wasnât, but he hadnât seen Emily in months, and lately, heâd been having trouble getting her out of his head. Jonathan didnât know it, but Lew and Emilyâs romance had never really ended. They werenât a Âcouple anymore, but they still had a connection, unlike anything either of them had ever experienced in their lives.
Lew downed the remainder of his dark brew and waved for another. While he waited, he picked the phone up again. Just like all the other times he swung his thumb over the call button, but before he could swing it away this time, his phone buzzed and rang. It startled him and he dropped it on the table again. He smiled and grabbed it, sure Emily had been feeling the same way and was actually calling him. They did that a lot, had the same idea at the same time. But when Lew turned the phone over, he saw a face he hadnât seen in a year. He pressed the answer button.
âShrimp?â
âUncle Lew!â Natalieâs voice screeched. He knew it was her, but in just a year she was already sounding different. He missed being âUnca Lew,â even if she wasnât his actual niece.
âWhat the hell are youâÂâ
âOh my God, Iâve been dialing and dialing. I musta called like a thousand numbers. I didnât think Iâd ever find you!â Natalieâs words ran together like spaces werenât something she could afford.
âYouâve been what?â Lew said, trying to force himself to be more sober. Though not so hard that he didnât nod a thank-Âyou to the barkeep for bringing him another Guinness. âUm, how exactly did you get this number?â As much as Lew had wanted to give Natalie his number, heâd known how Jonathan would react if he ever did.
âEmily gave it to me months ago, but my art supplies leaked all over the notebook I wrote it in. I only had the first half of it.â
Lew had accused Emily on several occasions of calling Natalie, but sheâd always denied it. Being right didnât give him any pleasure. He did smile at the idea of Natalieâs systematically dialing all the possible numbers until she found him. She was a lot like her dad that way.
âWhy didnât you just call Emily and get the number again?â Lew asked, a bad feeling stirring in his gut.
âThatâs the thing, Uncle Lew. Itâs Emily. Sheâs . . . I think sheâs hurt. Bad.â
The shock raced through Lewâs system faster than the Guinness. He fought to breathe against the squeezing in his chest. His knuckles turned white on the glass in his hand, and he forced himself to put it down before he crushed it.
Natalie told him what sheâd heard through the phone hours ago. When the phone had been knocked from Emilyâs hand and under the sofa, the connection had continued and Natalie had heard every word, every punch, and every shot.
âI knew it was him. Iâm sorry, I tried to call Dad like a billion times, but he wouldnât answer. Iâm so mad at him! Youâve got to find her, Uncle Lew. You just have to.â
âYou knew it was him ? You knew it was who?â Lew was still reeling from Natalieâs detailed description of what sheâd heard, and he needed to hear the name, but he was sure he already knew.
âThat terrible man that wants to hurt you guys. George. Canton George.â
W HEN J ONATHAN AND Lew had decided to settle in London, theyâd deliberately gotten flats not only close to each other, but close to where Emily lived. With Canton George still out there and after them, it was a safety issue. They were also close to all the London museums and galleries, and less than five hundred miles from Natalieâs boarding school. That was all well and good, but all Lew cared about was that he was only a ten-Âminute cab ride from the only woman heâd ever loved.
Lew got out of the cab a few blocks from Emilyâs
Lew downed the remainder of his dark brew and waved for another. While he waited, he picked the phone up again. Just like all the other times he swung his thumb over the call button, but before he could swing it away this time, his phone buzzed and rang. It startled him and he dropped it on the table again. He smiled and grabbed it, sure Emily had been feeling the same way and was actually calling him. They did that a lot, had the same idea at the same time. But when Lew turned the phone over, he saw a face he hadnât seen in a year. He pressed the answer button.
âShrimp?â
âUncle Lew!â Natalieâs voice screeched. He knew it was her, but in just a year she was already sounding different. He missed being âUnca Lew,â even if she wasnât his actual niece.
âWhat the hell are youâÂâ
âOh my God, Iâve been dialing and dialing. I musta called like a thousand numbers. I didnât think Iâd ever find you!â Natalieâs words ran together like spaces werenât something she could afford.
âYouâve been what?â Lew said, trying to force himself to be more sober. Though not so hard that he didnât nod a thank-Âyou to the barkeep for bringing him another Guinness. âUm, how exactly did you get this number?â As much as Lew had wanted to give Natalie his number, heâd known how Jonathan would react if he ever did.
âEmily gave it to me months ago, but my art supplies leaked all over the notebook I wrote it in. I only had the first half of it.â
Lew had accused Emily on several occasions of calling Natalie, but sheâd always denied it. Being right didnât give him any pleasure. He did smile at the idea of Natalieâs systematically dialing all the possible numbers until she found him. She was a lot like her dad that way.
âWhy didnât you just call Emily and get the number again?â Lew asked, a bad feeling stirring in his gut.
âThatâs the thing, Uncle Lew. Itâs Emily. Sheâs . . . I think sheâs hurt. Bad.â
The shock raced through Lewâs system faster than the Guinness. He fought to breathe against the squeezing in his chest. His knuckles turned white on the glass in his hand, and he forced himself to put it down before he crushed it.
Natalie told him what sheâd heard through the phone hours ago. When the phone had been knocked from Emilyâs hand and under the sofa, the connection had continued and Natalie had heard every word, every punch, and every shot.
âI knew it was him. Iâm sorry, I tried to call Dad like a billion times, but he wouldnât answer. Iâm so mad at him! Youâve got to find her, Uncle Lew. You just have to.â
âYou knew it was him ? You knew it was who?â Lew was still reeling from Natalieâs detailed description of what sheâd heard, and he needed to hear the name, but he was sure he already knew.
âThat terrible man that wants to hurt you guys. George. Canton George.â
W HEN J ONATHAN AND Lew had decided to settle in London, theyâd deliberately gotten flats not only close to each other, but close to where Emily lived. With Canton George still out there and after them, it was a safety issue. They were also close to all the London museums and galleries, and less than five hundred miles from Natalieâs boarding school. That was all well and good, but all Lew cared about was that he was only a ten-Âminute cab ride from the only woman heâd ever loved.
Lew got out of the cab a few blocks from Emilyâs
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