Page 102 of Mr. Edwards

Slouching into the chair, I rest my head on the back of the couch as I end the call. Dropping my cell beside me as I run my hands through my hair, a sense of pure relief settles over me. It’s funny, only a few hours ago I felt like I was in the depths of despair, yet here I am now feeling on top of the world.

I found her.

I fucking found her.

Watch out, sunshine, I’m coming for you.

Chapter 23

Grayson

I glance down at the time on my phone. It’s early afternoon. Common sense tells me to wait and formulate a proper plan. It would, after all, be the sensible thing to do, but fuck that. I already know a lifetime of preparation won’t be enough. We’re heading toward our third year since this shit show started. I’m not putting this off another second.

With my mind made up, I rise from the couch and head upstairs to change. Temecula is an hour and a half from here. I know I can’t drive myself there, but I can pay someone to take me.

Once I’m dressed, I grab some money out of the safe and pull up the number for Hermosa Beach Taxis. It’s not my preferred way to travel, but I’ve been forced to use them a few times in the past week to run errands. My mom, Granny, Ashton, and even Emma, have offered to take me wherever I need to go, but I hate relying on other people. They all have their own lives to live, and I’ve disrupted them enough in the past few months. Besides, I can’t risk any of them trying to talk me out of this lunacy.

When the cab pulls into my driveway where I’m waiting,I open the back door and climb in. “Where are we heading?” he asks.

“Temecula.”

He turns his head in my direction. “Temecula?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, “my shift ends in an hour. Besides, that’s way out of my range.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” I reply, removing the wad of cash from my pocket, holding it up in front of me so he can see it. “I’ll give you five thousand dollars if you drive me there, wait while I do what I need to do, and then bring me back here.”

His eyes widen; I can tell he’s tempted. Hence why I offered as much as I did. It’s not like I can’t afford it, and who wouldn’t take that kind of money for a few hours of easy work?

“Is it real?”

“Of course, it’s real. You saw the house you just picked me up from, right?” I ask, gesturing out the front windscreen. Pulling out my wallet, I show him the address on my driver’s license. “I live here.”

“Can I see it?” He extends his hand as his eyes zero in on the cash I’m holding.

The money is wrapped in lots of a thousand, so I pull out two bundles and pass them to him. “Here. There is two grand, which you can keep as a down payment. I’ll give you the rest once you drop me back home. You have my word.”

Two thousand dollars is more than enough to cover this trip, but I’m a man of my word, he’ll get the rest.

He removes one of the hundred-dollar notes from the band and holds it up to the light. I should be offended that he thinks it may be counterfeit, but I can’t blame him forbeing suspicious. My request is a random one, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t pay to get my girl back.

“I’ll just need to make a quick call to my boss and get the okay.”

“Sure.”

“Hey, boss,” he says when the call is picked up on the other end. “It’s me, Johnny.”

“What do you want?” he barks. Wow, what a rude prick. I’d never speak to my employees in that way.

“I have a guy who’s offered me two thousand in cash to drive him to Temecula and back.” He glances at me over his shoulder and winks, making me chuckle.

“Two thousand you say?” His boss lets out a long whistle. “Is he legit?”

“Yeah, boss. I’ve got the money in my hand right now. I picked him up from one of those fancy houses along Beach Drive.”

“He doesn’t want you to do anything illegal, does he? That car is registered in my name.”