Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Oh, God, Arabella. I’m so sorry. If I’d known, I would have helped.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “It wasn’t your responsibility to help me. It was my responsibility to get myself out from under him. Unfortunately, he found someone else to try and marry me off before I had enough money to escape him.”
“What?” Cole asked.
“Yeah, it hadn’t been announced because he wanted us to look like we’d dated first. Lord knows he wouldn’t have wanted the truth to get out. Anyway, that’s all over now and in a roundabout way you ended up giving me everything.”
“I did? What do you mean?”
“I fell in love with Haven the first time I saw it. I researched it, dreamed about moving here. And when I had the chance, I took it. And now I have everything. Two men who love me, friends, a dog, who I’ve decided is going to stay mine. I have peace and I can hope again because I feel safe. I am safe. So, no hard feelings.”
She held out her hand and waited. To her surprise he didn’t shake her hand.
No, he drew her into his chest and hugged her tight.
So tight that she felt her stomach lurch.
Oh God!
“I’m going to be sick!” she cried, tugging out of his embrace and turning to run.
She needed to find a bathroom! Now!
“Arabella! Arabella, come back!”
But she ignored him. Her stomach was about to heave everything up.
“Bathroom?” someone called out.
She glanced over, seeing the clown from earlier and nodded. He’d know where it was.
“Arabella! Wait for me!” Cole called out as the clown took her arm and tugged her into the back of the spooky train ride.
Was there really a bathroom here? And why was he holding her so tightly?
But it was too late. She bent over, vomiting. She could hear Cole banging on the door. Had it locked or something?
“That’s fucking disgusting. What is wrong with you?”
What was wrong with her? What was wrong with him? What kind of clown dragged people around by their arm?
A bad clown, that was who.
She opened her mouth to demand that he let her go. But before she could say anything there was a prick on her arm.
And then nothing.
40
“Icannot believe that you let our girl get kidnapped!” Kellan roared.
Eli had to shove into Kellan’s chest to stop him from going after Cole.
Now wasn’t the time for that. After they found Arabella and were no longer in the sheriff’s office, then he could pound on Cole until he felt better.
Eli would help him.
“I didn’t! She ran off because she wasn’t feeling well,” Cole snarled back. “I followed after her, but some clown grabbed her and dragged her into the back of that spooky train ride. I tried to get in, but the door was locked. By the time I got inside, all that was left was a pile of puke. That’s when I called all of you.”
“Right, we have a report of a clown that was seen carrying a large sack through the parking lot,” Eleanor said, rushing in. “He got into a car.”
Eli hadn’t thought the older woman was capable of moving that fast.
“What was he driving?” Jake asked, typing in the details of the car.
“They only got the color,” Eleanor said. “A dark gray.”
“That isn’t enough to go on,” Jake said with a groan. “But we’ll start looking at traffic cams.”
“Lee Newsome,” Kellan said suddenly. “It’s got to be him.”
“You think he kidnapped her? The trouble is that we’ve got no motive and no idea who he is or where since you couldn’t find any information on him,” Eli reminded him. “He’s a ghost.”
“But Ravina knows him,” Kellan said.
Shit. He was right.
“And he was driving a silver car the other day when he dropped her off at her office.”
“We need to get to Ravina,” Eli said.
“Wait!” Jake held up his hand and Eli gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to hear how it was a stretch and blah, blah, blah.
“I’ll call the department in Freestown and have them send deputies to her house and office. That will be quicker.”
Good thinking.
An hour passed and still no one could find Ravina. She wasn’t at home or work. Her car was gone.
Fuck.
Kellan was in front of a computer at the police station, going through traffic footage. Everyone was out there, searching for their girl. And not just people who knew her, but pretty much the entire town.
But they didn’t know where she was.
“Wait, I found the car,” Kellan said. “I think this is it. I’ve got a plate. It’s registered to a guy called Lyle Newton.”
“Shit that’s close to Lee Newsome,” Jake said.
“Could be another false identity,” Eli warned. “Where did he head to?”
“Toward her old place,” Kellan said. “Was he taking the road out of town?”
Or was there another reason?
“We should head there,” Eli said as his phone rang. He frowned as he saw it was Abe.