Chapter 12
Twelve
Bristol
I can’t believe Liam jetted on a plane with his sister and the rest of his housemates, leaving my ass behind.
Jerk!
Yes, I’m worried about Harper, but knowing she’s missing and then being shoved aside isn’t fair. I want to help.
I’ve been texting Liam constantly, trying to get him to spill as much information as possible. There isn’t much he’s willing to tell me. Which sucks.
I grab the bus, but I’m not heading back to Great Falls.
I hope I’m not making a huge mistake.
As the bus pulls up at the Breckenridge bus terminal, I climb down the steps and outside. I text my mom, hoping she’s not too busy.
Can you pick me up from the bus stop in town?
Within seconds, she’s calling me.
“Of course, why didn’t you just call me? I’d have picked you up from school.”
I pause for a beat. “Because I’ve been staying with Liam. I didn’t think you’d want to drive down to Evergreen University.”
I shiver and pull my coat closed, zipping it up. “Can you just come get me?”
“I’m heading to the car now,” Mom says.
Within fifteen minutes, she’s pulling up and I hurry to the car as she unlocks it. I toss my bag into the backseat and then climb up front. The warm blast of heat inside the car feels good on my frosty fingers and toes.
“Thanks for picking me up,” I say, shoving my hands in front of the vents, enjoying the warm air. “Can we stop by your office?”
“We can,” Mom says and glances at me briefly while mainly keeping her attention on the road. “What’s going on, Bristol?”
She always cuts right to the point, and I bite down on my bottom lip, glancing at her. “Promise me you won’t be mad, but I need your help.”
She exhales and nods. “I promise. Just out with it.”
I open my mouth and then quickly shut it. “Can I wait until Jaxson is around? I’d rather only do this once.”
Mom raises an eyebrow and nods. “Good thing we’re only a few minutes out.”
We arrive in record time, and I leave my bag in the car and hurry into the building, Mom trailing behind me. I don’t bother knocking as I trample right into Jaxson’s office. “I need to talk with you.”
“Bristol!” Mom scolds as I hear her click the front door shut and her heels tapping over the floorboards on her approach.
She shuts Jaxson’s door behind us, assuming that whatever I intend to say may require privacy.
She’s not far off the mark on that one.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Bristol?” Jaxson leans back in his chair, staring at me. He glances briefly at my mother and I’m not quite sure, but the look they’re exchanging makes me uncomfortable.
“Mom, you should take a seat for this,” I say and gesture to the chair across from Jaxson’s desk.
“You heard her, Emerson,” Jaxson says and nods toward the empty chair for my mom to sit.
She obliges, and while there are two chairs, one still untouched, I can’t sit still.
“Harper Ricci is missing,” I say, the words sputtering out before I can control them. “I’m not sure if you know who that is—she’s one of my boyfriend’s housemates. Harper is married to Luca Ricci, the son of Dante Ricci. Mafia.”
Mom and Jaxson exchange a terse glance.
“What makes you certain he’s mafia?” Jaxson asks, his question careful not to reveal anything that he may or may not know.
“It slipped out. I wasn’t supposed to know, but that’s not the problem. The issue is that Harper has been abducted. She went missing from work—”
“We know. She should be back by now,” Jaxson says, his hands clasped together, his gaze on me.
“What do you mean—you know?” I step forward, approaching his desk from the side.
He presses his lips together, quiet for only a fraction of a second. “It’s come to my attention that she disappeared from her job at the Bloody Rogue.” His expression is grim, and he’s careful with his wording, perhaps hiding something?
“Yes, and—”
“And she was released, last seen at the Blue Sky Resort.”
“She’s not there now!” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Liam isn’t telling me much, but that he took a flight to Las Vegas. I can’t just sit around waiting. We need to find Harper.”
Jaxson and Mom exchange a quick glance between one another. “Do you know where in Vegas they’re going?”
“No,” I say. Liam wouldn’t tell me much. “I’m worried about Harper. Please, is there anything you can do?”
Jaxson runs a hand through his dark hair and tips his head back, glancing up briefly at the ceiling. A sigh spills past his lips as he straightens his shoulders, and his attention is back on me.
“You’re asking me to get involved with the mafia?” Jaxson asks.
I open my mouth and shut it.
Shit.
I glance from Jaxson to my mom, hoping she’ll plead my case if he won’t listen to me. “I’m asking you to help find a missing person. Harper didn’t just wander away. Something happened to her.”
Jaxson drums the desk with his fingers, tapping anxiously with vigor. He nods briefly. “Yeah, I’ll look into it.”
“Look into it?”
That’s not good enough.
“I need your help. If it’s payment, I’ll pay whatever is required, Jaxson. I’ll volunteer every summer for the rest of my life.”
His eyes crinkle. “It’s not exactly volunteering if a debt is owed—but I’ll see what I can find out. Why don’t you go back to your desk where you used to intern, and I’ll start making some phone calls.”