Lost Then Found

Chapter Twelve

The Sterlings rarely stayed at their old vacation home in Sea Bright, New Jersey, which is exactly why Alex chose it as the perfect hideout for her and Laura, who she was on a break with, thank you very much.

Unspoken words hung heavy between the two women, artificially stretching out what should have felt like a fairly short trip. Alex expected Laura to chatter excitedly throughout the whole drive but the Costa princess barely spoke to her, choosing instead to stare out the window in silence, and Laura was rarely silent. It was something Alex loved about her, the sociable foil to Alex's enduring quiet.

Every so often, Alex would start to say something, then think better of it and keep her mouth shut. She'd occasionally take her eyes off the road with a hopeful glance in Laura's direction, but the young woman would continue staring out the window with her elbow against the door, soft cheek resting on hard fist.

It had been a bad fight, one of their worst. Laura had known about Val's meeting with Ciro, had helped plan it, and hadn't told Alex. Ciro! The man that tortured Val for days, pumped her with so many drugs that her heart had been irreparably damaged. He had intended on selling Val into sexual slavery. And Laura had just let Val go meet with him.

Then again, no one let Val do anything. That woman did whatever she damn well pleased and Laura probably couldn't have stopped her even if she wanted to. But that didn't mean she had to help facilitate Val's meeting with Ciro either, and the worst part was that Laura hadn't mentioned it until Alex had asked, repeatedly, where she had been.

"My only regret that night", Alex had shouted, so loud that others in the cemetery parking lot had looked over in their direction, "was that it was Anthony that died that night, and not your father!"

"Alex—"

Alex had thrown the car keys at Laura's feet. Her voice was the chilling calm before a storm as she said, "Get out of here."

Laura had stood there, frozen with her mouth slightly agape, her eyes wide open chasms that flooded with tears. The image was seared into the back of Alex's eyelids, forcing her to see Laura's pained face every time she blinked.

And then the heavens had opened up, sending down a torrent of rain that slammed hard against the ground.

Wasting no time, Alex had grabbed an aluminum bat out of the backseat of her brand-new SUV and ran off in the direction of the church, fully prepared to beat Ciro to death with it if she had to.

Laura had called after her, tone heavy with desperation and disbelief. But Alex could barely hear Laura over the sound of her boots hitting the stone path, the rain pouring from the sky, her own rapid heartbeat pulsing in her ears. Nothing had mattered but saving Val.

She couldn't save her back then, but maybe she could save her now.

It had turned out that Val did in fact need saving, just not the kind Alex had been expecting.

Gabe's funeral and the events that followed felt faraway. That it was only yesterday seemed almost surreal, like Alex was stuck in a fever dream.

Alex shuddered as she turned onto Ocean Avenue, the main road that ran through Sea Bright. They were almost there. Sea Bright itself was nothing more than a long and skinny strip of land, with a river running along one side of the road and beach and ocean on the other. It was a popular vacation spot for the rich, with overpriced seafood restaurants, oceanfront hotels, and fancy bed and breakfasts.

Laura peered out the window in quiet wonder as they drove by several beautiful, large houses. From the way she was fidgeting in her seat, Alex could tell Laura sensed they were nearing their destination and was excited about it, despite trying her best to give Alex the cold shoulder.