I slam my hand against the desk. “How many traitors are among us?” The whole damn town seems to be in on it.
“Enough-more than enough,” Liam mumbles. “We need to know if Karl uploaded anything to the cloud,” he instructs.
When we found his Jeep in a ditch on the side of the road, once we calmed down, we searched for his phone, but like him, it was missing. Rubi’s already off to be restored. He put so much time into customizing it, there’s not a chance we wouldn’t get it fixed.
“Where’s the damn cloud,” I lament, exasperated with the whole damn situation. My frayed patience makes it hard for me to take the time to actually look.
A notification pops up on the screen. “Accept, and I’ll do it,” Liam states.
I want to ask him how it was so easy for him to get into the computer in the first place, but it’d be a stupid question. So, instead, I sit back and watch as Liam hovers over a spot that I’d never notice. “How the hell was I expected to find that?”
“You weren’t,” he teases as he clicks an invisible icon, and Karl’s cloud storage appears.
Fucking ass. “Shit!”
“What is it?” I demand, looking around to see what might be the issue.
“Live retinal scan,” he grumbles. “I forgot this part. We won’t get past it without destroying everything on his cloud.”
Of course. Why would anything go our way? That’d make too much sense. I rub at the tension in the base of my neck. The more setbacks and longer it takes to find Karl and bring Emma home, the more I can feel myself slipping-devolving into someone I fought hard to no longer be.
“Hey,” Liam barks. “We’ll get them both back. Remember what you just told me.”
I hear him, but I don’t respond.
“Answer me,” he demands, and I level my cold, amber eyes on him.
“I fucking heard you. I remember.”
“Then grab O’s laptop and meet me at my house. I’m going to call the guys so we can plan our next steps,” he orders, then ends the call before I can respond.
Closing the laptop, I turn the chair and take in the painting of Emma- his avenging angel and our everything. Liam’s right. We’re going to get them back. Then together, we’ll burn Sam’s world to the ground.
Once I have Karl’s computer and start my car, I pull out my phone and bring up the app. I stare at the blinking dot before I throw my car into drive and peel out of the driveway.
Bronston, Colorado.
Stay safe, Love.
SEBASTIAN
I
‘m not sure when or how I made it to the hospital in one piece. All I remember is leaving the Fraternitas and getting in my car. The drive here was a blur of mindless thoughts. I wasn’t expecting Emma’s departure to have such an effect on me-not nearly aware enough of her impact, or in denial for too long, that I missed it when it smacked me in the face.
I’m a fucking idiot.
I bang my fist against the steering wheel. “Why?” I shout my question into the empty car.
Because you started to care. I smother the nagging voice in my head.
They always leave when you star-. Closing my eyes, I shut off the noise before pushing open the door and heading inside the hospital.
“How can I help you?” The man at the desk asks.
“I’m here to see Shay Warren,” I state, and he begins to type into his computer before picking up the phone.
“Are you related?” He inquires, pulling his mouth from the receiver.
Shaking my head, I reply, “Close friend of the family.”
“Miss Warren is only receiving visits from family-.”
I cut him off, “Obviously, you know who I am,” I pause to look at his name tag. “Travis. So, let’s skip all the bullshit, and you tell me what room Miss Warren is in, okay?” I command. Travis attempts to open his mouth and I hold up one figure, “Unless the next words coming out of your mouth are a room number, I suggest you refrain from saying something that will cost you your tongue.”
Three shades whiter, he finally says, “She’s in the private wing.”
“Thank you,” I say, nodding before walking toward the elevator.
The ride to Shay’s floor is too quiet, allowing me more time to process that Emma’s truly gone. I know it’s for the best after the news we’ve received, but it doesn’t make the loss of her any better.
You should’ve told her. My nostrils flare at that thought. Before I can process the emotion, the elevator doors open, and I’m greeted by four security guards.
“Mr. Grant,” one of them greets.
“I’ll only be a few minutes. I know she needs her rest,” I offer as one of them uses their keycard to let me through.
I’m barely through Shay’s hospital room door before she lays into me.”I’m not talking to any of you pussyholes,” Shay seethes. “I don’t even know who di ras let yuh in.”
Damn, her accent is more pronounced when she’s pissed. I hold my hands up in surrender. “I promise I can explain.” I know coming here is a long shot, but I would be remiss not to try.
“Well?” she questions when I don’t immediately speak. “I’m listening.”
I point to the chair by her bed, hoping she’ll allow me to sit. Shay nods, and I take a seat, grateful she’s at least giving me an opportunity to explain. “Karl’s missing, and the signs indicate him being kidnapped.”
The string of curse words that fly from her mouth would make sailors seem like angels. “Why is someone being fucking kidnapped in this town every bumboclat minute,” she mutters, sucking her teeth. “It’s like unnuh nevah watch stranga danga inna unnuh life.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.