Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Charlotte, how hungover is Olivia?” I asked.
“Oh, the poor girl. I saw her drink a few glasses last night, but I assumed she would have switched to water at some point. Do we need to send a doctor to her room? I’m sure we can get some of those vitamin infused IV bags to rehydrate her and help her feel better.” Amelia’s concern for my sister just made me love her more.
I hoped that Amelia would take Olivia under her wing a little, be an older sister and teach her the things that our mother hadn’t before she passed.
The more I thought about it, though, the more the idea seemed ridiculous. Amelia was two years younger than my sister, and Olivia had chosen to set aside the traditions Amelia was raised in, preferring to be her own woman and make her own plans. Charlotte, however, would probably benefit greatly from Amelia’s influence, since she chose an education in the arts. A beneficial marriage was definitely in her future.
“Actually,” Rose said, color rising in her cheeks.
“Rose,” Charlotte chastised. She looked at me, then just as quickly her eyes were back on her plate, staring down at the poached egg.
“What’s going on?” Amelia asked.
“We have to tell them,” Rose said, looking at Charlotte.
Charlotte didn’t say anything, just pressed her lips together. She was keeping something from me. I didn’t like it.
“Someone better say something soon,” I said, my fist tightening around my butter knife. Amelia’s hand moved to my thigh, and I instantly relaxed.
Just having her there was enough to soothe me.
Down the table, my father was laughing with someone else, and Charlotte’s eyes went to him.
I instantly understood.
She was covering for Olivia and didn’t want our father to know.
“It’s okay.” I leaned in so only the people directly around us could hear.
“She left the wedding before we did. We figured the champagne had gone to her head, and she snuck out to lay down.”
Charlotte’s hand went to her shoulder, the spot where her cello rested as she played. It was something she always did when she was nervous. Something had happened.
“Okay … is she still sleeping it off?” I asked, praying that was it. A heavy feeling in my gut told me there was a lot more to this story.
“No, she wasn’t there when we got back,” Rose said. “Her bed hadn’t been slept in, and we called down to ask the guy at the front desk. He hadn’t seen her.”
“Are you saying she went home with someone she met at the wedding?” Amelia asked.
It was possible, I supposed. She was twenty-five.
“Have you tried calling her?” I asked. I didn’t like this, but the anger, the judgment and the death of whatever man had dared to touch my sister could all wait until after I knew she was safe.
“There was no answer.” Charlotte stabbed her egg with her fork and refused to meet my eye.
“Okay, fine.” I stood from the table and kissed Amelia on the temple. “I’m going to try calling her and make sure she is okay. I’ll be right back.”
“Of course.”
I stepped away from the table and out into the main hall.
With my phone to my ear, I paced around, waiting for the call to connect. It rang over and over without going to voicemail.
Her phone wasn’t dead, she just wasn’t answering it.
I tried again.
Still, it just rang and rang.
“Is she okay?” Amelia asked, stepping over to me and wrapping her arms around my waist.
“No answer yet.” I kissed her forehead, when my phone pinged with a text message.
It wasn’t from Olivia.
It was from Marksen DuBois.
Marksen DuBois: It’s ten o’clock in the morning. Do you know where your sister is?
Then, an image came through.
It was of Olivia naked, and asleep, or maybe drugged.
I couldn’t be sure.
What I did know was that Marksen had her, and she was in danger.
I turned to Amelia. “As quietly as possible, can you get Harrison and bring him out here?”
Amelia nodded and went to get her brother.
I called Marksen.
The call went straight to voicemail.
He had turned off his phone.
I tried Olivia again. This time it didn’t ring.
Mary Quinn Astrid, Amelia’s heinous mother, was the first out the door with Harrison and then my father quickly followed.
Amelia was right behind them, looking annoyed with her mother.
“Where is she?” My father’s voice boomed, no doubt alerting every single person within the building that something was going on. My father had many strengths, but subtlety and tact were not among them.
I stared at him for a moment and decided he needed to be informed of everything, but the rest of the world did not.
“Follow me,” I commanded and led the group to the hotel’s business suite. It had a few conference rooms I had used before when acquiring smaller businesses in the area. Since it was Sunday, I was counting on them being empty, and they were.