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Blood.
“No…” I scan the side of the bed. More blood. Shattered lamp. “No…” My hands are shaking as I pull my phone out and call 9-1-1.
God, what have I dragged her into?
“I just fucking told you, I have no idea what happened. I left her for twenty minutes tops, and when I came back, she was gone. Stop fucking wasting your time with me and do your job!” I snap at the rookie cop trying to overcompensate. The police showed up before Stephens did. They’ve been grilling me the entire time as if I hurt and kidnapped my own girlfriend. My frustration is at an all-time high. I’m about to fucking lose it.
“Mr. Cross, would you know anyone who would want to hurt Miss Stone?”
Yeah, my ex-employee. My father’s ex-mistress.
“Like I said, I don’t.” Where the fuck is Commissioner Stephens? I need to get to the club. This has Fredrick written all over it. “Listen, do your fucking job and stop focusing on me,” I snarl, looking at my phone for any updates from Kade. I texted him telling him not to let Fredrick leave the club and to take any measures to do so.
“Sir, I don’t think you’ve clearly explained why you were here with the young lady. You seem to be a bit out of her age—”
I jump at him, and my hands grip around his neck. “You watch who you’re talking to, you mother—”
“Damien!” Stephens shouts my name. He’s behind me pulling me off his officer. I fight his grip. How dare this asshole question my relationship with her. He should be worried about who fucking took her! “Damien, let him go. It’s not going to help anyone.”
I release my murderous grip and shove him away. My heart races and my hands shake uncontrollably. It’s been over an hour. She’s been gone over an hour. The things she may be enduring, and I’m not doing shit.
I turn to the commissioner. “She was taken from this room. It’s been over an hour. They need to stop looking at me and start pointing out real suspects.” My voice cracks at the end.
Fuck.
Kade’s words strike me again.
They’ll do whatever possible to get what they want.
Fuck!
The pain in my chest explodes. I need to get to the club. I need to do something. I drag Stephens away from his henchmen and give him the names of who I suspect, then tell him to keep it off the radar. I don’t want anything illegal connecting me to what happens next.
I race out of the hotel, texting Kade that I’m on my way.
The image of her smile and the sound of her laughter play over and over in my head while I break every single road violation. I have a death grip on the steering wheel when each beautiful image of her is tainted with the image of blood on the floor.
Fredrick is a dead man.
The alley that leads to Exquisite comes into view, and I throw my car in park and jump out, running like a madman inside. The club is closed. It’s close to four in the morning. The smell of booze and sex linger, and it makes me sick. I call for Kade but don’t get a response.
“Kade!”
“Over here, boss.”
My head snaps toward the bar. Kade is standing there, next to Fredrick, who’s tied to a chair. He already looks to be in bad shape, blood dripping from his nose and his left eye swollen.
My emotions erupt. “You son of a bitch!” I’m on him in three short strides. I rip my arms out of my blazer and toss it to the ground. My phone falls out from the inside pocket and slides under the bar. My fist goes up and slams into his face. Once, twice, three times. I can’t stop. He’s going to pay. For every single hair harmed on Jensen’s head, he will pay with a broken bone, a missing finger, his life.
“Where the fuck is she?” I bark, grabbing the lapel of his shirt and bringing my face up to his. “Tell me what you did, or I’ll kill you right here.”
My vision fogs over. A sense of madness resides in me. I’ve never been a violent man. Demanding. Controlling. But I have never used force on another person. The urge to rip his arms off until he talks takes over any sense of right and wrong.
“Tell me, you motherfucker! What did you do with—”
“Nothing! I swear, I did nothing!”
I cock my fist back and slam it into his face, satisfied by the crunch of his cheekbone under my fist. Fredrick howls, and I pull back to strike again. “You had her photo. Don’t fucking lie to me. You using her to get me to sell to you? All for the fucking club?”
“No!”
Crunch.
His lip splits open, and blood splatters against my shirt. I cock my hand back again.
