are you okay?”
She blinks at me as if she’s remembering something.
“Are you okay?” I ask again, more softly as I look at her tear-stained cheeks.
She nods and swallows. “I want to go home.”
I let go of her elbow and she takes a couple of steps before pausing, inclining her face over her shoulder to see if I’m following her. But I’m right here, one step behind her. I’m always right here.
Her body is tense, and she holds her breath. As I draw level with her, she walks again, her pace matching mine so that I stay beside her instead of one step behind.
I place my hand on the base of her spine, and her shoulders soften.
And she breathes again.
12
SINCLAIR
Denver doesn’t sayanything as I open the door to him two days later and he follows me inside my apartment, witnessing the chaos Zoey and I have created.
“Hey, Denver,” Zoey calls from across the room, half hidden by a pile of couch cushions that are in a tower.
“Zoey,” he greets.
She stands with her hands on her hips, looking around the ransacked room. “Okay, so we can rule out the living area now.”
“That just leaves the guest bathrooms,” I say. “We’ll need a plumber to check the pipes.”
“I’ll sort it,” Denver says.
I glance at him. “Thanks.”
I’ve been searching my apartment for two days straight. Zoey turned up on my doorstep within thirty minutes of getting back from picking up Monty from Sullivan’s after we left the graveyard. I know Denver called her. He waited until she arrived and then he left. I haven’t seen him since. I texted him and told him Zoey was staying over and that we were spending the day at my place together. I half expected him to show up here anyway, full of his usual deep growly energy like he didn’t believe me. Buthe didn’t, and that only worries me more. Because it means he’s been with my father, Sullivan, and Mal, talking about that note.
Trying to figure out what Neil, my mother’s dirty little secrets, motive is.
“It’ll turn up, Sin,” she says, giving me a reassuring smile. “It can’t have gone far.”
“Thanks,” I reply as she comes to hug me.
“You sure you don’t want me to stay another night?”
“No.” I squeeze her hard before letting her go. “I’ve kept you long enough. Ashton will be missing you.”
She looks at me, then at Denver, and back again, her voice softening. “I’ll come by tomorrow, yeah? We can get takeout.”
“Sounds good.” I try my best to return her smile, but all I feel like doing is crying, then screaming and throwing things.
I lost it. The one part of him I had. The only times I take my necklace off are when I’m working. And I always put it inside my bag in the same pocket. Always. It can’t have just vanished.
My chest burns again, so I rub at it as I follow Zoey to the door and let her out. Denver’s crouched, petting Monty when I return.
“I can walk him by myself if you like. But I think the air will be good for you.” His green eyes meet mine, a rare gentleness in them like I’m a scared animal that needs coaxing out.
