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“I want to know where our mother is. You were the last person to see her.”
Niles’s head dropped, and he began shaking it slowly from side to side. Then suddenly, he burst into laughter—a chilling sound that echoed through the quiet visitation room. “You really think I would tell you anything?”
“She is the reason you’re stuck in this hellhole. Don’t you want her to pay for what she did to you?”
A dark glint flickered in Niles’s eyes as he leaned in close, his voice dripping with venom. “As I recall, it was you who set me up, not dear old Mom. We’re done. Don’t bother coming to visit me again.” With that, he stood and placed the receiver back on its cradle, ready to leave me behind.
But before he could make his escape, I knocked lightly on the glass separating us, desperation creeping into my voice. Pointing at the receiver, I hoped he would pick it up and give me some answers. Instead, all I got was his middle finger raised high in defiance. As he walked away, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of guilt and anger bubbling inside me—toward me for putting him here, and toward Niles for leaving me with nothing but unanswered questions.
When I got to my Rover, I realized I had to find my mother on my own. It was then I remembered that she wanted to take Van and Niles back to Italy with her. She was a smart woman, and it would be stupid of her to go back to Italy but it was the only lead I had. Whether she was there or not, I had to find out for myself.
As I started the engine, my cell pinged with an incoming email. I could have waited to open it, but because of my OCD, I pulled my cell from my pocket and placed my thumb on the fingerprint feature. When I opened my email, it showed I had received an email from blinddatinggame.com. This email couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. When I read the contents, it confirmed that I had been chosen as a participant and where the game would be taking place. I had committed myself to this venture. My trip to Italy would have to wait. The dating game was scheduled to take place next week in Chicago at The Ritz. Typing a quick response, I let them know that I would be attending the event. Since there was no reason for me to remain in Atlanta, it was time to go back to Chicago.
~
I headed into my office with my secretary, Sarah, on my heels. “River, I have a few things to discuss with you.”
I knew Sarah well enough to know whatever she needed to talk to me about was important. As much as I wanted to decompress after my flight from Atlanta, I had to at the very least give her the respect to listen. “What’s up, Sarah?”
“Davian Cross has left several messages for you to call him as soon as you get in. He sounded concerned.”
I had avoided his calls when I landed in Chicago, assuming he would want to know about my meeting with Niles. “I’ll call him,” I replied. “What else?”
“A Ms. Harper Scott has also called several times. She would like to meet with you. She is the new attorney assigned to your account with Black, Worth, and Shell. You have a meeting with them on Monday, but she would like to talk with you over lunch tomorrow.”
“Tell her I will see her on Monday. I don’t have time to share lunch with a new attorney who lacks confidence.”
My confidence in the law firm wavered as I hoped they knew what they were doing. Change was something I despised and avoided at all costs, which is why I had stuck with Black, Worth, and Shell for so many years. Pushing aside my reservations about the new attorney assigned to my account, I turned my attention to the upcoming blind dating event in less than a week. It was a risky bet at $10,000, but after years of meaningless one-night stands, I was desperate for something real and lasting.
Gently lifting my cellphone from the cluttered desk, I felt a sense of urgency and curiosity wash over me. Davian had called, and it must have been something important for him to reach out to me. Maybe he had finally gotten a lead on where my mother was, after months of fruitless searching. My heart fluttered with hope as I pressed the phone to my ear and spoke into it.
“Davian,” I said, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. “Please tell me you have some good news about my mother.”
The line was silent for a moment before Davian’s voice came through, choked and strained. “I’m afraid not,” he managed to say. “I have bad news. Niles has escaped from prison.”
A wave of fear and disbelief washed over me. How could this be happening? How did he manage to escape? And who helped him? “How?” I asked, my mind racing with questions.
“Apparently, he took potassium cyanide and had help from someone on the inside. The ambulance that transported him was found abandoned five miles from the prison.”
My stomach twisted in knots at the thought of Niles being out there, free and dangerous once again. “He planned this,” I muttered bitterly, realizing how naïve I had been to think he would willingly give up any information.
“We are doing everything we can to find him,” Davian assured me.
His confidence didn’t ease my mind. We had searched for Niles before and he managed to slip away from us. He was cunning and elusive—if anyone could slip away undetected, it would be him. And with the possibility of my mother aiding him in his escape, there was no telling where he could be hiding.
The call with Davian left me feeling helpless and terrified of what was to come. Niles was out there, somewhere. And I knew that neither of us was safe until he was brought to justice. But deep down, I also knew that this time, it wouldn’t be as easy as just catching him and putting him back behind bars. His escape had proven that he was a cunning and elusive foe, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we would ever truly be rid of his treachery.
Determined to not let this consume me, I forced myself to focus on work. But every time I looked at my computer screen, all I could see was Niles’s smug face taunting me, knowing that he was free and still a threat to both me and Davian. And if my mother was helping him, there was no telling how far he would go to stay hidden.
As much as I hated to admit it, my estranged brother Van’s death at the hands of Davian meant nothing to me in comparison to the danger Niles posed now. All that mattered was stopping him before anyone else got hurt… or worse.
Unable to get anything done until I cleared my head, I headed out of my office to take a break by grabbing a bite to eat. Oscar’s not only had the best hamburgers in town, but also the best amber ale. There was nothing better with a burger than a good beer.
The raucous noise of a busy bar greeted me as I pushed open the door to Oscar’s. The scent of beer and fried food wafted toward me, mixed in with the sound of laughter and chatter. Despite the crowd, I caught a glimpse of Oscar Shultz, the owner and bartender, expertly juggling multiple drinks in his hands. His face lit up when he saw me enter, and he waved me over to the end of the bar, where he always saved a seat. It didn’t matter how crowded it was or whether or not I had shown up. My seat was always waiting for me.
Before I could even sit down, a frothy mug of beer slid down the bar toward me—a signature move by Oscar that never failed to impress. Raising my glass in acknowledgement, I gave him a grateful smile. Over the years, we had become good friends, and it was always a pleasure to see him.
Perusing the menu sitting on the counter, I debated between my two favorite burger options: the Cannonball or Torpedo Burger. Both were delicious in their own ways—one with crispy onion rings and the other with breaded jalapeños. As I sipped on my amber ale, I couldn’t ignore my grumbling stomach any longer.
