Antonio - Ashlee Price Page 0,29

"I think I know why she suddenly tried to leave."

~

"James Molder," Ned reads the name on the strip of paper I gave him. He gives me a questioning look. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Find out everything you can about him," I answer as I lean on his bike.

Ned frowns. "I'm a local cop, Antonio, not the FBI."

"I'm not asking you to hack into his computer. I'm just asking you to see what you can find out about him from official records. Where he's from. What he does for a living. His criminal record."

Ned folds the piece of paper. "And I suppose you're going to tell me why you want this information."

"Just trust me when I say it's important."

"So you're not." He scratches the back of his head. "Tell me this, then. Does this have something to do with that woman?"

"Triss," I tell him her name again.

Ned nods. "I'll take that as a yes. I'm also guessing this is the man she's running away from. Her abusive husband or something."

"I don't want you to guess. I want you to find out."

He shrugs. "Couldn't you have just asked her?"

"She's scared of him, Ned. That's why she tried to run away last night. She thinks he'll find her."

Ned says nothing.

I straighten up. "Can you do this for me? Please?"

He grins. "Would you look at that? My buddy Antonio, finally asking me for a favor."

"Are you going to do it or not?"

He pats my shoulder. "Don't worry, I will. You know I owe you."

That's why I know I can count on him.

"Thanks," I tell him. "And one more thing. If you find a warrant of arrest for Triss, will you let me know before anyone else?"

Ned's grin disappears. "What did she tell you, Antonio?"

I don't answer.

"If she's a criminal, then I have to..."

"She's not," I cut him off. "I'm sure of it. So if you're going to arrest her, I want you to do it quietly. I don't want anyone here to think she's a bad person."

"But if there's a warrant for her arrest..."

"Just let me know. I won't let her escape, I promise. I just want things to go smoothly so she doesn't get more hurt."

Ned narrows his eyes at me. "Why do you care for this woman so much?"

"Ned," I plead with him.

He sighs. "Fine. If there's a warrant, I'll come to your house and serve it myself and I won't make a fuss about it. Anything else?"

"No." I put my hand on his arm. "Thank you."

He pats my hand. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"That you won't let her hurt you, too."

I'm not sure exactly why he said that or what he means by it, but I nod. "Okay."

He gets on his bike. I step back.

"Oh, by the way..." He glances over his shoulder. "You're coming to Paul's wedding, right?"

His cousin Paul? Right. He's getting married this weekend. I almost forgot.

"Aren't you supposed to be the MC or something?" Ned asks.

I touch my neck. "I turned that down."

"So you're not going to be there?"

"I'll see."

I was planning on going, but now that Triss and Lara are living with me, I'm not sure. Should I still go?

Then another idea comes to mind.

Should I go with Triss?

Chapter Seven

Triss

"Me? Go to a wedding?" I arch my eyebrows at Antonio.

I thought he was mad at me. I know he's disappointed in my decision to leave. I've been expecting him to try to persuade me to stay. I even expected him to lock me up. Instead, he wants me to go to a wedding with him?

"It's the wedding of Marianne and Paul, Ned's cousin. I know him well. The three of us used to go drinking by the river."

Antonio drinks? Wait. That's not the issue here.

"Of course you know them," I tell him. "But I don't. And they don't know me. Why would they want me at their wedding?"

"Because you're with me?" he answers.

I scratch my head. "Why do you even want me to go with you? If it's because you're afraid I might escape while you're partying, I promise you I won't. My foot isn't healed yet."

I glance at it. The swelling has gone down, but it still hurts when I put weight on it, which means I'm not yet well enough to walk away from this place.

"I know you won't," Antonio says. "I'm not worried about that."

Why does he want me to go with him, then?

"It means I can't go to a wedding, either," I point out.

"Why not? You won't be walking