Page 99 of Serenade Me

Chapter Thirty-six

Marius

She’s not there, in her room.

She’s nowhere to be found.

We’ve spent the last hour scouring the hotel, inside and out, and the venue and everywhere in between.

“Tell us again, Hailey!” I beg our PR manager, searching her words for any detail I might have missed the last 15 times she’s repeated her steps.

“Guys – I wish I could tell you something that might help, I’m just as worried as you guys are.”

“And you’re sure she was okay? When you left her?”

“Well, she wasn’t happy and laughing, but she wasn’t sobbing or anything, I wouldn’t have left her if she had been. Jez? You know I wouldn’t have left her alone in that state, right?”

Jez gives Hailey’s shoulder a squeeze, “I know. I know…”

“So where could she have gone? And why won’t she answer her fucking phone?”

“Are we even sure she took it? I mean, maybe it’s somewhere around the room.” I get up, turning the couch cushion over, finding nothing but loose change and dust. “Goddamn it!” I curse, throwing the cushion against the coffee table. There’s a loud crash as it knocks over the flower vase, scattering glass, water and flowers all over the floor.

“Fuck it all to hell,” I growl, falling to my knees to collect the shards in my hand.

“Hey, be careful. Just... just leave it, man. Someone will take care of it, can’t be damaging your hand.” Jez says, his voice tired, tired from worrying.

“Really? You think I care about my hand at a time like this?”

He narrows his eyes and looks like he has a sharp retort, but not before something on the floor catches his eye.

“Marius… did you send Anca the dahlias?”

“Um, no, she doesn’t like them. They remind her of…”

“Yeah, I know.”

“So, who sent these?”

Hailey looks up from her phone. “They were downstairs when we checked in, reception said a fan had left them for her. There’s a card.”

Jez glances at me, his eyes wide. “Marius – grab the card.”

I forget that I’m too mad to take orders from him for the moment and reach for the soaked card lying amongst the vase debris.

“Open it.” He says after I just hold it in my hands.

I do, and it takes a split second for the blood to run cold in my veins.

“Oh my god.”

“What?”

I hand it to him, and his skin turns white in the same amount of time it takes for us both to jump to our feet.

“He’s got her.”

I nod. “It’s got to be him.”

“What’s going on??” Hailey yells, trying to get our attention.

“No time to explain, Hails, just get everyone back here.”

“I think I know where they are.” I tell them.

Jez nods, “I think I know too.”