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“I’m going to the office. You keep looking.” Garrick relayed to Bastian, who nodded and dove back into the search.
Garrick charged down the hall, past the security guard who seemed to be waiting for them, to the last room. He threw open the door, ready to end Ares himself if he had anything to do with Ariella being gone.
The office was empty.
His phone continued to buzz in his pocket.
“What the fuck!” He grabbed the phone. Seeing it was Jackson, answered it.
“He’s not here.”
“What?” Garrick demanded, going to the other door in the office and opening it. Just a closet. No Ares.
“Ares isn’t in there,” Jackson said again. “He was never going to be there, Garrick.”
“What do you mean? Where is he then?” Garrick swirled around at the sound of footsteps. It was Bastian, panting from his run and empty-handed.
“Ash got a tip this afternoon. He’s been running it down. They found him half an hour ago. We’ve all been trying to get a hold of you. They took him back to Ash’s. Garrick, he had no idea what they were talking about when they asked about the girls or about Ariella.”
“They believe him?” Garrick demanded.
“Ash said he does. I’m in the back alley, behind the club. Are you three still in there?”
“Two,” Garrick answered, his jaw tensing. “Ariella’s missing.”
“How?”
“We got separated in the crowd. She’s just gone. Stay out there. We’ll retrace our steps. You watch the back entrance. If someone took her, they’d go out that way.” Garrick pointed toward the door, and Bastian followed.
“I’m waiting.”
“Be right there. If you find her, you keep whoever the fuck is with her alive until I get there.” He took off running down the hall, Bastian at his side.
“Where’s Ares?” Bastian asked.
“Ash has him. If we can’t find her here, we go there.” Garrick shoved his way into the crowd, ready to rip apart anyone who got in the way of them finding their girl.
CHAPTER29
Bastian
* * *
The creakof Ash’s gates seemed louder than Bastian remembered. As soon as Garrick’s car would fit through the opening, he hit the gas and propelled them up the drive.
“Where are you going?” Bastian asked as they sped past the main entrance of the house.
“Ash will have him downstairs. There’s a back entrance that leads right to it.” Garrick sped past the Annex building and around the corner to another driveway, taking them below the estate.
Garrick parked in the underground garage and nearly tore off his door exiting the car. Bastian followed behind him, letting Garrick navigate the underground passages of the Titon estate.
“You sure you know the way?” Bastian asked as they passed a second hallway veering off the main thread of corridor they hurried down.
“I used to play hide-and-seek down here when I was a kid. I know this place like the back of my hand.” He paused at another corridor opening and made a sharp turn.
The entire place reeked of death. The labyrinth of rooms and hallways wasn’t meant for childhood playtime. Samuel Titon, Garrick’s uncle, had used these rooms to squeeze the life out of men who crossed him. And hold captive women marked for sale.
A door opened, and Peter stepped out into the hall. His knuckles dripped blood onto the concrete floor. Bastian couldn’t tell if it was Peter’s.
