Shit. It was exactly the question Noah didn't want to hear, yet it was the first question out of her mouth. Where is Jason?
Hearing the question and doing his best to process an answer in his mind, he merely put the car into gear and started driving without so much as a word in Riley's direction. Luckily, she was distracting herself as she went off on a tangent about something or other that went in one ear and out of the other.
Noah's arm was leaning out of the window, nervously tapping his fingers against the outside of the car, hoping his agitated state wasn't giving anything away. He just needed to think of what to say and hopefully not freak out in the meantime.
"Hello?" called out Riley. "Noah? Anyone home?"
A gentle tap on the shoulder pulled Noah out of his thoughts and his attention onto Riley.
"Are you okay? You zoned out there for a moment."
Noah forced a smile. "Err, yeah, sorry, lack of sleep, I guess," he lied.
"Well, maybe if you stopped going to the gym at 3am in the morning, then you wouldn't act so dazed."
"Yeah, you're probably right," mumbled back Noah, knowing his lack of sleep wasn't the cause of his current problems. He was used to a lack of sleep. In fact, he kind of thrived on it.
"Where is Jason, by the way? I thought he was going to pick me up today? He promised me a milkshake from that new place that opened up. What's it called again?" Riley said, clicking her fingers together.
"The Milky Way?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Catchy name."
"I can still take you there," said Noah, who was doing his best to avoid the question yet again, although he knew he wouldn't be able to put it off for much longer.
He glanced in his rear-view mirror, his mind on edge at the thought of Vincent being out there, but all he could see was the same non-descriptive black SUV following them. The same one that had been following him for weeks now, carrying two of Tyrus's men in the vehicle. The calm it used to provide, though, was long gone after Jason was taken. It made him more on edge, afraid that the FBI wouldn't be able to protect Riley.
"So... about Jason?" Riley questioned yet again and Noah knew there was no avoiding it this time. He would either have to tell her the truth or hide it from her until they figured something out.
He glanced over at Riley, calm and full of energy, and he realised he couldn't do this to her. With the way he was feeling, there was no way he wanted her to feel the same. She looked so happy and carefree. And even though his original plan was to just let the cat out of the bag, every moment he was with her made it harder for him to say the words. He couldn't bring himself to tell her. The anxiety she would face, the fear, the reminder of what he did to her. It wasn't right to tear down her world like that again.
Noah let out a heavy breath, plastering a smile on his face as his demeanor changed to relaxed and casual in a mere moment. "Sorry Riley, I've been distracted today. Tyrus picked up Jason this morning. Said he was surprising him with a spontaneous vacation."
"What!" squealed Riley. "He's so lucky. Do you know where they went?"
"Not a clue, to be honest. Tyrus wanted it to remain a secret."
"How long is he gone for?"
"I'm not too sure."
"Well, either way, I'm happy for him. I don't think he's ever actually taken a vacation before."
Noah thought back on that sentence and come to think of it, none of them had ever been on a vacation before. It was kind of sad when he thought about it. But he felt even more guilty about lying to Riley. He felt like she was always kept out of the loop and, even though he did it with her best intentions in mind, it didn't make it any easier. And his lie wouldn't hold up for long. They just needed to find Jason and Vincent before Riley had any idea what was going on. Sure, she would be mad at him, but that he could deal with later. Right now, his focus was keeping Riley happy and safe.
They drove for a while, before stopping at The Milky Way as Noah kept glancing in his rear-view mirror, making sure the FBI were still on their tail, which they were. As they parked and got out of the car, he glanced around again, looking for any sign of Vincent, although he found none.
Even though there was no sign of anything being off, Noah made the visit quick, picking up Riley's milkshake and ushering her out of the crowded store as fast as they could. As they drove back home and up the familiar gravel path to their small house on top of the hill, Noah eyed in every direction across the wheat field that was their front yard.
He spotted the extra security Tyrus had placed at the turnoff and the snipers positioned in the trees in the distant forest. It was a pretty good location to have eyes on. With the house sitting in the middle of an open field, it was easy to spot anyone approaching from a distance. Maybe it was the reason Jason picked this house in the first place, but he felt safer in the confines of his own property and with guards positioned all around. He sighed a slight breath of relief as he parked his car out front.
The evening was uneventful, but it didn't stop Noah from staying awake all night, sitting on the porch with a glass of scotch in hand as he listened to the silence of the wind flowing through the field and the crickets chirping. He could only hope that Jason was okay as he watched the gentle movement of the fireflies humming over the field.
He sat still all night on the porch, simply watching and waiting until eventually the sun started to rise, letting off a beautiful orange and purple hue in the sky. How could the world around him seem so calm while his mind was racing in one looping circle? Was Jason okay? Was Vincent watching them right now? How could he keep Riley safe? So many questions were coming to mind, but there were no answers for him. No end to the vicious cycle of worry that plagued his mind.
The sudden running of water in the house alerted Noah that Riley must be awake, most likely taking a shower as she awoke. He swiftly rose from his seat, his legs stiff from the cool night air as he made his way inside, putting away the bottle of scotch and placing his glass in the dishwasher.
Once the kitchen was clean, he picked up his phone, pressing the number for Tyrus's contact and placing it to his ear. He leaned against the kitchen bench-top, staring out of the window. Tyrus picked up the phone after only one ring.
"Noah," he answered as the sounds of people in the background nearly drowned out his voice. From the sounds of it, they had been working non-stop, most likely throughout the night.
"Any news?" asked Noah.
"We have a couple of potential locations where Jason could be held. My team is scouting them as we speak. Have you heard anything?"
"Its been quiet here."
"Thats unusual," said Tyrus. "I would have expected Vincent to make his next move by now. Keep your eyes open. I have multiple men watching both you and Riley. We'll keep you safe."
"I'll be holding you to that," said Noah as he hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" said Riley as she popped her head into the kitchen, with her still wet hair hanging out from the corner of her grey hoodie, which was pulled up over her head. She walked over to the coffee machine, pulling out a mug and turning on a brew.
"Just Liam," lied Noah, pulling out a second mug next to Riley's.
It was only then he saw a glimpse of the heavy bags under her eyes, hidden almost too well by the hoodie over her face. The hoodie was one of her telltale signs that something wasn't quite right. She didn't wear it as much as she used to, but it came out on occasions and that was normally an indicator of something being off.
"Okay, what's wrong?" asked Noah.
Riley glanced up through her hoodie and looked at him curiously with her sullen looking eyes. "What do you mean?"
Noah had made sure after he found out about the terrible things his stepfather did to always pay more attention to the details, always on a lookout now for something that was out of place, something that wasn't quite right. It was one of the few things he could do. Be more vigilant and get stronger. It's what kept him sane.
"You only wear your hoodie if something is bothering you." Noah came over and pulled down the hood off her head.
"Everythings fine Noah," she replied, pulling it back up over her head.
"You know, your therapist said to talk about this stuff if something is bothering you."
Riley shuffled nervously as she watched Noah pour the steaming coffee into the two mugs before heading to the fridge for the milk. "Go wait in the living room and we can have a chat."
She shuffled to the living room, sitting down on the comfy couch and pulling her legs into a cross-legged position. Noah watched from the kitchen as her eyes glazed over as she stared out of the window.
Noah eventually came in and she grabbed the coffee cup from his hand, and she let out a sigh, releasing the tension from her shoulders.
"Now, what's up?" asked Noah, taking the other seat and putting the coffee to his lips.
"I had a rough night," she replied, taking a sip as the steam escaped her coffee. A bad night in Riley's terms usually meant nightmares. And there was only one thing that plagued her mind at night. Memories of Vincent.
Noah didn't respond, only waiting for her to continue. Riley was never that good at talking about her feelings before, but she had gotten better at opening up since. Still, Noah barely felt like he even scratched the surface of what she went through with that vile man. It was a subject that she didn't like to bring up too much and that just made it even worse, not knowing the horrors she truly went through.
"I had a nightmare about Vincent. You know, in the back of my mind, his words in the courtroom always seem to come back to me - no matter what, I'm coming back for you. I know, I know, it's silly." Riley let out a nervous chuckle, pulling on the ends of her hair. "He's in prison and he won't be out for a very long time, but I don't know. There's just something nagging at me. It's stupid."
Noah chimed in quickly, eager to ease her mind, even though his own was going frantic. He couldn't show it though, he had to remain calm for his sister. "It's not stupid Riley. Did you need me to set up another appointment with your therapist? It might help you sort through some of your feelings."
"Yeah, I think that could be good, actually."
"I'll set up a time then. In the meantime, we need to get you to your classes."