Page 97 of Rum & Coke

“Vincent,” she greeted after opening the door.

“Hey, Sophia. Mind if I come in?”

“Not at all.” She stepped to the side, allowing me to enter. “Have you heard from Tessa?”

I shook my head. “No. Have you?”

“No.” She closed the door, and I sat on her couch. “I hope she’s okay.”

“Me, too.”

She sat in a reclining chair to the side of the couch, and we were silent for a few moments.

“Mind if I stay here for a while?”

“You can stay here for as long as you’d like. You don’t mind Court TV, do you?”

I grinned. “No, that’s fine.” We were silent again. “Do you know how to get in touch with Tessa’s parents?”

Sophia smiled tightly. “No, I don’t.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “They should know.”

“Tessa’s never given me their number or anything.”

“Do you—” My phone started to ring in my pocket, and I hurried and fished it out. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but it said it was coming from San Francisco. “I need to take this.” I stood and went outside as I answered. “Hello?”

“Vinny, it’s Brandon.”

“Thank you for calling me.” I closed the door behind me.

“What’s up?”

I sighed and leaned against the wall. “Tessa’s been kidnapped.”

“What?”

I told him everything. “So, I was hoping you might have some recommendations on what I can do.”

“Our situation was different. Even though I knew where Spencer was—like you know where Tessa is—when the cops went in, she wasn’t okay.”

“Tessa’s not okay.”

“But they said she went on her own?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s bullshit though.”

“Fuck, dude. Either she went on her own, this guy is holding her hostage, or the cops are on his payroll. I honestly don’t know what to tell you.”

I knew in my soul that she didn’t go on her own, but the other two options? In a world of confusion, they were the only two plausible conclusions that made sense.

A little before noon,Sebastian came storming into the house through the garage door. “Come. Now,” he ordered.

I looked at Colton, who was playing on his iPad on the couch, and then to Sebastian who was walking toward the stairs. “We’re about to have lunch.”

He stopped and turned around. “It’s not the time to test me, Tessa.”

“I’m not testing you. I’m telling you that we’re about to eat lunch.”