"You kinda need to finish school first, don't you think?" he says.
"I'll do it like you did. Like, online or something. I don't want to go back home."
"You can't run away from your problems, Keats, because eventually they'll come and find you."
And I know without a doubt that he was right. My problems are coming to find me.
"We're so good together," he says, gazing into my eyes. "I'm not sure how I'm going to survive without you. Remember what I told you on the beach? How you have my heart?"
"I remember, Aiden. And I don't know where I'll be exactly, but I'll text you, I promise. Whenever I can."
"You better. It's all that will keep me going. Are you sure you can't come back to school?"
"I accidentally led someone to my loft. I'd die if I led Vincent to Eastbrooke. I don't think he'd care who he hurt in the process of getting to me."
"Do you have any idea how you've changed my life? What you mean to me?" He looks teary. "I'm going to miss you."
"Aiden, I can't do this."
"Do what, baby?"
"This whole goodbye thing."
"I'm sorry. I just want to make sure you know how I feel before you go."
I jump out of bed. I can't take this any more. It's killing me.
Cooper and I are getting ready to head to the airport when I get a call from Tommy.
"Keatyn!" he says frantically. "Where are you?"
"At the hotel, getting ready to leave for the airport."
"You can't go. Kiki was kidnapped. The dog sitter was hit on the head and knocked out. They took her to the hospital. There was a note in her backpack."
"What did it say?"
"It said, My dearest, K. Lying. Flying. Plane goes down. Boom, splat, on the ground. Woof. Ruff. Dogs do say. Rounds two and three go my way."
"Ohmigawd."
"What? I don't get it, do you?"
"I think he had something to do with my dad's death, Tommy."
"Are you serious?"
"Does Mom know? Did she ever suspect that? Was there ever any question?"
"Not that I'm aware of. I just remember hearing there had been some kind of mechanical failure. Holy shit. Do you think his obsession goes that far back?"
"Maybe it does. Maybe Vincent thought he was like Matt and didn't support Mom's dreams."
"Your mom has never mentioned anything about your dad not being supportive."
"His career was going well and he wanted mom to slow down. He thought she should quit for a while so I could have a normal childhood. I remember them fighting about it."
"Wait, are you talking about Matt Moran?"
"No, Matt. Mom's boyfriend in A Day at the Lake. He didn't support Lacy's dreams. That's why Vince wanted to kill him."
"This is from the movie?"
"Yes, Vincent is obsessed with it. Reread the last part again."
"Woof. Ruff. Dogs do say. Rounds two and three go my way," he recites. "What do you think rounds two and three are? And why do they go his way?"
"I'm assuming round one was the takeover. I won that round. Round two. He took Kiki."
"So, what's round three?"
"I don't know. Did you look everywhere for Kiki? All over the park?"
"Yeah, both Matt and I went and looked for her everywhere. We called for her. And she walks that path every day, she'd know her way home. I'm actually sitting outside right now hoping she'll show up. I've called Animal Control three times. She has a chip, so they'll contact me if they find her. As much as that dog drives me nuts, I love her. The girls will be so upset."
"Don't tell them yet, Tommy. I'll find her."
I hang up the phone and yell, "Cooper!"
He comes rushing out of his bedroom in just a pair of sweat shorts. "What?!" he says, as Aiden comes running out of our room, both of them on edge.
"I'm going out. I'll be back in a few minutes. I have something I need to do."
"You can't just leave. I'm coming with you," Cooper says.
"Fine," I say, throwing on Aiden's ball cap in an attempt at a partial disguise.
Cooper runs back to his room, returning fully dressed, and says, "Where to?"
"A department store."
We walk at a brisk pace to the nearest large department store, where I go to their customer service area and use their house phone to call B's old cell number collect.
Vincent answers with, "Good to see I have your attention."
"Give me back the dog."
"You took away something I love, I'll take away everything you love."
Click.
I slam my head against the wall in frustration.
I'll take away everything you love echoes in my head.
I have to figure out what round three is.
Everything I love.
Everything I love.
My family. Safe.
Tommy. Mostly safe.
Brooklyn.
Shit!
I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and call him.
"B, you absolutely can't go tonight. Move it to tomorrow. Move it to a different location."
"This is going to be a defining moment in my life, Keats. I can't change it. We'll meet my mom at Buddy's and then, later, we'll tell my dad that you're sponsoring me. Then it will be just you and me. We can figure us out. See how we feel. Are you on your way to the airport?"
"Listen to me. I need you to reschedule and leave Malibu, now. Go to Australia with your dad."
"I just told you, we're meeting my dad tonight. He's in town for some business meeting. We're going to Australia together later in the week. What happened? Why do you sound so panicked?"
"Bad Kiki was kidnapped by Vincent."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, B, I'm sure. He left a note in the dog walker's backpack. It's exactly like the note he left in Avery's backpack. It even-um . . ."
"Um, what?"
"Mentioned a plane crash."
"You think he's going to crash my plane to Australia? He's a stalker, Keats, not a terrorist."
"No, I don't think that. I think he had something to do with my dad's death."
"Oh . . ."
"Yeah. And I just talked to him. He told me he'd take away everything I love."
"So, if he's in New York, wouldn't it be better for you to be here?"
"He's not here. He didn't kidnap the dog himself. I'm sure he hired someone to do it. He's still in L.A. I have people keeping an eye on him. He seems to hire people to do most of his dirty work."
"So, same thing. If someone is watching him, they'd know if he came after me, right? I'm fine. I'm going to see her, Keats. I have to. I promised. You promised."
"Please, please, reschedule. I went ahead and did the hostile takeover without your help. Yesterday, I fired Vincent from his own company."
"You did all that on your own?"
"My grandpa took care of it, but the end result is the same: I now own the majority of the production company. I'm the chairman of the freaking board."
"That's crazy."
"I know."
"I'm proud of you for fighting back, Keats."
"I want our lives back."
"I want my mom back. That's why I'm doing this with or without you."
"I hate to even suggest this, but what if Vincent found her and got her to contact you? To lure you in? You could be walking into a trap."
"That's a pretty shitty thing for you to suggest."
"Your dad kept you apart all these years for a reason."
"I had this discussion with my dad. I'm not having it with you! I'm going to see her and no one is going to stop me. Not my dad, not you, and certainly not fucking Vincent!"
He hangs up on me.
When I call back, he doesn't answer.
Cooper, who's been standing next to me the whole time, wraps a strong arm around me.
"You need to fill me in on the details of what just happened."
"Vincent is in L.A., right? Wouldn't they have called you if he left town?"
"Yes, they would have."
"Tommy called me. Kiki was stolen. The dog sitter got knocked out and a note was left in her backpack." I tell him what it said. "I called B's old cell number collect and Vincent answered. He reiterated the note. Said he's going to take everything I love and hung up on me. Then you heard me call B. He hung up on me too."
"You really decided not to go?"
"I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid."
Cooper smiles. "Good to hear. Keep your head down and let's get back to the hotel."
We spend the rest of the day in the hotel suite. Through a bunch of complicated maneuvers, Cooper got Damian here without being followed. Knowing Damian wants to stay in Connecticut with Peyton for a few days before going to Miami, we had a discussion about where he would stay. Cooper didn't think it made sense for him to check into a hotel like he had planned, in case the hotel staff recognized his name, so he offered a solution. To let Damian stay in his faculty quarters on campus. Since his stuff is all still there, no one will be using it. And it will work out well, provided Peyton can sneak him in. He promised once he got there not to step foot outside, citing that it would give him some quiet time to write. Peyton says she can make sure he's fed and watered, so to speak.