Without a Trace

Without a Trace Ariana Jones Book 3 Stacy Claflin WITHOUT A TRACE ARIANA JONES #3 by Stacy Claflin http://www.stacyclaflin.com Copyright ©2023 Stacy Claflin. All rights reserved. ©Cover Design: Didi Wahyudi This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental or used fictitiously. The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of fictional towns. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Do not upload or distribute anywhere. Receive free books from the author: https://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/ Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Author’s Note All Books by Stacy About Stacy Claflin Free Books Find Me Chapter One Then Angela laughed as she and Jeffrey stumbled out of the movie theater, spilling popcorn. He stepped in it, spreading the mess. Some parents with little kids glared at them. That only made Angela laugh all the more. “Did you see the look on his face?” “I couldn’t miss it. Come on.” He wrapped an arm around her, and they hurried toward the exit. She stopped at a movie poster. “Oh, look. John Candy has a new movie coming out soon. I can’t wait!” Jeff kissed her cheek. “We’ll see it as soon as it comes out. Let’s get going. I don’t like the way that guy is glaring at me.” Angela glanced in the direction he was looking. That same dad of the kids was definitely shooting daggers with his eyes in their direction. “What’s his problem?” “I’ll give you three guesses.” Her giddiness from the comedy melted into anger. “It’s nobody else’s business that we’re together. We love each other, and that’s all that matters.” “Not everyone sees it that way,” he grumbled. She threaded her fingers through his, her annoyingly pale skin a stark contrast from his gorgeous dark tone. What she wouldn’t give for the beautiful brown, but she was stuck with pasty white. Angela held her head high as she marched out of the building with the love of her life. Nobody else had a say in who she went out with. Especially not some grown man she didn’t even know. It was bad enough that some of the jocks at school bothered Jeff about being with her, but random guys in town who didn’t even know them? It was infuriating. How could people actually think like that anymore? It was the nineties now, not the sixties. “Let’s go.” He pulled her along to the parking lot and headed for his car. It was a peaceful night with stars filling the sky. “Are you okay, ma’am?” Angela turned toward the voice. A security guard about her dad’s age stared at her with concern in his eyes. “Are you talking to me?” she snapped, her annoyance with the dad in the theater still running high. The guard nodded, fixing his cap. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Angela flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m calmly walking here with my boyfriend. What could possibly be wrong?” “I’m just checking.” “Maybe worry about people who are actually in danger. My boyfriend and I being together is none of your business.” She pulled Jeffrey toward his car before the old jerk could say another word. Once sitting in the passenger seat, she let out a frustrated yell. “Don’t let it get to you.” Jeff started the car. “How am I supposed to do that? They’re being so unfair!” “It’s just the way it is.” “They’re wrong! Someone needs to set these people straight.” Angela reached for the handle so she could find the guard and give him a piece of her mind. Jeff rested a hand on her arm. “Don’t. You can’t convince the world.” “What do you mean?” “These people already have their minds made up, but even if you do get through to them, there are a hundred more with the same ideals. It’s best just to ignore them.” Her mouth fell open. “You can’t be serious.” “I am. It’s something I deal with every day.” His words felt like a slap to the face. “Every day?” “Pretty much. People like to point out that I don’t have the right to be with you.” “Those jerks make it sound like they own me. The guys at school who make comments never even gave me a second glance, but now that we’re together they think they have a say in who I go out with? I’m going to tell them off tomorrow!” “They aren’t worth the effort.” “I can’t let them tell you who you can date, or let them think that they own me. That’s what they’re acting like.” Jeff held her hand in between his. “You aren’t going to change anyone’s mind. Let’s just enjoy being together until I have to take you back home. It’s almost your curfew.” “But it’s wrong! They can’t act like that.” “They can, and they do. We can’t fight an entire system, but there’s one thing we can do to stick it to them.” “What?” He held her gaze. “Don’t let them get to us. The happier we are together, the more we win.” “But someone needs to say something, or they’ll just keep thinking that it’s okay.” “Good luck with that.” Jeff pulled out of the parking spot and drove to their favorite fast-food restaurant. After ordering at the drive-thru, he parked and they laughed about the funniest scenes from the movie. But Angela couldn’t stop thinking about how many people had a problem with them being together. Not that any of them had a say in it. What made them think they did? If anyone should have