“Well…” Scarlett took a sip of her tea, too. “These days, most authors do better with self-publishing, but money’s not really an issue for me.”
“Of course it’s not with that rich fiancé of yours,” Liz teased, even though Henry had chosen to forego his family fortune and make his own way as a doctor.
“The thing I like,” Scarlett said thoughtfully, “is the control. I can get my books out there faster, and I won’t have to deal with anyone changing parts of the story that are important to me.”
Liz nodded along. “That makes sense. How soon will your book be done?”
“It’s hard to say, because this is my first novel, but it’s really getting there. Maybe by the end of the year it will be ready to grow its wings and fly into the hands of my millions of adoring fans.”
“Millions, huh?” Liz chuckled. “Well, I know I’ll be buying my copy.”
“You better buy two!” Scarlett teased, making a silly face that was all Scar-Scar.
Sometimes her best friend seemed larger than life. At least, larger than Liz’s life. Scarlett marched to her own beat, whereas Liz tended to strut about to whatever song was already playing.
“And you really don’t miss it?” Liz asked after a few moments of companionable silence. “The thrill of the race, I mean.”
“Well, seeing as I almost died the one time I ran the Iditarod, I think I’ll be okay reporting from the sidelines. I still get to be a part of it, so yeah. I’m happy.” Scarlett smiled to show she meant these words with all she had. Liz hadn’t discovered a single passion, yet her best friend was blessed with two. Not only that, but she’d found a way to make both a major part of her life.
Liz wondered if she’d ever find that for herself.
A loud thumping sounded on the stairs, and a few moments later, Valeria stood across the room. It was amazing at how loud a one-hundred-and-twenty pound girl could be when she wanted to prove a point.
“It wasn’t my party, you know,” Val said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring accusatorily at Liz. “It was all Tori’s idea, so I don’t think I should get in trouble over it.”
Liz wanted to tell Valeria that she no longer cared what either of the sisters did, but she knew her father was counting on her to keep them safe while he and Vanessa were away. She shrugged, hoping it came across casual. “I saw you with that drink in your hand, so don’t act all innocent with me. You’re grounded, too.”
“But that’s not fair!” Valeria stomped her foot like a fuming bull.
“Not fair, huh?” Liz forced a laugh. “Would you like me to call your mother to get her opinion?”
The girl narrowed her eyes and said between clenched teeth, “You’ll never be our sister, and your dad will never be our dad.”
That was enough to send Scarlett spiraling into action. “Drama queen much?” she asked, jumping to her feet in defense of both Liz and the father she loved like her own.
“Whatever,” Val retorted. “I never asked for our parents to get married, and I definitely never asked to live in a house with you and your smelly dog.”
Everyone looked over at Samson, who lay quietly by the fireplace. The girls hadn’t discovered his vomit puddles yet, but at least he seemed to be feeling better now. At the sight of so many eyes on him, the dog dropped down into play position and broofed hopefully.
Val groaned. “Ugh. He’s even more clueless than you are!”
Samson came over and happily buried his nose in Val’s crotch. She grunted and knocked him away with her knee.
“She didn’t ask for this, either, you know,” Scarlett interjected. “And I’m pretty sure she likes being related to you even less than you like being related to her. And you better treat Mr. Benjamin nicely. At least now you have one decent parent.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Valeria hissed.
Scarlett laughed bitterly. “Do I really need to tell you what a shark your mother is? Okay, let’s see. We’ve got—”
“Scar-Scar, stop.” Liz put a hand on her friend’s wrist and pulled her back onto the couch.
Scarlett fell back onto the cushions with a defeated plop, and Valeria seemed to delight in the fact she was the last one standing.
“Well, now you have two things to put on your shopping list for tomorrow, Lizzy,” she said coldly. “A leash for your dog and a muzzle for your friend.” With that, she spun on her heel and ambled back up the stairs. A moment later, the door to her bedroom slammed shut.
“I honestly don’t know who’s worse,” Scarlett mumbled while playing with a loose thread on her pajama pants. “The apple or the tree.”
“Just wait until you meet the other apple. She’s even worse.”
“Impossible!”
“It would seem that way, but yeah, she’s actually that bad. They all are.”
“My poor Lizzie,” Scarlett said, wrapping her friend in a hug. “Promise me one thing?”
“What’s that?”
“If that Dorian guy turns up again, let me help, too. He may be creepy, but he’s nowhere near as bad as that trio. Deal?”
Liz clinked her mug against Scarlett’s, though their tea had long since grown cold. With Scarlett on her side, anything felt possible now.
Liz left work early the next several days to avoid a repeat of Monday’s party fiasco. Sofia understood and granted her the time off, but Liz’s pocketbook definitely was not pleased. Now that she had rent to budget for, she needed all the shifts she could take and dollars she could earn.
Still, problems aside, the week was almost over.
Soon her father and Vanessa would be back from their honeymoon, and she would be back home in the apartment she shared with Scarlett. It was funny how quickly the apartment had become home and how quickly the house she’d lived in her entire life had begun to feel like it belonged to somebody else.
Hopefully, once his newly-wedded bliss wore off, her father would find a way to spend time with Liz separate from his new family.
As for the current week from hell, it all ended after one last weekend spent playing punishment warden to Victoria and Valeria. Maybe they could actually try to do something fun together on Sunday to top the week off with a beautiful cherry of a memory.
She sincerely doubted it, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t at least try.
She would try.
That Friday afternoon, Liz arrived back at the house before either of the girls. Checking the clock over the stove, she realized they both should have been back at least fifteen minutes ago.
Okay, maybe there was weekend traffic or some kind of after-school club that they attended and Liz didn’t know about. She’d feel better, though, if she could confirm with her stepsisters via text.
On your way home? She typed, then waited for the read receipt and reply. She had never seen either Tori or Val without a phone attached to their hands, so she expected the reply to come quickly.
But no response came until the front door flung itself open about ten minutes later.
“Ick, that sucked.” Valeria scowled, dropping her backpack by the door and heading toward the stairs.
“What’s wrong? Where’s your sister?”
“What’s wrong is I had to take the bus, because my sister decided to play hooky after lunch and never came back to get me.”
Panic flooded Liz’s chest. Here she’d thought things couldn’t get worse than the party, only to find they could get far, far worse than she’d ever imagined. “What? Tori wasn’t at school this afternoon?”
“That’s what I just said.” Val rolled her eyes. “Now can I please go?”
“Not until you tell me where she went.” As rude as she was to Liz ninety-nine percent of the time, at least Val did what she was told. For that, Liz was thankful now.
Her stepsister shifted her weight from foot to foot, eager to be free of the conversation. “I don’t know. It’s not like she invited me.”
“Can you text her for me? Ask when she’ll be back?”
&n
bsp; Valeria grunted. “Why can’t you?”
“I already did, and she’s not answering.”
“Fine.” Val’s fingers moved quickly over her phone. “There. Now may I please go to my room?”
“Okay, but let me know if you hear anything from Tori.”
Val raised her hand and made the okay sign, then disappeared into her room. A moment later, music swelled from her stereo, the missing sister apparently forgotten.
Liz checked her phone again. Still no read receipt from Victoria. Where could she have gone, and why was she still out? She had to know that Liz would tell her parents, and no matter how much Liz disliked the girls’ mother, she knew Vanessa wouldn’t let her daughters get away without a punishment.
And, more than likely, a severe one.
She called Scarlett, Lauren, and Sofia to tell them what was going on and to get their advice.
“She’ll turn up soon enough,” Sofia said dismissively.
“Want me to call around for you?” Lauren offered. “Or, if I start driving now, I could be there by six at the latest.” Bless her heart, she wanted to find a way to help despite living more than two hours away.
Scarlett answered Liz’s call with a groan. “Ugh, I would help you search, but I’m stuck at this lecture thingy. It’s my first time writing for this one blog, and… totally horrible timing. I’m so sorry! But, hey, let me know if you still haven’t found her later tonight, and I’ll come over and help with the hunt.”
An hour passed, two.
Still no sign of Tori.
Liz asked Val to text again, but the girl still hadn’t heard anything regarding her sister’s whereabouts and appeared to be a bit worried herself now.
Liz wracked her brain as to where Tori could have gone. The truth was, she knew next to nothing about either of her stepsisters. She could search the places she’d hung out during her high school years, but Victoria was very different than she had been growing up.
Liz was studious and well-behaved, whereas Tori wasn’t just the life of the party—she was the party. Val offered a few suggestions as to where Liz could check and even offered to come with her, but Liz insisted she stay at home in case Tori returned.
Should Liz call her father and Vanessa? She hated to spoil their honeymoon when they only had a few days left, but at the same time, wouldn’t they want to know?
She couldn’t decide, and she’d run out of people to call.
Except…
“What’s up?” Dorian answered on the first ring, and relief washed over her. She still didn’t trust him, but she knew he was good at figuring things out. Maybe he could figure out where Victoria had disappeared to and help bring her home safely.
At least he had been true to his word and hadn’t shown up in her life unannounced since their talk on Monday. That had to count for something, and even if it didn’t, she needed the help.
“My sister is missing. Tori, the one who threw the party. She’s not answering her phone, and I’m kind of freaking out.”
“I’ll be right there,” Dorian said before hanging up.
Liz paced the living room as she waited for him to arrive, realizing she hadn’t even needed to ask for his help.
He’d offered it all on his own.
Liz jumped into Dorian’s truck the moment he pulled into the driveway. She hadn’t expected some James Bond-esque vehicle, but she was still surprised to find that such an old rustbucket had gone unnoticed while following her about town.
“When did you last see her?” Dorian asked as he pulled out onto the main street.
“In the morning. Before school.” She placed a hand on the dashboard to steady herself from the uneven ride.
“And you have no idea where she might have gone?”
Liz shook her head, tears ready to spill. Victoria had been missing for hours now. It had been her job to protect her stepsister, and she’d failed spectacularly.
“No idea at all?” he asked again, his mouth set in a firm line as he waited for her response.
“No, I wish I—” Her response was cut off by a wracking sob. It wasn’t like Liz to cry, but it also wasn’t like her to lose a teenager—or to team up with her stalker.
Dorian yanked the truck hard to the left. The sudden change in direction threw Liz up against him, but he offered no apology or explanation.
“What’s going on? Do you know something?” she asked in disbelief.
“I might,” he said as he pushed down hard on the gas pedal, jolting the old truck forward at an impossibly fast speed.
“I don’t understand. How could you…?”
Dorian glanced her way, and she could see it then. All the fear, the worry. This man wasn’t her enemy. Perhaps he’d never been. “Let’s focus on bringing your sister home,” he said.
“Why are you helping me?” Liz stared at Dorian as they spoke, but he kept his eyes glued straight ahead.
“I wish I could tell you.”
“But you can’t?”
His entire face changed in that moment. The usual cocksure grin had been replaced by a look of melancholy. And not just melancholy, but what appeared to be genuine fear. “Not yet.”
“Not ever?” She had to know what was going on, and it seemed Dorian was the only person who had the answers.
“I don’t know.” He frowned, but looked like he wanted to say more—like he wanted to say everything.
“What is it?” she prompted. “Please talk to me. You’re the only lead I have right now on finding Tori. I’m terrified and need to feel like I have someone in my corner.”
He turned to her with a beseeching glance before turning his eyes back to the road. “Listen, if my instincts are right on this, you’re going to learn some pretty unsavory things about me. You probably won’t like me very much when you do, but please try to give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“I already don’t like you very much.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I deserved that.”
“But I do appreciate you helping me now.” She reached out to touch his hand on the steering wheel. It was the most comfort she could offer in that moment, but somehow, she knew he needed it. He tensed, then softened beneath her touch.
“Just try to remember I’m not all bad.” The truck jerked to a stop outside a hotel downtown. “We’re here now. Get out.”
Liz’s heart dropped to the floor. She left it behind in the cab as she stepped down onto the sidewalk with shaky feet.
Dorian seemed frightened, too, which only scared her more. “I hope we’re not too late,” he said through gritted teeth.
Liz tried to match his pace as he ran right through the lobby and up the stairs. This was a man who knew exactly where he was going. But how?
They exited on the fourth floor.
“Stay in the hall,” Dorian instructed, using his body to shield the door.
“What? No!”
“Please trust me on this, okay?” He wouldn’t look at her, and he wouldn’t back down.
“But what if she—? Oh, God. What if she…?”
“She won’t be,” he answered with a shake of his head. Liz could tell she was wearing on him, but she refused to be sidelined.
“How could you possibly know that? How did you know to come here? Talk to me, Dorian.” Liz hated being told what to do when it came to Tori’s safety. That was her responsibility, and she needed to be the one to set things right.
“Do you want to stand here talking, or do you want me to save Victoria?” He turned toward her suddenly, and the intensity of the green in his eyes startled her.
Liz gulped down her protests and waited as Dorian burst into the room, shoulder first. She hadn’t even seen him pull out a keycard.
“Ahh, Dorian.” An older male voice with the slightest Southern accent floated out from the room, quickly followed by a young female voice she knew very well.
“You’re interrupting my shoot!” Tori protested.
Liz didn’t need to hear anymore. She pushed throu
gh the doorway and past Dorian.
“Well, who’s this then?” the man asked with a chuckle. His well-groomed salt and pepper beard was the first thing she noticed. The second were his hands. They were rough and weathered, in stark contrast to his polished outfit and hairstyle. Who was this man? “Could it be the infamous Janie?”
Liz marched right up to her sister and grabbed her by the arm. “I’m Tori’s sister, and I’ve come to take her home.”
Victoria did not appreciate this. “But Lizzy! Mr. Warwick was taking my pictures for his modeling agency. I’m going to be a star!”
“The hell you are. Let’s go,” Liz hissed, absolutely refusing to back down or to let go. “Now.”
“Sorry, my dear. I must have had you confused with someone else.” Mr. Warwick chuckled, approaching her slowly and taking her hand before she could think to pull it away. “Liz, was it?”
Dorian pushed Liz back toward the hall, then grabbed Tori by the wrist and forced her out of the room, too.
“Hey!” Tori whined. “Your boyfriend is ruining my rise to stardom.”
“I told you to stay in the hall,” Dorian growled.
“Who was that man?” Liz demanded.
Dorian turned to her with hollow eyes. “Trouble.”
“That was really embarrassing,” Tori pouted, arms crossed over her chest, as Dorian drove them both back home.
“Don’t even get me started,” Liz said. She couldn’t even look at her stepsister then, nor could she look at Dorian, which meant her eyes remained focused outside. “What were you doing alone in a hotel room with a man who was more than old enough to be your father? And you cut school to do it, too. What were you thinking?”
“It’s not a big deal, Liz. Don’t worry about it.” Liz could hear the eyeroll in the girl’s voice. Did she really not understand the gravity of this situation?
“How could I not worry? Tori, he could have…” She dropped her voice to a throaty whisper. Just thinking of what could have happened made Liz want to cry all over again. “He could have taken advantage of you.”
Tori refused to budge in her anger. “But he didn’t, okay? He was trying to help me, and now that you made that huge, big scene, I doubt he will.”
Let There Be Life Page 5
