I take it his meeting didn't go well?
Poor Ambrose.
So sad.
His eyes flit back to me, but snag on his office.
What? What is it?
I don't dare look.
Ambrose takes a long inhale, filling up his chest as he straightens, and I hold perfectly still.
"Aurora," he says on an exhale. "Would you join me for a coffee? I could use some pleasant company after the afternoon I've had."
Holy fuck.
My relief is dizzying, but short-lived as I stand and set my book on the side table.
"Of course," is what I say out loud, but in my head, I'm screaming a thousand curses when I see his office doors.
And how they're slightly ajar.
56
THE SEXIEST HORSE
ELIJAH
"It's almost time," Atticus says as if I haven't been watching the clock for the last hour.
Our scheduled Spanish lesson is set to start at 10:30 p.m. because of the time difference, and Aurora is trying to keep her regular Eastern time zone schedule.
I take the seat in front of the laptop Atticus has set up for the lesson and wipe my damp palms against my jeans, knees bouncing.
Sev stands behind me, giving my shoulders a squeeze. "She'll be here, E. You'll see."
"We don't know that—" I shrug him off. I don't mean for it to sound so fucking accusing, but I can't help it. I'm going out of my fucking mind. "We don't even know where the hell she is."
Atticus's mouth twists. I know he takes full responsibility for that fact, but regardless of any fault, it remains that we don't know where she is. We haven't known since she stepped foot in this fucking country.
I know Atty's tried everything. Iknowthat, but it doesn't fix the facts.
"I think I have it narrowed down to about ten properties," Atticus says in a flat monotone.
"It's not good enough."
My head feels light and hot, and my hand fucking hurts. I've had those night terrors every damn night since we got here, and the tendons in my right hand are so messed up I can't even hold a pen. I'm not sure I could shoot a gun with any accuracy, either, but I'll damn well try if it comes to that.
"She's been in contact, E." Sev's tone is cautious, and I hate it.
"We don't know that, either. What if it's not her?"
"We have no reason to believe that," Atticus snaps, as if he can make it true.
I laugh hollowly, dropping my head into my hands. "You haven't seen it."
Sev shifts in my peripheral. "Seen what?"
