Chapter 24

Ron Pov.
Tyson's plan isn't bad at all. I mean, all we're going to do is retrace Amanda's steps from when she left the beach and came home.
Great...How do we know she even came home? I hope we don't hunt ghosts and the whole thing is a colossal waste of time. I need Amanda. I need her to be okay.
To retrace her steps, we have to go to her house.
From what I understand, Tyson and Gabriella are at knifepoint. I hope they bury the hatchet, at least until we find Amanda. After that...it's up to them what they will do.
The drive back to Miami is shorter, thanks to Tyson, because we returned on his private jet.
- We'll find her, Ron. Do not worry. Tyson says seeing I'm thoughtful.
My mind wanders back to the man I spoke to on the phone. As it seemed, he is very focused on making me suffer. I don't know what he's doing to Amanda, but he's definitely not drinking tea with her.
- We have no way of knowing how we will find Amanda. I say, staring at him.
-You convinced me to come with you to help you look for her. Don't lose hope now.
I run my hands through my hair trying to calm myself, then sit back in my seat as we are told to land.
I will find Amanda with Tyson's help and I promise to never let her go. Even if that means I'll be very protective of her. I should have done this from the beginning, but the fear that she'll run away from me if she finds out I'm in love with her has made me hold back too many times.
We get off the plane and I go to get my car - which I also brought on the plane - while Tyson checks his phone.
-Let's go. I say from the car and Tyson walks up to me.
The drive to Amanda's house is shrouded in silence. Tyson is working on something on his laptop, and I… I ended up praying to all kinds of deities for Amanda.
Tyson is right. I have to keep hoping that Amanda is okay and that I find her soon.
It's been two days since Amanda has been missing, and considering how determined that man was on the phone, I don't think Amanda is doing very well.
I'm losing my mind already…
Everything is going to be fine, Ron. Since I haven't been notified of Amanda's condition, I have to assume she's fine.
We both get out of the car when we get to Amanda's house and knock on the door.
Normally, I would just go in because I have a key to the door, but since Gabriella is inside, it seems only right to knock on the door.
After a few moments, the door opens and Gabriella, dressed in a loose summer dress, looks first at me then at Tyson.
She doesn't say anything for a few seconds, letting her gaze wander from me to Tyson as if she can't believe he's here.
-What do you two do together? What is he actually doing here? Gabriella asks me with her hands on her hips.
- We need his help to find Amanda as soon as possible. I answer, and Gabriella steps back from the door, inviting us inside.
-Great… Now he cares about Amanda? Gabriella asks me again, after she locks the door behind us.
-Do not worry. I will not stay longer than necessary. Tyson says sitting down in the living room armchair and starting to work on his laptop.
However... What is he writing down?
-Of course you won't stay here long. You never liked staying with us anyway. Actually, you know what? I would say that you can also work from outside. No need to stay indoors, right? Gabriella says sarcastically and I sigh.
I can't believe they have the strength to argue at times like this.
-Careful, Gabriella...I would keep my mouth shut at this moment.
All Tyson does is add fuel to the fire, because as soon as he warns Gabriella, she has a meltdown.
-And if I don't keep my mouth shut what will happen? Huh?
I don't know what's going on next, and what they ended up arguing about, but all I hear is just shouting at each other, and I feel like I can't take what's happening anymore.
To solve their problems when Amanda is not kidnapped.
-Quiet! For God's sake, you're just not in kindergarten. Amanda needs us. I yell at both of them and for a moment I have the impression that they have gone deaf.
- Sorry, Ron. How can I help? Gabriella says and thank Heavens she calmed down.
- I don't know if Amanda came home from the beach. I say and Gabriella walks into her bedroom then comes back a few seconds later with Amanda's phone in her hand.
- Looks like she was back home. I also found her overalls full of sand in the laundry basket. The last person she called is you. Gabriella says and guilt creeps into my soul.
That night I hadn't my phone charged and I was drinking with Max. If I had my phone charged I could have answered Amanda and none of this would have happened. He would have been with me, and it would have been fine.
So...she came home. She took a shower. She must have eaten. But what made her leave the house?
I understand that she called me and it went straight to voicemail, but...I don't understand why she didn't stay home? Where did she want to go?
My phone beeps that I've received a message and I pull the phone out of my pocket. I see that unknown number again and open the message immediately. What I see makes my stomach churn and I want to throw up. A picture. A picture of Amanda, asleep and half-naked. I've never seen her fully naked, only in a bathing suit, but I can swear she's never been this skinny.
God…When I catch the bastard who put Amanda through such humiliation, I strangle him with my bare hands.