Adria wasn’t a runner.
She never was and never would be.
She wouldn’t go any further than X’s. Eric knew that deep in his bones.
And then there was her mother.
Adria thought she was alive. And worse, Adria believed she was somewhere near X.
Eric didn’t share her optimism.
Everything always circled back to the mysterious man who had contacted her when she was just a girl.
Who was he? Why was he helping them? And why Adria?
It was evening before the S.S. Dominion pulled into the docks. Eric squared his shoulders, slung the duffel bag higher, and pulled out his phone, sending Kaydon a text.
Eric: Northern lot, look for an old Ford truck.
Three dots appeared before Kaydon gave his message: ared heartemoji.
Eric scowled. Was it so hard to say okay, or I hear you?
He missed the days when you didn’t have to worry about your texts being hacked. That your phone didn’t triangulate your location to anyone with a laptop and a minor set of skills.
He missed his flip phone.
It was another hour before four figures formed in the distance. Their rag-tag group moving in practiced unison. Eric wondered if their time at sea had solidified their little foursome.
Adria made eye contact with him first. He watched her assessing gaze take him in. Eric was in awe of her. After everything she had been through, she came out fighting everytime. He only hoped that eventually she could stop fighting and enjoy her newfound companions.
It was obvious to anyone that saw the four of them together that they were meant for each other.
Eric just prayed that Adria would see it, too. That she would really let them in and trust they would accept her.
“Have fun?” he said, lips twitching as Kaydon approached.
“You know it, brother,” Kaydon said, slamming his palm into Eric’s forearm.
Eric gave him a pat on the back before turning to Adria, whose face was a mask of stoicism. “Don’t do that again, or I’ll take you over my knee.”
“Ooooooo,” the boys said in unison as if she was the principal reprimanding a naughty student.
Eric only stared at her. She didn’t have the same hold on him as she had with others.
The two of them had established that the second day they met. The day she took him to Club Shale.
“It’s good to see you too,” he said, pulling her into a hug.
At first, she was stiff in his arms, but it wasn’t long before she melted into him. “Don’t do that again,” she said quietly, just for him.
“Okay, hun. I won’t.”
To the rest of the group, he said, “X wants to do a sweep of the area before we arrive. It’s a fourteen-hour drive into Curitiba, Paraná and then we’ll stop for breakfast and wait for his call. The plan is still to head over there after dark.”
Eric got into the truck. Bryson sat up front with him, and Seth, Adria, and Kaydon got in the backseat.
He adjusted his rearview mirror to see her.
