Free Unforgiven (Wanderers #3) by Jessica Miller Page A

asked,
desperate to make the pain stop. Cameron and Josie wrapped their
arms around me in a silent comfort as I cried.
     
    We spent the next week continuing our search for
Tristan.
    On Friday, after hours of searching and not coming
any closer than we were before, Josie suggested we quit for the
day. I wanted to keep looking but Josie had reminded me we had
plenty of time to look tomorrow. Feeling defeated, I agreed and
headed back to the hotel. We said goodbye to Josef and headed up to
our room.
     
     
    April 28
    It has been a month since we’ve
been in Ireland and still nothing. Every time we come close it just
ends up being another dead end. Even with the help of Tristan’s
family we weren’t any closer than we were before. I can tell
everyone is slowly starting to lose faith, but I refuse to give up.
I know in my heart Tristan is alive. A
part of me always knew, but it just seemed too crazy of an idea to
accept. Mom called several times after dad left, but I refused to
talk to him. She begged me to come home and talk to my father
saying he didn’t really mean what he said, but I don’t care. I’m
done living under my father’s rule. I can tell Dean and Cameron are
getting tired of this little adventure and would rather go back to
their normal lives. I told them they didn’t have to help anymore
and could go home, but they insisted on staying. I think they’re
hoping I’ll eventually give up and go home with them, but obviously
they don’t know me very well. Josie told me she’d stick with me for
as long as it took, but I knew even she was losing hope…
     
    “Hey, whacha doin?” Josie asked, plopping down on the
bed beside me.
    “Nothing,” I replied, tucking my journal aside.
“Where’s everyone else?”
    “Billy’s following some leads and Cameron and Dean
went to get some food.”
    “Food for everyone or for themselves?”
    “Everyone, I think Dean learned his lesson after last
time,” Josie laughed.
    Of all people Dean should have known better. I get
very cranky when I’m hungry and when Dean showed up with food for
only himself, I chewed him out for being selfish. I think the
outburst had more to do with all the frustration and stress that
was building up and not to mention the major case of PMS I was
suffering from.
    “So what’s on the agenda for today?” Josie asked,
like there might be an actual change from what we have been doing
for the past month.
    “I guess we wait until Billy gets back and go from
there. If he hasn’t found anything there’s a town about an hour
away I want to check out.”
    “Okay,” she smiled and then lied back on the bed
swiping the remote from the nightstand and clicking on the TV. With
nothing else to do but wait, I joined Josie in her never ending
channel surfing while we waited for Cameron and Dean to come back
with the food.
     
    Halfway through dinner, Dean put his plate aside, and
looked at me sincerely. “Ella, we need to talk.” I stopped. The
tone of his voice gave me a feeling I wasn’t going to like this.
“We’ve been here for a month and still found nothing.”
    “I told you. You don’t have to stay. You are free to
leave whenever you want. There is nothing keeping you here.”
    Dean gave Cameron a quick glance before he spoke and
I wondered what that was about. “I just think we need to get some
outside help.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I think we should give Uncle Bobby a call.”
    “Uncle Bobby,” I said skeptically. The only stories I
heard about him consisted of him being drunk most of the time.
    “He knows the ins and outs of this town and let’s not
forget he’s a frequent flyer at the local pubs.”
    “What about Josef though? He’s a townie and even he
hasn’t had any luck,” I said, not too open with the idea of calling
an uncle I’ve never met and who was a lush.
    “Josef was helpful in the beginning, but he’s only
sixteen. Bobby’s been here for ages. He can go to these places and
get info from people