finding Reese.: a SAFELIGHT novel vol.2 (SAFELIGHT Series) Read Free

to get out of here quick. I’m not packing anything. We can buy what we need when we get there, but right now that’s the least of my worries.”
    Her teary eyes connect with mine. The vision before me breaks my heart, and judging by the non-stop quivering of her lips, I know she has her doubts. “What if the bracelet is broken, Stryder? What if it’s just a glitch and Jax is really gone?” Catalina whispers, her voice cracking with each word.
    Her words unsettle me. In a fit of desperation I shake my head repeatedly, and one of my hands cups the back of her neck while the other covers her heart-shaped lips. “Shh. The last thing we lose is hope, Catalina. If we lose it, then what’s the point of living and dreaming? Stop. He’s alive. I feel it in my gut. Don’t be negative, because right now our friend is trapped in the snow in the middle of nowhere probably freezing. We can’t give up. Do you understand me?”
    Catalina nods, and when I remove my hand from her lips she smiles softly, bringing to surface the dimple on her right cheek. Her dainty palm tucks a wayward lock of raven-colored hair behind her ear. “Okay,” she whispers, nodding and trying to sound convincing, but deep down I know she’s anything but.
    Catalina has experienced a world of crippling loss, and seeing her saddened upsets me. Given her past this was the last thing she needed, most especially when she bonded the way she did with Jax during his press tour. That’s how Catalina Pardo and I met. Assigned to work as her photojournalist, touring the world and chronicling Jackson’s career; it was a twist of fate that brought us together. The truth is I knew I wanted Catalina the moment I laid eyes on her, and it was only a matter of time before she became mine.
    The first moment I saw Catalina, I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. The more time we spent together, the more I felt I needed to be with her. At first it wasn’t easy. There were these push and pull situations between us; the duty to perform a job and the realization that there was more to us than just a professional relationship. Jackson’s press tour has been one of the highlights of my life. I was fortunate to be able to spend time with my childhood friend, and it was during that time I met the woman of my dreams.
    I never knew I’d be so deeply in love with her, so yes, that simple fact still shocks the heck out of me. The more I get to know her, the more I vow to spare her pain. Catalina experienced a rough start in life starting with the unexpected passing of her parents when she was a mere child, culminating with the death of her fiancé and unborn child in a fatal car accident four years ago.
    The press tour gave us a fresh breath of life. It inspired friendship and hope, but more importantly love, so it hurts me immensely to see the shadow of the woman I met almost two months ago consumed with grief.
    Don’t get me wrong; Catalina is a tough cookie, but to see her stripped of that fierce persona I met and fell in love with is jarring. I pray we find Jax alive, because I worry she won’t be able to cope with−let alone recover from−another devastating loss. She once told me, ‘Everyone I ever love leaves me,’ and her words, while eerie, ring true, especially now. I need to prove to Catalina her tragic past ended with Blake. Us meeting was fate, and I doubt destiny is cruel enough to continue with the heartbreak she’s already endured.
    Catalina tries to break from my hold, but my hands hold her tightly in place. Looking into her dark chocolate eyes, I feel the urge to reassure her. “We’re going to get on a plane and get our boy back, and next time we see him, you can slap him hard across the face for putting us through this agony. He’s always been dramatic. Well, this stunt takes the cake,” I declare with a small smile, yet feel the sting of tears forming in my corner of my eyes.
    Catalina leans in for a kiss. “Thank you for being strong for me,