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Silence.

I jiggled to doorknob. It was locked. “Poppy!” I yelled as I hit the door hard with an open palm. “Come on, this isn't funny. Open the door.”

Nothing.

“Jesus, Vega. Things don't change much, huh? You still have that asshole attitude. I wouldn't answer you either if you talked to me like that.”

I gave my mother a side-eye look and said, “This is your last chance to open up, or I'm breaking this door down.”

“Don't you even think about breaking my door!” my mother yelled as she took a few steps into the hall.

“Poppy, did you hear me?” I pushed my ear to the door, listening for any movement. Maybe she was in the shower and couldn't hear me yelling at all. But there was no noise. Not a sound. “Okay, I'm coming in. Move if you're behind the door.” I shoved my shoulder against the door and pushed. The door didn't budge.

“Vega! I told you not to break it!”

“I'm going in!” I yelled back. “I'll pay to have it fixed!” I took a step back and charged forward, using all my strength. The door popped open with a loud crack.

“You bet your ass you're going to pay for that! Well? You feel better now? Did you freak her the hell out?” my mother asked as she stormed down the hall. “Did he frighten you, Poppy? He does that sometimes.”

“Fuck,” I said under my breath. “Did you see Poppy this morning at all?”

“No. Why?” She poked her head over my shoulder and looked inside the bathroom.

“Because she's gone.” The bathroom window was wide open. I stuck my head out the window and realized my jeep was missing. “God damn it,” I said.

“What?” my mother asked.

“My car is gone, too. She must have taken it.”

“Smart girl. She knew to get far away from you.”

“That's not why she took it. She's not running from me; she's running towards someone else.”

My mother let out a laugh of disbelief. “Yeah, okay. You keep telling yourself that. Who did she ditch you for?”

“Her father.”

My mother smiled as she leaned against the door frame. “Sounds to me like she's running away from you. That's what girls do when they're scared and want to feel safe. They go home. They look to their father for protection.”

“You don't get it,” I said as I faced my mother. “Her father hired me to kill her. I'm trying to save her.”

My mother's eyebrows dipped into the bridge of her nose. “You really think I'm going to believe that? Come on, Vega. You don't save people. You're a murderer. You let people die just like your father.”

“I'm trying to save her. I want to make things right.”

“If you're supposed to be saving her, why would she run back to the man who wants her dead? It doesn't make sense.”

“Because she wants answers.” I took a deep breath, trying to maintain control over my emotions.

“Don't we all,” my mother said.

“I don't have time for this right now, Mom. Where's your car keys?” I asked.

She eyed me as her lips turned paper-thin. “No. Absolutely not. I'm not giving you my car.”

“Mom. Please. I need to find her before she gets herself killed.”

“It's her father, Vega. I highly doubt he'd kill her.”