AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Asshole! He is such an asshole! He doesn’t get things his own way and immediately acts like a spoiled child. My blood is boiling, my hands are shaking, and my heart is pumping. More people fill the room, and I take some calming breaths to center myself again and refocus on the event. I need to remain professional tonight and leave Richard for tomorrow. I need to get him out of my life, and although I am not sure how, I will make it happen.
I walk the room, greeting people, ushering them to their seats. Even though I’m still a little shaky from my run in with Richard, I plaster a smile on my face and try to push it out of my mind. I spot mom and Brian over in the corner of the room, so I make my way over. Might as well get this over with now too.
“Hello, Issy darling,” mom purrs, and I lean in to give her a quick peck on the cheek and a small hug.
“Hey, mom,” I say, then look to Brian, “Hi, Brian.” He simply smiles and nods in return. He is a quiet man, never says too much.
“How are you feeling, darling?” Mom asks, and I am taken aback. I don’t remember the last time she was so motherly. Her voice sounds almost nurturing. I look at her, shock clearly on my face.
“Look, dear, I know I haven’t been the best mother, but I have taken these past few weeks to think and reflect, and well, I miss you. I know you are busy tonight, but let’s chat tomorrow. I will bring over fresh coffee in the morning. I have been staying at Brian’s this week.”
Okay, so there is definitely a full moon or something because everyone is acting weird around me tonight. I am surprised by mom’s change of heart, but pleasantly so. Her situation with Brian had made me mad, but now after my break in Hancock and learning that her and dad were both seeing other people, I guess I have to let a lot of that anger go. I now realize that no one is perfect.
She squeezes my hand and wishes me good luck as they go and take their seats and the event kicks off.
It’s showtime.
35
Jake
Our plane finally lands back in Boston, and after some rushed phone calls, we now understand a little about what happened with Sebastian in New York, and Frankie needs to lay low.
I tried calling Belle earlier, but she didn't answer. Worried, I then called the security team who didn't know where she was, and I was incensed. They had one fucking job! Finally, they found her amidst the crowd, and I calmed down, but not before yelling obscenities at them. Not my usual way of working with employees, but tensions are high, and my need to be with Belle is overwhelming.
I look at my watch in frustration. We are running behind schedule, and I was hoping to be in D.C. hours ago. With the memorial starting late, as well as going longer than expected, and then the security scare at the end, I had to ensure Frankie was well secured before we could leave D.C.
Dante and Sebastian are still caught up in whatever happened earlier, and Frankie is beside herself with worry. I placed her at Shaun’s secure apartment to be with Scarlett, and also Molly who lives right downstairs. The girls are all together now, locked away, all trying to comfort Frankie.
Marco, Shaun, Stephen, and I have all just arrived back at the airport. It is dark, and the weather is starting to turn. The wind has picked up, and cloud coverage is thick. The weather is matching my mood. Now, at just after 10pm, we are boarding the private plane again. It has luxurious, large white leather seats, wood paneling, and a bedroom at the back. There is everything that we could need, but I have spent too much time on this plane today, and I just want to be in D.C. We are about five hours later than I had planned. I am tired, frustrated, and on edge.
Marco is anxious because he wants to be with Frankie but knows there is nothing he can do. She was adamant that he would continue our plan and come with us tonight. He knows that she is in good hands with the girls and that his support and assistance is needed with us. He wants to catch these guys as much as all of us do.
Stephen is ready for blood. He is cracking his knuckles and grinding his teeth so hard I'm surprised that he has any left. His adrenaline is oozing out of him, anger permeating from his pores, and his eyes are focused out the plan window, no doubt deep in thought of what he will do once we catch these guys. I am sure he is reliving seeing Molly broken, and now’s the time he’ll have his revenge. The image haunts my mind sometimes too.
Shaun is quieter, but I know that he is ready. Ready to get this over with. We have all been through so much these past few years, catching these guys will be the last piece of the puzzle and then everyone can rest easy. Me? I just want Belle, in my arms, safe, and then in my bed, sated, for my lifetime.
I try calling Belle again as we take our seats and fasten our seatbelts, but she still isn’t answering. The flight time to D.C. is just over an hour, which should put us on the ground a little after eleven. I am confident that my team will keep her safe, but I would much prefer to be with her, see her, and be 100% certain no harm can come to her.
Just after take-off, my cell phone rings and looking at the screen, I see it is Agent Jai.
“Jai, we are on our way to D.C.,” I state. He knows that there is no way any of us would stay away, not when we are so close to finding these men.
“I expected as much. I looked into that security footage from your friend's office. There isn’t much to go on, but our forensics have looked over it, and it does seem to be consistent with other footage we have of Byron, so all things point to him. We still haven’t seen John. We know he has contacts in the area, but they have been interviewed today, and no one is talking.”
“They are in D.C., I know they are,” I grit out, because I feel it, I know that they are there.
“I know you guys want to grab them, and I know you want to look after your girlfriend, but you need to also mentally prepare yourselves for not being able to find them. We know that they are very good at hiding their tracks, and we can’t get a firm location on them at this time. It may be a wasted trip for you.”
Deep in my gut, I know it isn’t a wasted trip, and while catching the two men who terrorized Molly is important, I really want to ensure Belle is safe, and that is now front and center in my mind. What her connection to all this is I am not sure, but I am sure that it was Byron in her office that night. What he was doing there… I have no idea.
“I will call you when we land,” I say, and we end the call with me feeling no more settled than earlier.
I know his team are still looking for Byron and John. They are rather elusive at the moment, but Jai’s intel says they are still in D.C. My instincts also tell me they are in D.C. and somehow tracking Belle, but I have no idea why. If she would just get back to me on those headshots, then maybe she can shed some light.
Looking over at the boys, I notice Stephen is practically frothing at the mouth, eager to find them. His anger is palpable. Marco sits back in his seat and his knee bounces as nervous energy runs through his body. Shaun sits solid, ready for action, ready for anything.
I look out the window at the dark sky, deep in thought. When we land, our plan is to go straight to Belle’s event. We have rented out the top floor of the hotel, and we plan to stay there for tonight. Once we know she is safe, I can then figure out why they are targeting her and put together a plan of action, because as friendly and open as Agent Jai is, he doesn’t need us right now, so he isn’t giving too much away. Typical Feds, they only give you intel when they need some in return.
