Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
More people approached the elevators, and I looked at Liam. He gave me a reassuring smile that honestly didn’t do much to calm my pounding heart.
We got to our floor, and once again, Liam practically ran to get to our room.
“Liam, you’re dragging the poor girl,” Georgia drawled.
“Sorry. Our room’s right here,” he said, pulling out his key and tapping it on the keypad. The door unlocked, and we all walked inside. Before I could say a word, Liam held up his hands.
“Before anyone talks, let me explain everything first,” he stated, motioning for the two women to sit on the sofa in the room. I took the other seat, and Liam remained standing.
He looked at me, and I nodded for him to continue.
“Mallory has amnesia and doesn’t remember who she is.”
Sheila gasped. “What?”
“That’s terrible. What happened?” Georgia asked.
I let out a long breath. “It’s a crazy story, and long.”
Liam pushed a hand through his hair. “About a month ago, I was riding on my ranch at night, and it was storming. I found Mallory passed out in one of my pastures.”
“Wait,” Sheila said. “In Montana?”
Liam and I both nodded.
As he spoke and told them the trimmed-down version of my story—including how I didn’t want to go to the police and why, and his cousin Randy matching my fingerprints to a job I’d had in Arcola—Sheila’s eyes grew wider and wider.
“We came back hoping we could find some answers. Mallory didn’t have any friends she confided in, and we had no idea what happened to her once she moved to Chicago.”
“I can help with that,” Sheila stated. “You used to come into my parents’ deli nearly every single day to get something to eat after job hunting. You went on several interviews but hadn’t found a job yet. You hadn’t even been in Chicago for very long. I know you’d just recently moved there.”
I stared at Sheila, willing myself to remember her, but nothing was coming. My hands twisted in my lap as I fought to keep from crying. Would I ever remember who I was?
“Did you know where Mallory was staying?” Liam asked.
Sheila shook her head. “No. You only told us that you were staying in a motel near the deli and trying to find an office job.”
“Did I…um…did I ever come in with anyone? Like a boyfriend or something?”
Sheila laughed lightly. “Uh, no. My brothers were constantly asking you out, but you said you needed to focus on starting a new life, that you didn’t have time for dating. And believe me, they tried.”
Liam and I exchanged another glance. I could see the relief in his eyes. The worry of having someone else in my life slowly lifted off my shoulders.
“Then it makes sense why no one reported you missing,” Liam said as he paced the small living area of the room.
“When you stopped coming in, we just figured you’d gotten a job in another part of town, or maybe moved closer to the city center. You mentioned it once, but weren’t sure you could afford it,” Shelia said. Then she frowned. “How did you get to Montana, though?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “And you’re sure I never told you where I was staying?”
Sheila shook her head again. “No, I’m sorry, you didn’t.”
I dropped back into my seat. “Why can’t I remember you?”
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’m not sure. I’m so sorry, Mallory. So…how did you learn your name? Were you a total Jane Doe until Liam’s cousin ran your prints?”
“He—the monster who kidnapped me—called me Mallory, and I had one small memory of an older woman calling me that, as well. I think it was my grandmother.”
“This is like a Lifetime movie,” Georgia stated with a still-stunned expression on her face. “I think we should order pizza and stay here, see if we can figure out where you were staying.”
“Pizza sounds good,” I said, placing a hand over my stomach. “Now that we’ve narrowed down the area, it should be easy to find it. At least, I hope it is!”
Liam crouched in front of me and smiled. “We’re getting closer and closer. We found out so much on this trip, Mallory. Don’t give up.”
“What I want to know is, if you aren’t going to the police, how in the world will you find this guy? What if he does this to another woman?” Sheila asked. “I totally understand you’re scared that he or someone he knows might work in law enforcement, Mallory…but wouldn’t you rather turn that fear into strength and stop this madman? It seems to me if you went to the police, they could help more than they’d hurt.”
My stomach roiled, and a wave of nausea hit me as her words sank in. She was right. I’d been letting my fear of that monster keep from doing what I should have done in the first place.