Page 51 of His Demands

"Follow her, now!" I bark into the phone. "Get in your car and track her down."

Another pause, the guard's next words fueling my anger further. "She took our vehicle, Mr. Stepanov. We don't have a way to follow her."

"Save it," I interrupt, my voice cold with disgust and exasperation. "What kind of security detail leaves their keys unattended? You're fired. Both of you."

Fyodor glances at me, his expression one of concern. "Ivan, we'll find her. She can't have gone far."

My feet pound against the ground as I run, every muscle tensed and ready for action. Fyodor and Deputy Director Hargrove are close on my heels, their breaths echoing in the quiet.

I burst through the front door, my mind racing with scenarios and possibilities. Where could Julie have gone?

I snatch my phone from the kitchen table, dialing Julie's number with shaking fingers. I hear the ring in my ear as well as across the room from where her phone sits on the counter.

Panic grips me, a tight knot in my stomach. Julie's disappearance is out of character, not to mention alarming. She’s well aware of the danger and understands the precarious situation we're in. For her to leave so abruptly and without her phone, it has to be something critical.

I turn to Deputy Director Hargrove, my decision made. "I know we have a deal, but I have to go after her," I say, the words rushed, desperate.

Understanding flashes in Hargrove's eyes, a nod of acknowledgment. "Go. We'll be in touch," he says, his voice firm.

Fyodor tosses me the car keys, but then stops dead in his tracks. “Look at this,” he says, holding up a piece of paper. I rush over, my eyes frantically scanning the words that have been scribbled across the page.

“Let’s go.”

We run outside to the car and I slip into the driver’s seat, my hands gripping the steering wheel.

"We'll catch up to her," Fyodor assures me, his voice calm though I can hear the underlying concern.

I nod as I turn my attention on the road ahead. Julie's safety is my only concern now. The car roars to life, and I tap the accelerator, the engine responding with a powerful surge.

We speed down the driveway, the trees a blur as we make our way onto the main road. Every second feels like an eternity, each minute stretching out with the weight of my worry for Julie.

Fyodor checks his phone, trying to reach the guards, gather any information he can. "They said she left in a hurry, didn't say a word to anyone," he reports, his voice tight.

I grit my teeth, frustration and fear battling within me. What could have driven her to take such a risk? The only answer that makes sense is Barb, her aunt, the one person she'd go to any lengths for.

The car speeds along the highway, cutting through the landscape as we follow the route to the city.

Chapter 32

Julie

Twenty minutes into the drive, I reach for my phone to call Barb again, only to realize with a sinking feeling that it's not there. I must have left it back at the cabin in my rush to get out of there. Shit.

For a brief moment I consider turning back, but that would only delay me further. If Barb really is in the hospital, I need to get to her, and fast.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, my mind racing as I navigate the familiar route back to the city. The road unwinds before me, a path I'd thankfully paid close attention to during our drive out to the cabin. Now, each turn and landmark guides me back.

As I drive, my thoughts turn to my father and his sudden reappearance in my life. Would he lie about something as serious as Barb being in the hospital? It doesn't add up. Yet there's a nagging voice in the back of my mind, a suspicion that he's playing some sort of game. His eagerness to see me, to forge a connection after all these years, it just feels off. It's not the warm, fatherly concern one would expect, but something more calculated, more self-serving.

I shake my head, trying to clear it of such troubling thoughts. Right now, my focus has to be on Barb. She's been the one constant in my life, the rock I've always been able to lean on. The thought of her being hurt, possibly sick, sends a wave of fear through me.

I push down on the accelerator a little more, the New York skyline slowly coming into view. The familiar streets and buildings offer a small sense of comfort, a reminder of the life I've built here. But under the surface, there's a current of unease, of uncertainty about what I'm heading into.

As I enter into the city, the traffic thickens, the pace of life picking up around me. I weave through the streets, my determination growing with each mile that brings me closer to Barb’s place. I decide to go there first, just in case my father was lying.

The city's rhythm engulfs me as I make my way toward Barb's building. I'm moving quickly, my thoughts filled with worry and doubt. The drive took less time than I expected, but then again, I wasn't exactly mindful of the speed limits.

I park the car a block away from Barb's building and as soon as I step out I hear my name called. Turning, I see Calvin hurrying toward me. My frown deepens instinctively. I keep walking, but he catches up to me, breathless.

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