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The loudspeaker came on, announcing my train’s arrival. A few moments later, it pulled into the station and people disembarked. I gathered my stuff, ready to find my seat, when a text from Rose pinged on my phone telling me that Luc was at the house looking for me and raging.
Harrison had arrived just before he did and was handling him.
Little dots appeared on the screen. She was ready to fill me in on all the drama. I closed the message and turned off my phone as I boarded the first train west, not sure when or where I would get off.
I sat in my economy seat and leaned against the window, just staring out at the station, then the city I called home. I daydreamed about Chicago, or Los Angeles, or maybe some little, tiny town in Arizona or Colorado, where no one knew or cared who the Astrids or Manwarrings were.
The day’s adrenaline had finally worn off as the train pulled from the station, and I realized I had no idea what I was doing.
I didn’t know how to do anything myself. I had no actual skills, no trade, no friends or family I could turn to, and I had a limited amount of money.
Suddenly, despite the midday rain already slowing and the sun peeking from the clouds again, I felt cold, alone, and scared. I watched the city I loved disappear behind me and wondered if I had just made a huge mistake.
CHAPTER 31
LUC
It took forever to get my father out of my goddamned condo.
He wanted to go over everything in excruciating detail.
It had to be intentional. He wanted to rehash the finer points of the contracts we made with Astrid over and over like it wasn’t already a signed and done deal. This man wasn’t planning. He was gloating, and it was tedious. Then he wanted to relive the moment I put Mrs. Astrid in her place.
He found this particularly amusing. If I hadn’t been in such a rush to get back to my warm bed with my beautiful bride, I would’ve told him what happened when Mrs. Astrid had shown up unannounced here. But I didn’t want to risk him asking so many questions that the story took longer to tell than it did to happen.
After that, he insisted on talking about other business, mostly having to do with the men I wanted out of our business. They were too much of a legal risk, even if the DA was family. If I was being frank, I also didn’t want them anywhere near my wife.
Finally, after he drank most of my coffee, I convinced him to get out, and I was ready to crawl back into bed and wake Amelia for another round. I even toyed with the idea of rousing her by licking her perfect little pussy and making her come on my tongue. Maybe that would be a new part of my morning ritual.
After all, my good girl deserved a treat. My cock hardened as I thought about her, still in my bed, wrapped in nothing but my sheets. I couldn’t help my smile as I headed from my front door back to my bedroom, my cock tenting my silk sleep pants.
When I got back to the bedroom, I knew something was wrong even before I opened the door. It felt wrong, lifeless. Hollow. I pushed open the door and my heart stopped. The bed was empty. My heart started hammering as I checked the closet and the bathroom. They were both empty.
She was gone.
No, no, no, no.
I searched every inch of the condo. There was no sign of her. The bed was cold, and I had no idea how long she had been gone. My phone was gone, too.
Fuck!
My heart was beating out of my chest, and it felt like I couldn’t get enough air. Spots danced in front of my vision as I picked up the landline and called my head of security.
“Did you see her leave?” I demanded the second he picked up.
“Yes, a little over an hour ago. I pinged you when she left. She got in a rideshare and went back to the Astrid manor.”
I slammed down the phone and got dressed. I had no idea why she’d left—if someone got to her, if something happened. Had she heard my father? Had something happened at her parents’ house? Had she just realized I didn’t deserve a second chance? Or worse, had she seen who I really was last night and decided she couldn’t be with me?
The more I was at this awful house, the more I hated it, with the antiquated details of its old-world décor and the figures above the arch that seemed to mock me as I marched up to the front door. I banged on the door with the side of my closed fist until someone finally opened it.
I expected a maid, or maybe even Mr. or Mrs. Astrid. What I got was a very annoyed Harrison Astrid, still in a three-piece suit straight from the office despite it being early afternoon on a Saturday. He stepped up to me, forcing me to back away and down a few steps, making him several inches taller. He always did like to hover over people. It was as if he knew the best ways to increase the intimidation and power he held with minimal effort.
“What do you think you are doing?” He towered over me, and I knew it was an intimidation tactic that I would normally not let go unanswered, but I had more important things to worry about.
He had to terrify criminals and people who got in his way. He had to present as a stern-faced, meticulously put-together lawyer who could rain down hellfire while he stared into their soul. I wasn’t a criminal. Well, at least not that he knew of. I had no soul for him to stare into, and I had no intentions of backing away from his sister.
“Where is she?” I demanded.
