Free Forever Viper by Sammie J Page B

find myself in my dressing gown sitting on the sofa, with the phone in one hand and a list of numbers in the other. I’m not good at lying, like Monica seems to be, but I know I have to tell a few white lies to find out if any of them have Noah.
    I dial the first number and I use Monica’s line about being Noah’s sister. It didn’t get me anywhere. Out of six calls I made, I only managed to get one to tell me he isn’t in their care. By the time I reach the tenth call, I get emotional. And by the time I’ve phoned the twentieth number, I’m in tears begging them. I end up throwing the phone across the room in resentment and defeat. I have had enough. There is only so many times I can hear, “I’m sorry, we can’t give out that information.”
    I lie down on the sofa and wrap my arms around myself and cry. I cry for Noah, but most of all I cry for the loss I feel inside of myself, and for the uncertainty of what the days, weeks and possibly months will bring. I guess I fell asleep as I awake with a jerk and sit upright to find Monica bent down in front of me offering me a cup.
    “I’m guessing you have been sitting there all day and haven’t had much luck by the look of it. Drink this then maybe a shower, isn’t Juan coming tonight?”
    I peek at her still half asleep and shake my head trying to wake up a bit. She takes my hands and wraps them around the mug and tells me to, “Drink, then shower.” And she walks into the kitchen. My brain finally catches up with me and I take a sip of soup and move my ass from the sofa to the bedroom to take a shower.
    When I walk back into the lounge Juan is sitting there talking to Monica. He looks over at me and smiles. Even in my misery, I can’t help but take in how beautiful he is. His smile widens and he shakes his head, and pats his knee, “You’re the beautiful one. Come here so I can hold you.”
    I walk over to him and his arms reach out for me and he pulls me down onto his lap. His lips find mine and he places a few soft kisses to them and whispers, “I’ve missed you.”
    And I whisper back, “I’ve missed you too.”
    He pulls back, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’ve been hearing all about your adventures yesterday and the lack of help you received.”
    I glance over at Monica and she lets out a huff, “That’s an understatement.”
    I make eye contact with Juan again, “Today wasn’t much better. I even begged at one point but no one would tell me anything. I was so mad, I threw the phone and ended up in a right state.”
    Juan’s hold on me tightens and for some reason I can’t fathom he says, “I’m sorry.”
    I frown at him, “It’s not your fault and I’m not giving up. I will think of something else.”
    It’s at this point Monica stands up and says, “I will leave you two to it. See you in the morning.” She walks away and Juan shouts out to her, “Thanks for taking care of Peppa.” Her hand goes up in the air and she waves.
    Juan’s hand comes to my face and I lean into his touch. He runs his thumb across my lips and he opens his mouth to say something but I’m dying to know how his visit was with the police, so I ask, “How did it go with Detective Payne?”
    He growls when I mention his name and runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t like that man. He’s narcissistic and basically insinuated that I had something to do with Noah’s disappearance. He even implied that Cruz and Saul helped me in some way.”
    I sit up straight at that bit of information, “Really? What does he think you did? Oh god no, he thinks you killed him?
    Juan shakes his head, “No, I read his thoughts. He doesn’t think that, he was trying to get a reaction out of me by hinting at it.”
    I rest my head on his chest. “Did he get one?”
    “A reaction? Yes, he got one, but not one he was expecting. I gave him a piece of my mind about the way he treated you.”
    “I bet that fell on deaf ears.”
    He huffs, “Yes, something like that. You