Surge - Maya Nicole Page 0,10

straight to voicemail."

I was starting to grow increasingly worried that she wasn't calling me back. I Googled the hotel she told me she was staying at and dialed. It would be past midnight there, but I was desperate.

A heavily accented voice picked up the phone. Sweat beaded on the small of my back.

"Hello. I'm Riley Kline. I'm trying to get ahold of my mother, Natalia Hernandez Moreno. She should have checked in a few days ago."

"Just a moment." I heard the man typing and then he made a clucking noise. "Spell that." I spelled her name. "There's no one here with that name."

"Can you check again?" I watched out the front window as Ivy approached carrying an armful of wrapped sandwiches, drinks, and chips. My stomach rolled with nausea.

"No. Are you sure it's this hotel? There is one other hotel on this island, or you could have the wrong island."

I hung up and tried the second hotel. I got the same response. There were a lot of islands in the Maldives. Maybe I had gotten the wrong one. A few started with the same syllable.

I pulled up a list of islands and my heart sank. It would take me days to call all the resorts across the islands.

"Is it possible she lied about where she was going? Maybe she’s having a sordid affair with a billionaire that owns his own island?" Aiden was trying to make me feel better, but it didn't help.

My mom was missing.

Ivy climbed into the car and Aiden put on music as she passed out food. We were quiet for several minutes as we dug into our sandwiches. I couldn't pass up a turkey sandwich, despite feeling sick.

"Oh, shit." Aiden said with a mouthful of chips. "Duck down and pull that blanket over you."

I followed the direction of his stare and cursed. Melissa was headed straight toward the car, fists clenched at her sides.

Melissa was one of those girls who didn't require a last name to know which Melissa people were talking about. She was one of the toughest girls in the school, and it was rumored she liked to fight in illegal fights.

I climbed onto the floorboard and pulled the blanket over me. It smelled gross and I gagged thinking about what Aiden used it for.

There was a knock on Ivy's window and I heard the window roll down a bit. "Can I help you?"

"Where is she?" I held my breath at the sound of Melissa's rough voice. It came from smoking like a chimney and probably too many dicks shoved down her throat.

"Who?" Aiden popped another chip in his mouth and chewed.

"You know who." I heard her try the back door and then slam her hand against the window. I was glad his back windows were heavily tinted. "I know she's back there."

"Do we need to call security?" Ivy's voice sounded calm, but I could tell she was nervous by the slight unsteadiness. "We don't know who you're looking for."

"Bullshit. You bought three of everything. I watched you."

"You must be seeing things." Aiden laughed. "Time to visit the school nurse to get those peepers checked."

I tried not to laugh at the tone of his voice. Despite my face being threatened by her fists, he was having fun goading her.

"Listen." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They are out for her blood and I need the money."

I heard Ivy unzip her bag. "How much are they paying you?"

Ivy couldn't seriously be thinking about paying her off. That would work for the time being, but the Tritons were loaded and could pay her even more.

My calf was starting to cramp from being bent at an odd angle. They needed to get rid of her before I made a sound.

"Five."

"Hundred?" Aiden screeched. "You would sell your soul for five hundred dollars?"

"Yeah, well, desperate times. Not all of us have mommies and daddies that take care of us." Melissa's parents had plenty of money. What she really meant to say was that she needed it for drugs.

"Here. Now leave." Ivy huffed, and I heard the window roll back up. "It's clear now."

It might have been clear from Melissa, but it was far from over.

Seventh period was my favorite time of day; yearbook. I loved creating art through pictures and capturing special moments that people would cherish.

I sat at my usual computer station and started chatting with Tory, who had been in yearbook with me since freshman year, when Jax yanked open the door ceremoniously and prowled into the