Page 6 of Girl Lost

There used to be six. Then things with Luna exploded. And she’d left. Because of him.

Corbin deflected the question and told Blade, “There’s a camera over the register and another out back. Nothing that can see the street.”

“That’s a good start.” Blade withdrew his notebook and scratched a few words. Old school. Always with the notebook and pencil. He claimed the act of writing helped him think. “You two able to come down to the station and look at a few photos? See if you recognizeanyone who’s been hanging around here lately?” He spoke in that deep, smooth way that reminded Corbin of a radio psychologist.

“I tol’ Agent King here, I was in the kitchen. Didn’t see nothin’.” Marge squeezed Angie’s shoulders. “But sure, darlin’. Ang and I’ll give a look.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Blade flashed a high-wattage smile. “That’d be helpful.”

Angie’s seat creaked. She flashed a look at Marge. “I don’t know if I wanna go down and waste hours lookin’ at books. Them guys had masks. And besides, the two of them saw more than me.” Angie flicked her hand in Corbin’s direction. “They ran out in the street and everything. Maybe they ought to be the ones going.”

Blade’s eyebrows shot up. The pencil pointed at Corbin. “You ... and ...?”

“Luna. Luna was here.”

“Luna? Like, Luna-Luna? Our Luna?”

“Yes.” Why did he have to keep saying her name? “Said she was waiting to talk to Stryker.”

“’Scuse us a moment, ladies.” Blade caught Corbin by the elbow and steered him to a table by the front door. “You’re saying Luna Rosati was here. Today. In this diner?”

“For the last time, yes.”

Blade tucked his pencil and notebook into his breast pocket. “Did you know—”

“I had no idea.”

“Wow, I can’t believe Stryker didn’t say anything. I haven’t seen her in forever.” Blade cut his eyes to Corbin’s. “I know you’ve missed her, but so have we.”

“I know. Stryker should’ve told us.” At least him. But no. He had to stumble into this ... this hornet’s nest of his past by accident.

“So...” Blade folded his arms over his chest. “How’d she look?”

An image of Luna flashed unbidden in his mind. The first time he saw her at the Kingdom Gym, small and fierce, knuckles raw from hitting the heavy bag and eyes mirroring the same defiancehe felt inside. A lost girl finding her fight. The woman he saw today had grown. Changed. But the same fire still flickered in her depths. He could see it smoldering beneath a polished surface. All her teenage sharpness was gone, replaced by soft curves and full lips. Lips he used to savor. He felt a smile creep up. “Amazing,” was all he could manage.

“Where is she now?”

“No idea. After they took Stryker, she left so fast there was practically a Luna-shaped hole in the door.” It certainly wasn’t how he’d wanted their reunion to go. Not that he thought they’d ever have one after all this time.

Blade tucked his hands into his pockets. The change rattled around. “I can’t believe she’d just show up and not tell us.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I tried to detain her for questioning, but ... well, I couldn’t force her.” His wrist still throbbed from her grip. And she’d called him old.

“So Luna shows up after I don’t know how many years, and that’s the day a bunch of thugs kidnapped Stryker.” Blade shook his head. “You know I don’t like coincidences.”

“You think it’s connected?”

Blade pulled his hands from his pockets. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out. I won’t stop until we find Stryker.”

“And neither will I, but you take over here. I have to find Luna. Talk to her.” He turned to leave.

Blade caught him by the bicep. “Hold up. You came here to do a job.” He jutted his chin at Marge and Angie.

Corbin pulled his arm back. “Look. The only woman I’ve ever truly loved showed up today. I pushed her away once, and it broke me. I’m not letting her go again. Not this time.”

“I get it, but Stryker needs you.” Blade’s expression softened. “Carlie needs you more.”

Carlie had vanished seemingly into thin air. Every day that passed was a day her parents went out of their minds with worry, torturing themselves with the what-ifs.