Chapter 5 — A New Beginning

Six hours of driving and she was in the middle of nowhere — fields on both sides of the road, not a landmark in sight. She was exhausted.

But the conviction that she was doing the right thing held her together, even as she knew the future was deeply uncertain and that hardship was almost certainly coming.

"Nobody's going to take you away from me, sweetheart," she murmured, pressing her hand to her stomach.

Where would she go? Her parents were dead. She was an only child. There was a grandfather, but the moment he found out she was pregnant and alone, he'd probably wash his hands of her entirely.

Her great-aunt Sara. Sara was the right person — Jed didn't know where she lived. Although the two of them were close, Jed traveled constantly and Isabella usually visited when he was away, calling Sara whenever she needed to hear a familiar voice.

Sara's house was the right place to spend a few days and figure out her next move.

She would stop at the next gas station, get a coffee, and keep going.

Back in the city, Jed Salvatore was pacing his apartment like a caged lion, walking from one end of the room to the other.

"Wasting her youth on me — who does she think she is?" he growled. "I'll find you, and when I do you'll learn what Jed Salvatore is capable of. You'll wish you'd never laughed at me." He called his driver and strode downstairs. "Take me home."

The next morning Jed was in an even fouler mood. He'd barely slept, and when he had, he'd dreamed of Isabella. But he'd made a decision: he would call Leo, his friend and head of security, and ask him to find her. She would pay for what she'd done.

She was probably out hunting for her next victim already. Nothing but a whore. A knock at his office door — Marixa.

"Jed, I came to remind you the flight to Paris leaves in three hours."

"I know. We leave in thirty minutes. Now let me make some calls."

"Would you like me to dial for you?"

"No, I'll do it myself. Close the door on your way out."

He picked up the phone and called his friend. "Leo, how are you, my friend? I've got a job for you. I need everything — friends, family, bank accounts, all of it on Isabella — I'll send you the basics. I'm leaving for France today; I'll be back in three days. I want the full picture. I need to know where she is."

On the other side of the door, Marixa stood listening carefully.

"So the little girl has run off. This is my chance with Jed."

Jed grabbed his briefcase and walked out of his office.

"Ready, Marixa? Let's go."

"Of course!"

Jed was heading to France for business — he'd be opening a new office there. At thirty-five, Jed Salvatore was one of the most important entrepreneurs in the world.

But the truth was he couldn't stop thinking about Isabella's note. Wasting my youth. He wasn't some old man. He had clearly misjudged her entirely.

Eight hours of flight ahead of him. He'd use it to get ahead on work. When he paused for lunch with Marixa, he noticed how short her skirt was, the way it showed off her legs. They were fine legs, though not as beautiful as Isabella's — just thinking about Isabella's legs wrapped around his — damn it, why couldn't he stop thinking about her? He needed a new lover, and fast.