Sophie saw the note as soon as she sat down at the kitchen table with her coffee. Gingerly, she reached out and picked it up. Her eyes scanned the letter and she grew more concerned with every line that she read.
When you wake, I will be gone. I can’t sit around waiting for Ally to just walk back through the door. She is in trouble. She needs me. And I will find her no matter what I have to do. She would do the same for me.
I have taken Tristan with me as he knows the locations of the bigger nests around the country. Of course, Kat has come along as well. Ally did the same for her when she needed rescuing.
I know you all love Ally and want to help her get back safely, but this is something that I have to do in my own way. Stay vigilant and do regular checks of the property borders. We still have no idea what Vincent is planning and we have to be ready for anything.
I won’t be coming back until I have Ally.
James.
“Oh my God. I’ve got to tell the others.” She jumped up from the table clutching the letter, almost knocking her cup over in the process, and ran upstairs.
“Adele! Damian! Lounge room now!” She was pounding on the door. When she heard movement inside, she dashed onto the next door doing the same thing until everyone had been woken.
Adele and Damian were the first to walk into the room where Sophie was waiting, pale as a sheet. “What’s going on, Sophie?” Adele asked as she sat next to her on the couch.
“He’s gone,” Sophie said quietly then handed her the letter.
Adele took it from her and read it, murmuring. “Oh dear.”
Damian took the letter and read it next. “Why?” he growled. “I love my brother, but this is ridiculous. We need to stick together at a time like this.”
Adele watched Damian agitatedly pacing back and forth. “Maybe not.”
He gaped at her. “What? You agree with him?”
“I do actually,” she replied with flinty eyes, daring him to challenge her. “I should have done the same damn thing when you went missing.”
“Oh, Adele.” He seized her in his arms and held her close. “Everyone believed that I was dead. This is a different situation.”
She shrugged half heartedly. “Be that as it may, I agree with him. And like he said, we need to be more vigilant around here. Especially if he succeeds.”
“You think he will?”
“If anyone is going to find my granddaughter it’s going to be him.”
Damian nodded in agreement. “So we hold the fort here and wait till we have news.”
“News of what?” Chase asked rubbing his eyes as he entered the room.
Isabella followed closely behind him stifling a yawn. “What’s going on?”
“James is gone,” Damian informed them.
Isabella’s mouth fell open. “Gone where?”
“To find Ally,” Adele answered.