Reaching behind me, I grab her hand. I can’t afford to be mad or assign blame. I have to keep my head clear and my emotions regulated so I can find Quinn.
I gather whoever’s still around backstage so we can start a search party.
As I’m issuing commands and breaking everyone up into teams so we can split up around the city, I notice my mom is gone.
It comes as no surprise.
Because while that seven-year-old boy desperately wanted to believe his mom could do no wrong and thought she was superwoman…
The man I am today knows she’s actually a villain.
CHAPTER 52
LENNON
The sun was already rising by the time we made it back to the hotel.
We scoured every inch of the city—even the suburbs—for seven hours straight.
Between all of us—and some crew members who offered to help—you’d think we would have found her.
But we didn’t…which means Phoenix had no choice but to call the police and file a missing person report.
Or rather, try to file one. Because they’re being less than helpful, despite Phoenix telling the officer she’s his long-lost sister.
The cop clicks and unclicks his pen for the millionth time. The same pen he hasn’t even bothered to use…aside from writing her name down.
“Just because she’s not with you doesn’t mean she’s missing. She could have gone back home.”
She wouldn’t have. Not willingly.
“She wouldn’t—”
“Lennon,” Phoenix growls, the warning in his tone clear.
I clamp my mouth shut even though it’s beyond frustrating.
Grabbing his notepad off the coffee table, the officer stands. “Look, we’ll give her parents a call and if she’s still not home, we’ll follow up with them and take it from there.”
I can tell Phoenix doesn’t like this one bit—neither do I—but there’s nothing either of us can do.
Phoenix scrubs a hand down his tired face. “If you find her, can you call me and let me know right away?”
“Will do.”
He begins heading for the door but stops in his tracks.
Clicking his pen, he holds the notebook out to Phoenix. “I hate to ask, but my wife’s a really big fan and her birthday is next week. Can I have your autograph?”
Swear some people have no tact.
Gritting his teeth, Phoenix takes the notebook and pen from him.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Phoenix wants to shove the pen through the cop’s eyeball—truth be told, I’m surprised he didn’t—but he’s probably hoping the autograph will prompt the guy to look for his sister.
After scrawling his signature, the cop takes out his phone. “Can I get a quick selfie, too?”
I stand there gaping at the douche in disbelief because honestly, what the hell?
A trail of tension rides down Phoenix’s neck as he stands next to the cop, raises his middle finger, and plasters a somewhat less murderous look on his face so the cop can snap the picture.
A moment later, the guy mutters a quick thank you and leaves.
Asshole.
My anger only temporarily overshadows my anxiety, though, and once again, my thoughts go back to Quinn.
I don’t understand why she left. I mean, yes, her mother was there to take her back home, but Phoenix wasn’t going to allow that to happen. Hell, neither was I.
She knew this.
And yet, one second, we were watching The Barclay’s—a god-awful reality show that Quinn’s obsessed with—and the next…she was gone.
It just doesn’t make any sense.
Unless she realized her mother was going to refuse Phoenix’s help because she’d never leave her husband.
Quinn wanted to protect her mom…even though her mom doesn’t protect her.
My heart pangs. Them.
Dammit. I don’t like this feeling of being trapped in a box with no way out.
The only way this terrible cycle stops is to bring it to light. Something Phoenix has to realize.
“Why didn’t you let me tell the cop what happened?”
Sure, he was rather nonchalant about the whole thing and kind of a prick, but that’s because he didn’t know the gravity of the situation.
Would he have protected a fellow officer? Maybe. But we don’t know that for sure. Not all cops are bad.
Phoenix looks at me like I’m a moron. “Because it would only make things worse for her. You know that.”
But the more we stay silent, the more we enable the abuse.
“That piece of shit is already going to be infuriated once the cops call the house asking about Quinn. The way I see it, we have nothing to lose by telling them the truth.”