Dark Hearts (Light in the Dark 3)

I don’t move. I think I’m stunned.

“Out,” he yells.

I force my feet to move and flee his office just as Nova starts down the stairs.

“I heard yelling and banging. Is everything okay?” she asks, hurrying toward me.

I shake my head. “We’re leaving.”

“W-What?”

“Come on.” I urge her to the door.

“My jacket,” she mumbles, looking around blindly for it.

“I’ll buy you a new one.” I push her toward the door. I need out of this house. Now.

She watches me, wide-eyed, and seems to pick up on there being something of urgency.

We burst outside into the blistery cold, both of us instantly shivering.

I place my hand on her lower back, guiding her to my truck.

We get inside and I start the truck, pulling out of the driveway as fast as I can.

“What happened?” she asks. “Jace?” she prompts, placing her hand tenderly on my knee. “Talk to me, please. Don’t shut down.”

“He shouldn’t have done that.” I shake my head, anger still coursing through my veins.

“Done what?”

I shake my head, searching for the words. “Shouldn’t have looked into you. It was wrong and invasive. You’re important to me and he pried into your fucking life. He spied on you. Shit, Nova.” I slam on the brakes and look down at the papers in my lap, elation replacing fury. “Holy shit,” I exclaim.

“What?” Her lips part in confusion. “What’s going on?”

I hold up the papers. “We’re going to find your son.”

“What?” She’s still confused.

I pull off the road so we don’t get hit and put the truck in park. “My dad must’ve hired an investigator or something to look into your past, after he spoke with Harry Mitchell—Owen’s dad.”

“Why would he do that?” she asks, her nose crinkling.

“Because he’s my dad, and that’s what he does. He had a background check done on my prom date back in high school, so I honestly shouldn’t be that fucking surprised that he did this.”

“Okay, but what does this have to do with my son.” Nova shakes her head, not following my gist.

“Because—” I wave the papers in her face “—we have the adoption papers. We know the adoptive parents’ names now.”

Her mouth parts into a perfect O and then she bursts into tears. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Oh, my God.” She unbuckles her seatbelt and crawls across the console to get in my lap.

I hug her to me.

All I’ve wanted for the last month is to reunite Nova with her son, even if only through a picture, and now thanks to my dad, I just might be able to do that and more.