Chapter Thirteen
We pulled into the driveway of 1135 Cherryhill Lane a little while later. It was in a Winter pack community that reminded me of the Edward Scissorhands neighborhood. All the houses were the same except the color. 1135 was a white house with light pink shutters and front door. Darker pink curtains showed through the window.
We knocked on the door, but there was no answer. The TV was on, lights were on, and we could smell them inside. Porter had instructed his pack not to answer their doors. It seemed whoever lived here was obeying orders.
“Got any paper? A pen?” I asked Liam.
“Glove compartment,” he said.
I slid into the passenger seat and penned a note asking them to contact me as soon as possible. That they may be in danger. I mentioned I had spoken to their Alpha, so I knew why they weren’t answering. I hoped that part would get them to contact me.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” I said as we piled into the car to head back to the Cabin for Isaac’s truck.
Both men grunted but didn’t comment. None of us said another word until we got back to the Cabin.
“Call me when you know something,” Isaac said as he got out of the car.
“You could come back with us,” I said looking at Liam. He nodded to let me know I hadn’t overstepped by inviting him. “In case they call tonight.”
He studied me for a few moments before looking over at Liam. “You got beer?”
“I do.”
“All right. I’ll see you there.”
Liam and I got into the car, and I leaned over to kiss him deeply. I nipped his lip before settling back into my seat. “Thank you for being cool about him coming back with us.”
“He can move in if it gets me kisses like that.”
I laughed as he started driving. Back at the house, Philip had dinner waiting for the three of us in the dining room, but I asked the guys if we could bring it out to the back patio. We ate our grilled salmon under the stars, none of us feeling the need to speak. I assumed we were all thinking about the missing pack members. At least I was. Where could they be? What was happening to them? Would we ever find them? And just what the hell was Stella’s endgame.
I realized then that she hadn’t called or texted me since the day my house burned down. “I think Stella knows I’m on to her.”
“Yeah? What makes you say that?” Liam asked.
Isaac looked at me with a furrowed brow.
“I haven’t heard from her in a while. She normally calls, texts, or comes by at least once a day. This is the longest she’s gone without reaching out.”
“She could be on to you, or she could think you need time to process things and is waiting for you to call her.” Liam had said it distractedly but then perked up. “Maybe you should call her.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Isaac agreed.
“Yeah, okay,” I said but stared at my phone afraid to go through with it. Something about calling her made it all feel more real. Sucking it up, I unlocked my phone, and did it before I talked myself out of it.
The phone rang three times before she answered. “Em? I was wondering when I’d hear from you.” I froze. I couldn’t speak. Did she just confirm she knew I knew about her? “Em? Are you okay? I figured you needed more time to deal with your house.”
Anger shot through me before I could rein it in. This bitch was playing me for a fool. Though it was possible she wasn’t on to me, something told me she was pretending. Two can play at that game. “Yeah, I’m fine. Still processing,” I said using Liam’s term. “Wanted to check in. I haven’t heard from you.”
“I know, I’m so sorry. I’m going to visit my parents this weekend, and I’ve been working a lot, so I don’t have a bunch to come back to.”
Was she really going to see her parents or was that a cover? “That makes sense. Sucks to come back to a shit ton of work after a vacation.”
“Yeah. Vacation.”
I knew if she was actually going to see her parents it wasn’t for relaxation. Her dad was more than likely going to die. Liam’s treatment wasn’t a cure. He’d told me that himself. They were basically trying to keep him alive while still working toward the cure. Being that he was the only case in almost a century, they had little to work with. They needed him as much as he needed them.
“You have plans tonight?” Liam and Isaac tried to get my attention. I waved them away. “I’d love to see you.”