Red Leather (Book 2)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

JESS:

Jessabel's recovery was long, hard, and intensely painful. Just as coming to terms with Nathan had been. No longer did she find comfort in sleep – sleep was now her greatest enemy. Sleep brought golden memories and wishful dreams that had once been reality. Nathan would always come to her, healthy and beaming and as gorgeous as ever, with little baby Led in his arms. Sometimes Led would even take form of a toddler, with chubby legs that wobbled to and fro and a shrieking laugh that melted the ice around Jessabel's heart.

Then she would wake up. Wake up to absolutely nothing.

After all, what did she still have left? An empty apartment to go home to, and a meaningless career defending corporate companies with more money than morals? She didn't want that. She didn't want anything anymore.

Well, almost. There was one nothing she still desired.

The truth.

And as Jessabel awoke every morning, trembling in grief and drowning in tears, she would try her hardest to remember what it was that she had to do. She had to eat. She had to drink fluids and take medicine and go to her physio sessions every day and get her neck brace adjusted, because despite the fact that she now had nothing, Jessabel still had a mission. And it was a mission she did not intend on abandoning. Two little words became her mantra to her. Two little words became the focus of who she was, and of everything she would become.

Find Renee.

When Jess wasn't dreaming about having Nathan back in her arms, she was dreaming of Renee Griffin's face. Though it was more of a psychoanalysis than a dream. Soon she had every pore imprinted into her memory – symmetrical bone structure, pointed chin, cupid bow lips often painted red, high cheekbones, perfectly shaped teeth, wavy blonde hair, and eyes that were darker than anything in the world. Her secrets darkened them, Jess often mused. For every person she hurt, for every life she ruined, Renee's eyes would turn a shade darker.

It was a face that haunted her, yet grounded her. A face that made her broken body crackle with energy and heat. Wherever Nathan may be, and whether he was still alive, Jess knew that it had something to do with Renee. Renee had done this. Renee had smashed her life into smithereens.

And she was going to attempt to put the pieces together. Even if it killed her.

It took almost a week of patience and endurance before Jessabel began to fully recover, and even then she didn't waste a second. Every day was a new opportunity to gather more information about what exactly happened that night – newspapers upon newspaper sat at her dresser, courtesy of Gwen, and there was never a moment when the overhead television wasn't on. "On local news, the party of 18 year-old Renee Griffin, an Alistair school girl, turned disastrous after the brutal killing of a young girl, the near-death of another, and the disappearance of a young man and the host herself. Meanwhile, the father of the girl has been held in custody after police found the alcohol heavily laced with GHB – otherwise known as the date-rape drug. Breakthroughs have yet to be made as to how any of this has happened."

But the police would never find out, Jess knew. Just as they never found out who had kidnapped Jennifer and Robert before it was too late. Déjà vu tasted bitter and rancid in her throat, and Jessabel began to appreciate the bittersweet feeling of irony. Two years ago, now three, her and Nate had been in this exact same position, desperately trying to piece together a mystery that was bigger than themselves. This time Nate was the kidnapped.

Oh, how Jessabel wished that Renee had taken her instead. Nathan would have been spared of all of this. Nathan would be safe and whole. Nathan would be alive.