Chapter 7
LANDON - NOW
I coax Alice into finding an intersection with street signs, so I can find her. When I drive up, my headlights illuminate her hunched form. She starts to dart behind a tree.
“It’s me,” I say through the phone. “I’m driving up, and I see you.”
She comes forward, one arm wrapped around herself, the other clutching her phone.
I pull up next to the corner and engage the emergency brake before leaping out of the car and taking long strides toward Alice.
It’s the first time I’ve seen her face-to-face in three years.
She’s paler than I remember, and too skinny.
I imagine the stress, and whatever other conditions she faced in captivity, kept her from eating well.
Her dark blond hair looks brown in the darkness, and it’s held in a single braid that dangles in front of her shoulder.
The worst part is her eyes. She looks haunted and tired, like she hasn’t slept for a year. Someone—maybe more than one someones—turned my Alice into a ghost.
They better hope I never find them.
“Wonderland,” I whisper, holding out my arms. “You don’t have to touch me if you don’t want to, but goddamn, I would love to hug you.”
She hurries forward, almost tripping, and falls against my chest. “I’m so sorry, Landon.”
She’s crying; I can hear it in her voice.
“It’s okay.” I cradle the back of her head, pressing her closer to me. “It’s okay. We’ve got you now, all right? We’ll figure everything out. Do you have a bag of clothes or anything?”
She sobs. “I have nothing.”
My heart fucking breaks. “You have me.”
For a long moment I hold her. I want to slay her dragons, soothe her fears, coax a smile from her beautiful face. Preferably immediately, all at once.
I don’t want to let her go, but because I have no idea what Brayden is doing, I need to get her in my car and away from here.
“Come on, Wonderland.” I help her into the passenger seat and make sure she’s buckled in. My hand lingers on her shoulder. I don’t want to stop touching her, like I need a constant reminder this isn’t a dream, she’s really here in front of me.
Thirteen months, I was out of my mind with worry. The world went on despite of it, though. I still had to eat, I had to sleep, I had to work. But always, beneath the surface, my heart was clawing at my chest, trying to get to her.
“I’m taking you to Cody’s and my place,” I say, peering over at her while we’re stopped at a light on Caro. “Is that okay? Or is there somewhere else you’d rather go?”
“I want to be with you.”
Fucking music to my ears. Someday, maybe I’ll hear her say those same words with a slightly different meaning behind them.
I’m well on my way to falling right back in love with her.
ALICE - NOW
Landon’s SUV smells like him—laundry detergent, fresh coffee, pancakes. Like a lazy Saturday morning. I’m still not sure what I’m doing here, but being enveloped in this scent calms my nerves.
For the first time since I ran out of Abe’s cabin, I think maybe everything will work out.
The drive passes quickly. I don’t know what to say, so I keep quiet.
He said he’s taking me to his and Cody’s place.
I’ve never been to their apartment before.
We used to get brunch every couple of weeks, Before.
Before Brayden put a stop to it, before our marriage, before Abe stole me from my life.
But we always met at a restaurant, never at their place or mine. I don’t even know where they live.
When he drives up to a luxury apartment building and pulls into the parking garage beneath it, I try to hide my awe. I didn’t know they were loaded. All the other cars parked in here are high-end, with names I can’t pronounce.
Landon helps me out of his car, hovering as if he’s worried I’ll collapse at any moment. I want to act weaker than I am, because I liked it—too much—when he first hugged me. Impure. Maybe Brayden and Elder Wattle are onto something. I shouldn’t want another man’s hands on me so badly.
But oh, I crave Landon’s touch. Not in a sexual way. Well, maybe a little of that. But in an I’ve got you, you have me sort of way. Like how he hugged me and reassured me.
Luckily, Landon is oblivious to my thoughts. He punches in a code for the elevator, and then a second code when we get inside. “I’ll write these down for you later, so you can get in and out. The second code takes us directly to our apartment. Nobody else knows it—you’ll be safe here.”
I respond with a jerky nod, before adding, “Thanks,” because it seems like the polite, correct response.
The elevator arrives and we step into a small entryway.
Cream walls, a dark wooden table for setting down keys or phones or wallets.
I get my first real look at Landon since he bundled me into his car.
He has on black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt.
His muscles stretch the fabric and he seems taller for some reason—maybe because I’m standing closer to him than usual.
I slide off my cheap, too-tight shoes and follow Landon through a generous-sized living room and toward a hall. All the furniture, art, and design are understated in the sort of way that makes me think a lot of money is behind them.
This is hardly the den of sexual deviance that Brayden led me to believe I’d find if I kept hanging out with Landon and Cody.
I don’t see ropes, whips, or chains. I don’t see bras dangling from the light fixtures, or used condoms littering the floor.
This place is completely normal, comfortable, respectable.
Perfect and pure, unlike me.
Landon passes two doors before stopping at a third and opening it. “This is your room, for as long as you want it.”
Tears prick my eyes at his generosity. I severed our relationship three years ago with absolutely zero warning, and here he is, accepting me back into his life without a single reservation.
A plate of food sits on the nightstand, and some clothes rest at the foot of the bed.
“It looks like Cody set out some of my clothes for you,” he says. “We can throw yours in the wash if you want, and I’ll take you shopping tomorrow for whatever you need.”
My face heats. “Landon, I don’t—I don’t have any money right now. I mean, I know I have money, I just can’t get to it.”
“Hey.” He lifts his hands like he’s going to hold me, but then drops them. “It’s my treat, and I don’t want to hear of you paying me back. You’re my friend, and whatever you need, I’m getting for you.”
I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve any of it. “Where’s Cody?”
He tries to hide his grimace, but after living with Abe for a year and searching his face for signs of anything at all, I’m used to figuring out micro-expressions. “He’s sleeping, probably.”
“Did he set all these things out for me?” I ask. “Even the food?”
Landon nods.
I’ll have to thank Cody tomorrow, when he’s awake.
CODY - NOW
At four a.m., I give up on sleep. I get dressed, fuming, my dick half-hard at the thought of Alice one door down from mine.
I pause there before leaving, listening at her door. No sounds come from inside her room. I shift from foot to foot, wondering if I should see if she needs anything. No. She’s probably sleeping.
Enough. Stop hovering. I turn on my heel and go straight to the office building.
We have a gym there, so I lift for an hour.
Then I run on the treadmill until sweat runs down my forehead.
I shower and change before heading to my office.
It’s only seven a.m., but I dial Detective Baldwin, intending to leave a message.
He answers his phone. “This is Baldwin.”
“Cody Wells. How’s it going, Baldwin?”
“You know, Sprechter’s already on my ass for the Meeks case.”
“I bet he is. He won’t leave me alone, either. Is there anything else you can share?”
Baldwin sighs. “We’re searching the area around where Alice was found. Also, we have a sketch, because Alice worked with one of our artists. We’re comparing it to mug shots.”
“Is there any chance—”
“No. I know you’re discreet, but I can’t share the sketch.”
Maybe Landon could convince Alice to do another one. “Okay, thanks,” I tell Baldwin. “I’ll be going through old files. I’m sure you will, too.”
“Great. Let me know if you find anything.” Baldwin ends the call.
I’m left staring at a stack of statements. Instead of combing through them—again—I pull up a map on my computer. It’s time to get very, very familiar with the area in which Alice was found.