Gone (Gone #1) by Stacy Claflin Page A

sobbed.
    The broken look on her face made him want to make everything right again. He kissed the top of her head and held her until she calmed down. "We've done what we could. Dealing with the police has been time consuming and stressful. They're being nice enough, but still treating us like we could be criminals. Family is always the first suspect."
    "They need to get out there and find Macy ."
    "Between the fliers and the news coverage, everyone is going to know what Macy looks like, and hopefully someone will see her. When they do, they'll recognize her immediately."
    "I hope she didn't get kidnapped. Do you think that's what happened?"
    "I've been staring at that status update, and it sounded exactly like her. They say a predator could have forced her to log in and write that, but I don't know what to think. I've been so sure she was flipping us a giant bird for all to see, but with each passing hour, I start to doubt a bit more. She wouldn't be gone this long on purpose, would she?"
    Alyssa shook again, more tears falling down her face. "It's not like her. She always threatens us before she does something. Even before going vegan, remember? She told us several times if we didn't start making healthier meals, she was going to follow the Hollywood trend and get skinny like the actors."
    "I don't want to think about her being abducted. I can't." Chad blinked away tears of his own. "Teenagers are impulsive. They don't think anything through. She's been complaining that I let Alex get away with murder. She may have decided to stick it to me, and now she's afraid to come back, knowing I'll ground her."
    "We need to give her more freedom. We have to. She's right. Her younger brother can do more than her."
    Chad took a deep breath. "I don't want to have this argument now. We need to stick together. I don't know about you, but I can't make it through this, living at odds like we have been."
    Alyssa looked like she was going to say something, but nodded instead. Chad moved the scrapbooks out of the way. "Let's get some rest before the rally." He grabbed his phone. "What time should I set the alarm?"
    "Six."
    He got comfortable and extended his arm. She crawled next to him and for the first time in a long while, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

 
     
    Thwarted
     
     
    Macy sat in the bed, listening for sounds of her fake dad going to bed. She could hear a sitcom, and every once in a while, his laughter. She didn't want to lie down—if her head felt the pillow, she knew she would be asleep right away.
    It had already been two hours. When was he going to go to bed? She yawned, unable to deny how tired she was. Sleeping in a bale of hay had been almost as bad as not sleeping at all. Sleeping in the truck had been even worse.
    She could hear music, and it sounded like a new show starting. Maybe he was staying up on purpose—to keep her inside. His laughter drifted in through the door along with canned laughter from the sitcom, as though in response to her thoughts.
    Perhaps sleep was her best option, at least for the time being. Maybe it would take a couple of days for him to trust her enough for her to get away.
    Giving into her heavy eyes, she set the alarm for eight, figuring that would be enough time. She wouldn't need a shower, and the cold pie would already be ready.
    She dug through the drawers for some pajamas. At least Heather had comfortable ones.
    Who was Heather, anyway? Aside from being his daughter, of course. Being in her room, Macy had a feel for the kinds of things she liked, but still knew nothing about her. Most importantly, where was she?
    It sounded like her mom had been killed, but she didn't know for sure. She was supposed to say the mother was staying in Paris. Macy shook her head. Whatever had happened to Heather, it couldn't have been good.
    Unless she and her mom really had stayed in Paris. It stood to reason that they would have wanted to get away from Chester. Maybe they were living it up under