Ignite

My head lifted as I was met with the most caring gray eyes ever. “Baby, I’m so sorry this is happening. Do you want to go home?”

Pressing my lips tightly together, I attempted to hold back my tears, but they finally broke free. I threw myself into Emmit’s arms as he held onto me. “I swear to you, pumpkin, we are going to find her. I swear to you.”

Emmit’s phone rang, and I wanted to tell him to ignore it. Wrapping my legs around him, I held onto him as he walked over and picked up my phone.

“Chris, talk to me bro. Give me something.”

I could hear Chris talking through the phone, but I pushed it away and focused on Emmit and his cologne. My mind drifted back to last night in the hammock. I thought about how I had stopped talking my pills the day after Emmit said he wanted a baby.

With a quick glance down to my belly, I smiled at the idea of little baby growing in there.

Emmit walked over and sat me down on the sofa and then he dropped down next to me. “What do you mean she’s in North Carolina? Are you sure?”

I watched as Emmit’s hand pushed through his hair while he closed his eye

s and shook his head. “But if she was there . . . who gave the phone to the front desk?”

My heart started beating so loud I could hear it in my ears, drowning out Emmit’s words.

As I stood up, I turned to look at Emmit. He held up his finger as if telling me to hang on. “Find out for sure and then call me back.”

Dropping the phone to the side of him onto the sofa, Emmit stood up and looked at me. There was nothing but confusion swimming in his eyes.

“Stephanie has been in North Carolina this whole time. She’s working for the city as an administrative assistant. Every day for the last three weeks, she reported to work.”

My eyes widened in horror. “What?”

Emmit shook his head. “This doesn’t make sense. She must have hired someone to do all of this so it appeared she was completely innocent. How else would anyone know about where we were getting married or have my credit card number?”

Thoughts raced through my mind. Emmit had to be right. Stephanie must have sent someone to do all of this to make herself look innocent.

“Has anyone talked to her?” I asked as I watched Emmit quickly head to the bedroom.

“Chris has. He said she seemed nervous, like she was for sure hiding something. When he asked her about the phone and the video, she stood up and told him to leave her house. Chris said Stephanie’s husband practically punched the living hell out of him.”

Emmit grabbed both of our suitcases and motioned for me to take mine. “Are we leaving?”

“Yeah, I’ll feel better when we are home and you’re safe.”

My body shivered as I rubbed my hands down my arms. “You don’t think we’re safe? Do you think someone will try something?”

Emmit sighed and turned to me. “Addie, someone shredded your wedding dress with a knife. They tracked us down here in the Bahamas’ and they sent you a fucking video of me trying to cause problems. Yes. I wouldn’t put it past them to try something else.”

“But if it’s Stephanie, maybe she’ll stop knowing we are so close to her trail and—”

“Damn it, Addie!” My body jumped when Emmit slammed the dresser drawer shut. “Will you just pack, please. The sooner we get out of here the better.”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, Emmit Jerome Lewis. Don’t ever do that to me.”

Emmit turned to look at me as I stood there with my arms wrapped around my trembling body. “I’m scared enough as it is.”

It only took him two steps to get to me as he cupped my face within his hands. The color was drained from his cheeks as his eyes captured mine.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I would never ever hurt you.”

My hands rested on his arms. “I know that.”

Emmit closed his eyes and shook his head as he softly spoke, “I’m sorry, Addie. I would never ever do anything to scare you. I just want you safe.”