Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1650

Stepping out of the lobby, Fitch lit another cigarette.

He didn't usually smoke this much, but tonight he felt restless, like there was a storm brewing in his chest.

Once in his car, he gripped the steering wheel, and the sight of his fingertips reminded him of the sensation of accidentally brushing against Zoey's lips earlier. The memory of that warm, moist touch lingered.

He reached for a pack of wet wipes in the center console, considering wiping his fingers clean, but then he paused and dropped the pack back down.

Right on cue, his phone buzzed with a call from Tyler.

"Scrap the plans, man. I'm not in the mood for drinks tonight. Heard Ian's in some deep trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I rang up Beck. Ian’s vanished, and Maja—she’s pregnant, right? She’s staying at the Sanders’ place and resting up. Can you believe those two still haven’t gotten their act together?"

Leaning back in the driver's seat, Fitch contemplated Tyler's words. Even if Tyler said no drinks, he wasn't keen on going back inside.

"Tyler, how about we jet off to North America?"

Tyler squinted his eyes, skeptical. "You sure you can leave? Don't the bigwigs keep a tight leash on you?"

The Haskins family was deeply entangled with the powers that be, making international travel a bureaucratic nightmare.

And with Ian's recent wanted status, Fitch had narrowly avoided being blacklisted himself.

"Ian got a commendation from Uncle Bernard. The warrant's been lifted. I can go after him in broad daylight now, no problem."

Lately, Tyler was getting antsy, too. "Cool. When do we leave?"

"Let's check out the flights for tonight."

"That soon? Fitch, who are you running from?"

Caught in his own evasion, Fitch felt a twinge of irritation.

"Just need to clear my head."

Tyler was fiddling with his hair; the sash of his bathrobe came loose as a woman's soft hands climbed up his back, encircling his waist.

Balancing the phone between his cheek and shoulder, he lit up a cigarette with both hands.

"One woman's a waste of time. Even the prettiest face gets old. I switch it up weekly—to keep things fresh."

Fitch fell silent, focusing instead on the upcoming flight schedules.

Maja woke to the sound of two familiar voices—Tyler and Fitch.

They were grilling Beck, trying to find out if Ian had turned up yet.

Lately, she'd been sleeping a lot, waking only to ask the same question.

But time had passed, and Ian was still missing.

Haunted by nightmares, she'd dream of the earth splitting open and swallowing Ian whole.

In earthquakes, those claimed by the crevasses often never had their bodies recovered, adding to the tally of the missing.