The Beckoning (Entangled Series Book 2) Read online

  “So, there was something else,” Brea said. “Something darker that took them away.”

  “What are you thinking?” Ethan asked.

  “From what I saw the other night, Rachelle, Jess’s mother, was in charge of the weird stuff.”

  “What do you mean?” Ethan turned to her.

  “Well, she’s the one that stopped the party and asked if everyone wanted to have some real fun.” She looked at Ethan. “And…she appeared to me last night.”

  “What?” everyone said at the same time, including Ethan. He reached over and took her hands.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he said after a moment.

  “I needed some time to process.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, I was scared.”

  “What happened?” Xtina asked.

  “She told me—warned me—not to look into the past.”

  “Does that mean that Jess’s mother is dead?”

  “No.” Brea shook her head. “She appeared to me, like… teleported.” She looked around at everyone. “But she could control it.”

  “How do you know?” Mike asked.

  She felt a shiver down her spine. “I just do.”

  “Why would she warn us? Did she say anything else?” Xtina asked.

  “She told me to leave the past alone. That fate has been written and that we can’t stop it.” A shiver ran down her body.

  “What does that even mean?” Mike asked.

  “This makes one thing clear,” Ethan added. “We need to find her. And we need to do it now.” Brea leaned forward and grabbed her laptop and got to work.

  She glanced up to find everyone just watching her.

  “Well? Don’t you each have some way you could help?” she asked.

  Mike jumped up and pulled Xtina up with him. “Yeah, we can…”

  “I could talk to Carla,” Xtina said.

  “Carla?” Brea stopped her typing and waited.

  “Jess’s godmother. She kind of took the mama bear position after the Sorensons left.”

  “Good,” Brea said.

  “I’ve got some other ways to look for the Sorensons,” Mike added. “Maybe you can help me out, Ethan?”

  “Sure.” Ethan got up. “Will you be okay here?”

  “Yeah.” She glanced back down at her laptop.

  She heard them all leave and decided to make a few calls.

  When the doorbell rang a while later, she stood up and stretched. Glancing down at her watch, she realized she’d been at it for almost two hours.

  Shaking her arms and fingers out, she opened the front door.

  Drew stood on the porch, leaning against the door jam.

  “I thought you went home.” She leaned against the door.

  “You thought wrong.” He chuckled. “I’ve gone over everything you sent me,” he said, skirting her and walking into the living room.

  She tried to stop him, but he ducked around her and made his way to the fireplace.

  “Working on something?” His eyes had zeroed in on her screen, so she walked over and shut her laptop, then crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I gave you everything—”

  “Come on, Brea. We both know that’s bull. You gave me tidbits. I had to ask myself why you’d hold back.” He sat down on the leather chair. “So, I’m going to sit here until I get to the bottom of this conundrum”

  “Drew, there’s nothing. Xtina is clean. Besides, I’ve heard from the local police that Laura Schmitt’s case is cracking fast now that they’ve pulled her phone records.”

  She moved over to the table and watched him, knowing he could wait patiently until he got what he wanted. Annoyingly so.

  “So?” He chuckled. “I’m not here about some housewife and a murder for hire.”

  “Then what?” She waited.

  “You know why I’m here.”

  “I’m not coming back—” she started, but his laughter stopped him.

  “There will come a time when you’ll come begging. But for now, I’ll settle for the whole story.” He nodded to her laptop.

  Her eyes narrowed as he walked over to her. When he reached out and flicked a finger over her shoulder, she jerked away.

  “There’s only so much I can handle,” she warned. “Why don’t you back off?”

  His smile grew, but he took a step back. “As you wish.”

  She hated it that he could pour on the charm when he tried. “Why are you really here? What’s in Hidden Creek that you want so bad?”

  “We’ve been over this.” He tucked his hands in his jean pockets.

  “Me? Really?” She chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’ve made myself clear on this. If it’s the story, I’ve given you what I have.” Just talking to Drew was making her head spin. He was playing her; she was sure of it. Confusing her.

  “Brea.” His tone told her that her lies weren’t going to cover it anymore.

  She sighed and tilted her head. “Fine, I have some… information I’ve kept.”

  “Like?” he asked.

  “I’ll send you the files.”

  He laughed. “Oh no. We’ve played this game before. I wait two days to get a bunch of stuff I could have found on my own with a few key strokes.”

  She waited. “So? Where does that leave us?”

  “Well, from where I’m standing, it leaves us right here”—he pulled out a chair and sat down— “until I have everything I want.”

  She laughed. “Right, well, have fun.” She walked towards the door, ready to leave him sitting alone in Mike’s house.

  “I have some information you want,” he said.

  “Right,” she said without turning around. “What could you possibly have that I want?”

  Her hand was on the doorknob.

  “The whereabouts of your father,” he said, stopping her hand.

  “He’s traveling,” she said, feeling her stomach roll. She’d been trying to call him, but all she’d gotten was his voicemail.

  “Right,” Drew said. “A US congressmen goes traveling for weeks without telling his secretary or daughter where.”

  She turned towards him. “He does that all the time.”

  His chuckle stopped her and made her gut sink. It was a lie. Every time he’d traveled for work, Jane, his secretary, had always known where. But when she’d called the woman a few days ago, Jane didn’t know where he was. Actually, she’d sounded very worried herself.

  “What do you know?” She moved towards him.

  He stood up slowly, and his eyes moved to her computer. “You give me what I want, I’ll share what I have.”

  Ethan was growing more frustrated by the moment. Mike was good at his job, really good, but after a few hours of dead ends, he was beginning to think that finding Jess’s parents was impossible.

  Wherever they were, they were doing everything they could to make sure no one found them. The big question was why.

  Why would a seemingly normal couple from one of America’s perfect small towns go into such deep hiding that no one could find anything about them in over ten years.

  The day the Sorensons left Hidden Creek, they might as well have hopped on a rocket and left the earth.

  The short walk back to the house helped clear his frustration a little. The cool air helped him see things straight.

  When he climbed the back stairs, he stopped cold when he saw a man standing in his brother’s living room, holding Brea by the shoulders.

  He took a deep breath and stepped in the back door, smiling slightly when Drew stepped away from Brea and dropped his hands.

  Brea looked relieved to see him.

  “Looks like I’m missing the party.” He walked over to stand next to Brea.

  Drew sat down at the table and smiled. “More like a business meeting.”

  “Really?” he said, glancing at Brea.

  “Drew was just leaving.” Brea crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Not until after we have a chat about Congressmen Garrett.”

/>   Ethan turned towards Brea. “Your father is a congressman?”

  Brea nodded slightly, then turned back to Drew.

  “Like I said, my father is just traveling.”

  Ethan saw her fidget with her cell phone in her pocket and he knew she was worried. He’d heard her leaving a message for him yesterday.

  “What do you know about him?” Ethan moved closer.

  Drew chuckled. “Well, I was just about to tell Brea, but she has something I want first.”

  “What?” She sat down, tucking her hands in her lap, something she did when she was lying. “What could I possibly have?”

  “We all know you kept information from me,” Drew said. “What I don’t understand is why you’re having such a problem doing your job?”

  “I don’t have a job,” she countered.

  Drew tilted his head.

  “Is that what all this is about?” He tapped his fingers on the table. “You’re waiting for an offer?”

  Drew’s eyes roamed over Brea, causing Ethan’s blood to boil. He stepped between them.

  “I no longer care about working at WSB,” Brea said in a strong voice.

  “How about anywhere in Atlanta?” Drew’s eyes narrowed.

  “Are you threatening her?” Ethan stepped forward.

  “No, just letting her know how deep my influence runs.” Drew stood up. “You promised me a story.” He looked at Brea. “Either you deliver or your reputation will be ruined.”

  He walked towards the door, but stopped before leaving. “If I were you, I’d ask why your father made a trip to The Rock before pulling his vanishing act.”

  The moment Drew left, Brea relaxed. “I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands.

  He took her into his arms, holding her tight. “Why didn’t you tell me about your dad?”

  She sighed. “I get radio silence from him all the time.”

  “But?” He pulled back and looked into her silver eyes.

  “But, this time it’s different.”

  “How?”

  “The last time I talked to him, something was off. I mentioned Hidden Creek and suddenly he had to go. I haven’t heard from him since.”

  “We’ll figure this out,” he said into her hair. He pulled back and lifted her face to his. When he placed a kiss on her lips, a sudden urgency filled him. “Brea?”

  She shook her head. “No, just hold me.”

  He wrapped his arms around her tighter.

  “What didn’t you give him?”

  She sighed into his chest. “More information.”

  “On?”

  “Everyone. He doesn’t need to know everything.” She sighed.

  He pulled back and looked at her, then lifted her up and carried her back to the bedroom. When he laid her down on the bed, she sighed and pulled him down with her.

  He couldn’t describe how he felt when their lips met. What touching her did to him.

  He took his time peeling her clothes from her body. When he touched her, his hands shook and he had to pull away so he could have a moment.

  Brea didn’t give him a chance. Her legs wrapped around his hips and pulled him closer to her. It was like she hypnotized him. Controlled him. He moved without thought and slowly slid into her heat, taking her slowly until he felt everything that had been building inside of him over the past few months’ finally release.

  Chapter 19

  Brea couldn’t stop her body from melting against Ethan’s. She’d never felt anything like this before.

  Her mind shot to an image of her standing in the field, finally admitting to herself and to him that she was in love.

  She sat up and reached for her shirt.

  “Are you okay?” Ethan asked, rolling aside.

  “Yes,” she lied, keeping her back to him. “I wanted to do some more research.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “No,” she said quickly, glancing back at him. She needed some time to think and according to their chart and calendar, they had less than a week before she was supposed to pull her vanishing act. “Why don’t you order us some food?”

  She grabbed her clothes and walked to the bathroom, then leaned against the door until her heart settled. What was she doing? Was she falling into the trap of believing in fate?

  A shiver ran through her when she remembered Xtina’s words in the store. “Hidden Creek holds your fate.”

  She splashed cold water on her face, then looked at her reflection.

  “Fate has been written,” Jess’s mother had said before disappearing. “You can’t stop it.” The woman’s whisper echoed in her mind.

  “No,” she said to the empty room. “I refuse to believe I’m destined to fade away forever. Lost.” She straightened her shoulders and pulled on her clothes, then brushed her hair and walked out of the bathroom feeling more clearheaded.

  She found Ethan in the kitchen, cooking. Without saying a word, she sat in front of her computer and started searching.

  When Ethan sat a plate of grilled cheese in front of her, she ate it without glancing away from the screen.

  “Drew said The Rock.” She finally glanced up. Ethan sat across from her on his own laptop.

  “Yeah. He said, ‘Find out why your father made a trip to the rock before pulling his vanishing act.’”

  “I was thinking it was some sort of… bar or something, but it’s a town.” She glanced up at him across from the table. “And it’s only an hour away.”

  He stood up. “I’ll drive.”

  “Wait.” She stopped him. “I’m not sure this is the place.” She shook her head. “I can’t find any mention of the town in my father’s records.”

  “Your father’s records?” he asked, moving closer to her.

  “His emails and his journals.”

  “You have access to all that?”

  “I might have guessed his password.” She shrugged. “He’s my father,” she said when Ethan just looked at her.

  “Sure, and a US congressmen. Isn’t that against several federal laws?”

  “Not if I guessed his passwords. He did rent a car the day after I spoke to him last.” She leaned back. “He hasn’t returned it.”

  “Was it an in-state rental?” he asked.

  She pulled up the email with the receipt and scanned it. “Yes.” Her eyes met his.

  “Then I’d say an hour drive is worth it.” He stood up. “I’ll drive,” he repeated.

  The entire trip to The Rock, they talked about her father. How he’d grown up, how he’d raised her by himself. Ethan asked if he’d been acting weird before the phone call. She couldn’t remember anything. Not until she’d mentioned she was in Hidden Creek.

  “Do you really think he’s here somewhere?” Ethan asked, when they pulled into the small town. There was one flashing red light in the town and they pulled into the only gas station just off the highway.

  “You have the make and model of the car?” Ethan asked.

  “Yes.” She gave it to him.

  “I’ll be right back.” He got out of the car and went inside the small gas station store.

  She worried for the first time that something might have happened to her father. She checked her phone for what seemed like the millionth time that day for messages.

  Once more, she punched her dad’s number, only to get sent to his voicemail.

  “Dad? Give me a call as soon as you get this message. I’m really worried about you.” She hung up and closed her eyes.

  The car door opened and she glanced over at Ethan.

  “Well?” she asked before he got a chance to fully get in.

  “The clerk remembers seeing your father last week. He says he came in and asked for directions.”

  “To?” Her heart skipped.

  “A ranch just outside of town.” He turned on the car and glanced over at her. “It’s about ten minutes outside of town.”

  “A ranch?”

  He nodded. “On Rocky Bottom Ro
ad.” He pulled out of the gas station.

  “What did he say about my father? Did he look well?”

  Ethan nodded. “The clerk says he thought your father looked agitated. Like he was in a hurry.” Ethan shook his head. “But then the clerk probably thought that about me too.”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay, so now what? We go to the ranch?”

  “That’s my thinking.” He turned off the main highway.

  “Then what? What if he’s not there?” She bit her bottom lip.

  “Then we find out where he went.” He reached over and took her hand in his. “We’ll find him.”

  “Yeah, but when we do, what comes next? It’s not like he has the answers on how to stop the end of the world.”

  Ethan sighed. “No, but he may know something more about it. Something that could help us solve the mystery.” He dropped her hand and turned the car one more time onto a dirt road.

  Finally, they stopped in front of a large sign that said Rock Bottom Ranch.

  “Look,” Ethan said, nodding towards the end of the driveway. There, parked in front of a two-story home that looked like it had been built over a century ago, sat her father’s rental car.

  Ethan parked her car next to it. She jumped out of the car before it had stopped.

  By the time she’d knocked on the front door, Ethan was standing beside her.

  She heard several people moving around inside, including a dog or two.

  When the door opened, she was holding her breath and wasn’t prepared for what she saw looking back at her. Standing there, in a “Kiss the Cook” apron, stood a woman she’d believed to be dead. A woman with silver blue eyes and a smile that matched her own.

  “Mom?” Brea said just before blacking out.

  “What in the hell?” Ethan said, snatching up Brea before she hit the wood planks of the porch. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the woman standing just inside the door.

  Shifting Brea into his arms, he barged into the house and looked around. Seeing three other people sitting around a kitchen table, he glared at Brea’s father as he set Brea gently down on the sofa.

  When she was safely cushioned, he turned on the four people.

  “What in the hell have you done?”

  “Who are you?” Jess’s father stood up slowly.