The Blended Family (The Domestic Thriller Stand-Alone Collection) by Ramona Light

Author:Ramona Light [Light, Ramona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-08-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 36

Nobody answers, and exhaustion I’ve never known hits me like a tidal wave. I stumble backward until my back makes contact with the cool wall. I need him to be home. I want to confront him while I’m angry. Any other emotion will give Vinny the upper hand, as I’ll lose my edge.

I could call Lola and ask her to call her dad. He might tell her where he is, and I could surprise him there. No, I don’t want my daughter contacting him for anything. He will only manipulate her like he did Miguel.

You’re jumping to conclusions again, Sienna. This isn’t like you. How do you know he was manipulating Miguel? Maybe they were just chatting?

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. The coldness of the wall against my slick back is nice. It’s waking me up a little. “No. Vinny was trying to lure Miguel back into his life. That’s why Miguel hired a private investigator—that Blake-whatever-his-name was. The one that sounded like a detective in a black and white movie.”

You’re talking to yourself in a fancy apartment building, Sienna. You must look insane. You need to rest.

I’m nodding now. I know I need to sleep, and the disappointment of not finding Vinny here has knocked the stuffing out of me. I never even considered that he might not be home. Why is that? I’m normally quite meticulous and organized.

I’m just tired, that’s all.

Pushing myself up off the wall is hard, but I still manage it on the first try. I sway on my feet for a moment and have to hold my arms out to steady myself. The caffeine pills and sugary soda in my system have become intrusive instead of helpful now, and my stomach feels like a dump truck. Concentrating on the churning makes me want to throw up.

Without thinking, I knock on the door again and listen carefully for movement inside. Vinny was always lazy, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was still in bed. I hear nothing on the other side. If he were in bed, he’d have to have been woken by now. Even Vinny couldn’t sleep through the racket I’d made.

The doorknob is smooth as my hand wraps around it. When I tighten my grip, I get a sudden jolt of excitement. I know what I’m trying is really wrong, but the odds of the door being unlocked are surely nonexistent. But what if it opens? What then? Do I slip into my ex’s apartment and snoop around? Isn’t that the behavior of someone who really is completely obsessed?

“It won’t be unlocked,” I tell myself. I’m not really doing anything wrong. I know Vinny. It’s not like I’m a stranger.

Then why are you scanning the corridor for other people?

“Screw it!” I say, ignoring that intrusive inner voice and twisting the knob.

The door opens with a soft click, and there is a barely audible whooshing sound as the door swings inward on its expensive hinges. I’m greeted by the smell of pine and coffee, the second of which is fainter.

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