Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
“It’s a hard ask.” Maggie finally speaks. “I looked into you and her. By all accounts, you should want revenge on her family. How do I know that’s not the case? That I wouldn’t be putting them in harm's way by giving you their information?”
What Melody's father did made him a very hated man. Especially to the men that he got tossed into prison for the same thing he had done himself. He got the luck of the draw to be the snitch.
A thing I know he did to protect his daughters. He’s still an asshole, but I understand his intent. The man has robbed my own family of millions. His whole house of cards of an investment company came crashing down. But none of that matters to me. It never did. I would give it all up willingly to spend the rest of my life with Melody, my Neverland girl.
“All I want is Melody.” It’s all I’ve ever wanted. “Dig into my dealings, and you’ll see that.” Everything I’ve done in the past five years has been to get me back to her. I have nothing to hide.
Owen’s face grows less hard in understanding.
“I make no promises, but give me a few days.” For the first time in years, a spark of hope hits me. If anyone can find someone inside witness protection, it’s Maggie. The system is a very tangled web, but it was designed to be that way.
“Thank you.” I turn to head back to my car. “Crypris is working on a new tracker.” Maggie’s eyebrows go all the way up. “No technology at the moment can detect it.”
“Hmm,” she grumbles.
I’m sure she’ll figure out a way to change that. Which is for the benefit of everyone, but it’s something I can give her in a small trade.
I stop right before I get into my car. “I love her more than anything. I don’t care about anything else. I’ll tell you every secret I know if you tell me where she is.” There is nothing I wouldn’t do or give up to get Melody back.
“Okay.” Maggie leans into her husband's side. They both have an expression of understanding.
I don’t work for the government, because technically the government works with corporations. I know things I shouldn’t, but when you have to, you trade in secrets.
I’ve spent all these years learning and collecting those debts. When my Neverland disappeared, there was only one mission left in my mind.
To find her.
I won’t stop until I do.
Not until I once again find Neverland.
5
MELODY
The emotions I feel when I stare at my father over the breakfast table are not something I could ever explain. Not that it’s actually breakfast time, not in this house. We all seem to rise around noon.
There is no chef making our breakfast, just us fighting over who is going to get the last of the Cocoa Puffs. I can tell my sister had a long night. I heard her come in late. I want to dig and ask her a million questions, but I don’t. As much as it’s killing me not to, I know she’ll tell me when she’s ready.
My father always looks so sad. It makes it hard to be mad at him. What he did was wrong, but I think he got swept up in a moment of weakness in his life. Our mom was his everything. Then she was gone. I can’t help but feel for him, knowing how I felt when Easton was taken from me.
“How’s it going at Barns?” I ask my dad to make light conversation. Barns isn’t a real company per se, but we call it that. The FBI gives my father unnamed documents to shuffle through to find flaws. He might have been a con at one point, but he knows how to play both sides of the field now.
It was a job that could keep him hidden away while still putting his skills to work. He and my sister are incredible when it comes to numbers. I’ve always been more like my mom.
“Same.” He shrugs, not wanting to talk about it. I think it brings him shame. I’m not mad about the life we live. Who gives a fuck about the million-dollar mansion and the fleet of cars? None of it is worth the cost of people you love. My dad’s actions made me lose Easton.
To him, it might’ve been a simple, silly, girlish crush. But Easton was the same to me as my mom had been to my dad. The love of my life. We lost Mom from tragedy, not from a decision someone made.
“How about you, Alice?” I use this moment to try to get a little info on where she was last night. I can’t help myself. I try to use her new name as much as possible, even when at home. I don’t want to slip up.