ward the group at the altar.
"No, I mean Roxanna is a sweet, friendly girl," Rosalinda said. "She doesn't have any enemies."
"I see. Well, if there isn't anything else to tell me, I'm afraid you will have to go home and let us finish everything up here," Saymen announced. "Call me if anything comes up, anytime."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white business card. He handed it to Victor before turning to face Nick. Nick watched the officer walk toward him and stop at his side.
"I will personally do everything I can to find Roxanna and bring her back to you safe and sound," Saymen muttered under his breath. "You can count on it."
He gently touched Nick's shoulder before walking out of the chapel, Nick's eyes following after him. As the door closed, Nick let out a sigh before turning to face his family members.
"Nick..." Aly began softly.
"Not now. Can we just go home? Please?"
He watched as the adults glanced at each other silently before Victor nodded.
"Of course. We'll get the twins and meet you there," Victor said.
Chapter Three
Nick pulled into the driveway of his and Roxanna's beach house, turned off the car and sat there. She was actually gone. He’d looked everywhere; around Miley’s street, the beach, the gardens and hiking trail behind their old high school. He even went to Tilden Regional Park even though he knew Roxanna had never actually been there. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as his teeth grinded together. He just couldn't find the strength to even attempt to enter the house without Roxanna with him. It just didn't feel right. A sigh escaped him as he saw the others pull up to the house. He took a couple of deep breaths before getting out the car. He started walking toward Victor's black Escalade but paused as Roxanna’s mom, Rosalinda, met him at the end of the sidewalk.
"We got the twins right now, Nick," Rosalinda began. "You..."
"But I..." Nick cut her off only to stop as he glanced up and met her gold eyes. Rosalinda watched as Nick closed his eyes tight briefly before slowly opening them back up. "I have to..."
"Nick, it's okay if you want to have some time to yourself to...wrap your head around what’s happened," Rosalinda said. "I mean, we'll understand. The twins are in good hands."
Nick nodded his head and gently bit into his bottom lip. "Thank you, Mrs. Rosa," he whispered softly.
She watched as he turned around and walked toward the front door. Nick unlocked the front door, entered the house, and closed the door, leaving it unlocked for the others outside. He walked upstairs to his and Roxanna’s room and went into the closet. His jacket fell to the floor followed by his tie, white shirt, pants, and shoes. He walked into the bedroom in his boxers, socks, and undershirt and climbed on top of the covers, the thick, red covering taking away some of the chills that never seemed to leave his body. His hand reached up to grab the locket that had hung around his neck since Roxanna gave it to him last year. He opened it up and stared at the small picture on the front. Roxanna's gold and hazel eyes gazed up at him, a smile on her face. A few tears slipped down his cheeks as he clenched the locket in his fists.
"Why did this happen?" He muttered angrily to himself. "Today was supposed to be a good day. It was supposed to be perfect." He glared hotly at the canopy bottom directly above him as his tears slowly turned to sobs. "Why did you let her get taken away from me?" he cried out.
Start the Sarmiento Sisters Series
African American Urban/Women’s Fiction
Inevitable by Kolene Taylor
Prologue
Eve walked down the street with her shopping bags in both hands. Her big white floppy hat sat cocked on the right side of her face dipping over her black Donna Karen sunglasses. Her sandy hair lay across her shoulders. Her navy jacket extended down to her knees and was set off by the matching skirt that didn’t dip much further.
Stopping to admire a red chiffon evening dress displayed in the window of one of the exclusive boutiques downtown, she checked her watch. She had time. She was meeting Lola and Teresa for lunch and she knew only Lola would be on time, Teresa was notorious for being late. Luckily, the restaurant where they were meeting was just up the street.
Strolling down the avenue looking at the newest designs, Eve knew she shouldn’t have walked from her office to the restaurant. Shopping was her weakness and she always gave in to temptation. Her impulsiveness got her in more trouble than debt and she promised she would make wiser decisions. Two pair of shoes later, she was now looking at this dress in the window. Staring longingly at the beautiful scarlet dress, she exercised her discipline and made the decision to walk past the entrance of the store.
“You know you would look too good in that dress.”
That unforgettable voice sent chills up and down her back causing Eve to stop in her tracks. She hadn’t heard that voice in two years and she couldn’t believe she was hearing it now. She took a moment and gathered herself before she responded.
“Well, I’m teaching myself to resist temptations, no matter how enticing they can be.”
She turned to face her past.
“Well, resisting is overrated,” he said, smiling that easy smile. “I say go for it.”