Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) Straight, Nancy (book club reads .TXT) 📖

called the police looking for me, and the only comforting words they had for her was that I had bought a bunch of handguns. Seriously Max, I need to call and let them know I’m fine. I won’t tell them where we are.”

Max blocked me from the phone with his body, “Your family is just going to have to worry a few more days. I’m sure they’ll forgive us later.”

I could understand his reasoning, and it was infallible, but I also knew that after everything that had happened, the last thing I wanted them to do was worry. I had told them I was going to Max’s place in Ridgeville. My mom must have called to check on me.

I offered a compromise, “If you’re worried about someone or something finding out where we are, why don’t we go drive into Columbia and call from your cell. It would only be about an hour’s drive, and if anyone were checking phone records, that’s a pretty big haystack to be looking for a needle in.” Max didn’t look as though he were going to agree, so I added, “Please Max, it’s the least I can do. It isn’t fair to any of them to disappear without a trace after two years – they just got me back.”

With this last plea, Max agreed. We walked through the living room and saw Joe sitting in front of the television. We told him we were going in town to grab some more groceries. Peanut followed us out to the truck and took his place in the back seat.

We were just about to the Columbia city limits when I dialed the phone. Seth picked it up on the first ring, “Max? Is Lauren with you?”

I made my voice as deep as possible in an effort to sound like Max and replied, “No, I haven’t seen her in a week.”

Dead silence echoed back at me through the receiver when I let out a giggle, “Sorry, Seth, I couldn’t resist. Of course I’m with Max. What did you think, I was out wrestling bears again?”

Max winced at my poor attempt at humor, and Seth nearly growled into the phone, “Where the hell have you been? Molly has been worried sick. It never occurred to you to pick up the phone?”

“Easy Seth, I think I just did. Everything’s fine, Max and I are just…getting to know each other again.”

“You need to hang up and call your mom. She’s already filled out a missing person’s report. The police told her you bought a bunch of hand guns. Lauren, what’s going on?”

Though the conversation was not on speaker, I was sitting right next to Max and Seth was nearly hysterical, so Max heard. He shook his head as if reminding me that I needed to be vague. “Nothing is going on. Max and I were target practicing, and I decided I wanted a gun, you know a little fearful of the wildlife these days. I couldn’t decide so I bought two, and Max didn’t have his identification on him and he decided he wanted a new one. I guess it does sound a little strange, huh?”

“You’re lying, Lauren. I’ve known you your whole life. What the hell is going on?” Panic in Seth’s voice was a foreign concept. I wondered what had him so worried; my mom’s phone call couldn’t have gotten him this crazy.

“Seth, take a pill. Nothing’s going on. Max and I are just spending some quality time together. I dropped off the grid for, I would think, some obvious reasons – like wanting to spend time with Max. Can you call my mom and let her know I’m fine? If she got you this wound up, I know I don’t want to talk to her.”

“Lauren, call your mom, right now. She’s worried sick, and she won’t believe me if I call her and tell her I talked to you and you are fine. She needs to hear your voice for herself.”

Max shook his head at me again, but I said, “Okay, I’ll give her a call.”

Seth and I disconnected and I started to dial my mom, when Max said, “Lauren, she is going to want to see you, and when you tell her no, what’s she going to think?”

I shrugged my shoulders and dialed her number. It must have been my lucky day because I got her voice mail. “Hi Mom. Max and I have been camping again. This is our first trip back to civilization. I didn’t want you to worry so figured I’d call and let you know I’m fine. We’re stocking up on supplies and will be out of cell range for a week or so. Tell Dad I love him.” I disconnected and turned to Max, “Well, that was lucky.”

I could see the relief on Max’s face, but he kept quiet.

Chapter 12

Over the course of the next few days, I really practiced using my sight thing. I got to the point where I could look in on people no matter where I was, lying down or seated – and I could do it for just a few seconds. I got over whatever issue I had with Max being in the room. I had checked in on Rachael, Seth, Mom, Dad, even Seth’s girlfriend Amanda, all in the course of less than ten minutes.

I decided to check in on Rewsna. As soon as the tunnel cleared my vision, I could see her conversing with an extremely large man. He had a snow white beard and hair. He looked as though he was a slimmer version of an ideal Santa Claus: rosy red cheeks, bright blue eyes, an aged but not overly wrinkled face, and a bright red button down shirt with dress slacks. I had intruded into conversations enough times that I had kind of gotten over the fact that I was eavesdropping. The two were in mid-conversation.

“I don’t care what you say, Renny,