“How is that possible?” Fern asks, puzzled.
“I left my phone at home so she can’t track me.”
Fern tries to hide a smirk as she teases, “Oh, she’s definitely your child.”
I shoot her a glare, my own insecurities and emotions playing a part in my reaction. “What’s Cami’s real name?” I ask, attempting to regain control of the situation.
“Why do you want it?” Kenzington questions, her tone hesitant.
“The least we can do is call her and let her know you’re all right.”
“Camilla Balsamo,” she mumbles reluctantly.
I text Finn, requesting that he find a way for me to communicate with Camilla. He calls me immediately, his tone almost exasperated. “So you have the child a friend of mine is looking for.”
“You know about Kenzington?” I ask, surprised.
“Some of it. Another security company is searching for Kenzy on behalf of her cousin, Camilla. They were able to follow her all the way to San Francisco but lost track of her. I assume she’s with you?”
“Yep,” I confirm, my chest tightening with protectiveness.
“So when can we have her back in Colorado?” Finn asks. There’s a hint of urgency in his voice.
I scoff and leave the kitchen area, feeling defensive. “Never. She’s my daughter.”
“Presumably,” he acknowledges. “We’re still working on the paperwork you sent earlier. You’ll have to get a DNA test and… there’s a lot in play here.”
“We’re not going to get into an argument over this, are we?” I ask, my patience wearing thin.
He sighs. “No, but I already gave my contacts the whereabouts of this kid. Camilla is desperate. I heard the state is going to take Kenzy away if they figure out she’s not at home.”
“But—” I start to protest, feeling a sense of helplessness.
“I’m just telling you that this is a pretty fucked-up case, and you might want to use your resources to help them both before one ends up in jail and the other in foster care.”
“Do you have a way to reach out to Camilla?” I ask, my mind racing with the implications of the situation.
“I’ll text you her number. I assume we won’t continue our meeting?” Finn questions.
“You keep working on that, and let’s talk once I have a handle on this new development.”
“Good luck,” he says, his voice somber as he hangs up the phone.
Chapter Six
Camilla
It’s been over a week since Kenzy vanished, and my heart aches with worry. The private security company JJ’s parents hired managed to track her to San Francisco. I assume she’s searching for her father. I’ve been pacing the streets of downtown day and night with no luck. Desperation claws at my chest with the fear of what can happen to her. She’s only fifteen and alone.
The only break I took was last night when I went to the bar to grab a bite, and… I’d rather not remember the incident. Nothing happened, and I have to focus on Kenzy.
I find myself outside Spearman LP, trying to figure out how to get in touch with Lysander Spearman. Without a proper ID or an appointment, they won’t let me inside. Once Kenzy is with me, I’ll get a new driver’s license, and… Well, there’s no point in replacing my credit or debit card when one is over the limit and the other has a balance of negative three hundred dollars.
If it weren’t for the Drago family, I wouldn’t have been able to afford this trip—or the people tracking Kenz. I swear, when I see her, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind.
As I step inside the building, the security guard stops me again. “Don’t force me to call the police,” he warns me.
“I have an idea,” I plead, desperation lacing my voice. “If you can just ask them if they’ve seen my cousin. She ran away, but I’m sure she came looking for him.” I pull out my phone and show him the most recent picture I have of Kenzington. “Just show it to Mr. Spearman, please.”
He offers me a sad smile and sighs. Taking my phone, he fidgets with it and his own device. “I forwarded it to the boss’s assistant. If I hear anything, I’ll text you, miss.”
“Camilla Balsamo,” I say, my voice trembling. “My name is Camilla, and that’s Kenzington. We call her Kenzy.”
“Have you contacted the police?” he asks, concern in his eyes.
I shake my head. He wouldn’t understand why I’m avoiding it. If I do, they’ll find her and take her away from me right away. I’d be failing her, Nonna, and myself.
Before he speaks again, my phone rings with a 415 number I don’t recognize. I hold my breath and answer, my heart pounding. “Yes.”
“Camilla Balsamo?” A gruff voice comes from the other end.
“Yes?”
“Where are you?” the male voice asks.
“Who is this?”
“Don’t be cryptic, Lysander. That poor woman is probably hanging by a thread, and you’re being obtuse,” a female voice says in the background.
“Lysander?” I echo. My voice is barely a whisper as I struggle to say his name. “Is this Lysander Spearman?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Is Kenzy with you?” My voice trembles with a mixture of hope and fear, and my legs feel like they might buckle beneath me.
“She is. Why don’t you tell me where you’re at so we can get you?”
“Umm… at the offices of Spearman LP. I was hoping to find you and—”
“Good. I’ll have our driver bring you to us.”
“It’s not necessary. If you can just bring Kenzy around, I’ll take her home.”
“Sorry, but this isn’t that simple.”
Of course it’s not. Things are about to get a lot more complicated, aren’t they? I don’t respond and just hang up, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach. Instead of staying there, I walk outside and call JJ right away. I should call her father, as he requested, but I think I’m out of favors.
“What’s happening?” she answers at once.
“I think I found her,” I nearly stutter, my emotions overwhelming me. Technically, they found me.
“That’s good. Let me call Dad. We’ll charter you back today. The lawyers are already working on your case.”
“She’s with her dad.” I pause and add, “Her father said, ‘sorry, but this isn’t that simple.’”
“What do you mean?”
I relay the conversation to her, detailing every little thing that happened, and all she says is, “Oh, Cam.”
I don’t know how to interpret those two words.
A man only a few feet away from me asks, “Camilla Balsamo?”
I glance around, making sure there are no police officers nearby. There’s no reason for them to throw me in jail, but becoming my cousin’s guardian wasn’t on my bingo card for this year, either. As I look closer at him, I realize this is the guy I… My eyes widen. This is the man I kissed last night, isn’t he?