Falling into You (Falling Stars 3)

Silence stretched thin, and he finally cleared his throat. “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure of his intentions. He showed up at my door, saying he’d gotten a tip.”

I sniffled. “I understand that. I…I’m sorry I waited so long. My mama…she’s at the end of her life, and I came to the point that I knew I had to do everything I could to find her since the police hadn’t been able to do it. I gave him all the information that I could.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

I tried to keep another sob from busting free, but it got loose.

“You heard from your daughter?”

I couldn’t help but beg it.

Sure if he verified it that would be validation enough that my sister was alive.

He sighed. Hesitated. I could tell that he was warring.

“Please, I need to find my sister.”

He blew out a sigh. “Yes. I’ve heard from her. Several times.”

“Oh god,” I whimpered with the relief.

He cleared the thickness from his throat and began to explain, “She left home at eighteen with stars in her eyes. Wanting to be famous. She got caught up in the lifestyle. We lost her to drugs, and then finally we just stopped hearing from her altogether.” He sniffled but tried to hide it. “I’d thought we’d lost her forever until she recently made contact to let us know she’s still alive. That she’s in a safehouse.”

A frown pulled to my brow. “A safehouse?”

I could feel his reluctance. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. Hell, my daughter wasn’t supposed to tell me.”

“Please…what do you know? Do you know something about my sister?”

He pushed out a slow sigh before he finally relented. “My daughter had been being held against her will. She owed the wrong people money. Before she knew it, she’d become their property.” He choked on that. Not wanting to lay it out but his meaning clear. “She was rescued from it a few months ago and taken to a safe place until she could testify.”

My heart started beating faster.

“From a house in Los Angeles?” I rattled the address.

“Yes. That was it.”

“Is my sister with her? Her name is Liliana Marin. Oh god, please tell me she’s safe.”

He wavered and stalled, and I was crying out again, “Please.”

God, my heart was gonna falter.

“She is,” he finally said, so low like he was terrified someone nefarious was listening in.

I reeled.

“Oh my god.”

Relief hit me so hard, my entire body quaked.

“Where is she?” I begged.

He hesitated again, and I knew immediately he had information he hadn’t given to Mr. Jacobs. That he was doing everything he could to protect his daughter, too.

“Please, you don’t understand. I think my sister is in immediate danger. I’ve gotten threats.”

He blew out a sigh. “I’m not supposed to—”

“Please. The authorities have received new information, but we can’t help them unless we know where they are.”

A sigh pushed through the line.

“All I can give you is a P.O. box at a facility. You can send her something there. Ask her to contact you.”

I gushed out a rush of relief. “Thank you.”

He gave it to me for a place somewhere in Kentucky.

“You don’t know how grateful I am.”

“I just want them safe,” he said, his voice a dulled, roughened blade.

“I know. I think we’re close to that.”

The second we hung up, I jumped up to my desk, flipped the lid to my laptop, and entered the address for the box.

“Oh my god.”

It popped up the name of the renter.

I searched his name, my heart in my throat.

And he had a house.

A house in Lexington.

Everything sped and flashed.

My relief and desperation.

My sister. My sister.

I dialed the number as I was flying out the door. “Mr. Jacobs. I found her.”Thirty-SixRichardSix Years AgoLily: Shawn really wants to see me?Richard: Yeah.Lily: Violet’s already asleep. Should I wake her to come with me?His gaze traveled around the raging party, and his guts clenched at the thought of his wife being in the middle of this. Of what she would think. A tickle of awareness pushed into his mind. A warning he didn’t heed.

He tapped out a response.

Richard: Nah. Not her scene. Come alone.Lily: Okay, be there in a few.He tossed his phone to his lap, stretched back, shot Shawn a grin. “She’s on her way, asshole. You’re welcome. You’d better treat her right this time. She’s a good girl.”

Shawn cackled a laugh. “You know I will, brother. You know I will.”“What are you doing?” Richard shouted.

Lily wept, cried where they’d stripped her on the bed. He roared, fought and flailed to get to her while three men pinned his arms behind his back and held him back by the shoulders, forcing him to watch.

Bile rushed.

The high gone as he watched men sink to their lowest low.

As they ravaged her.

One after another.

As she screamed.

As she cried.

Tears streaked nonstop down Richard’s face and snot ran from his nose. “Stop. Fuck. Stop. Please.”