His Sunshine

23

Chapter Twenty Three - Patience

Theodore Jackson's P.O.V.

"Theo! Wait!" Andy, the receptionist at my office, calls just as I'm about to leave. "There's a call for you from a Carmen?"

I remember the name and her being Liam's girlfriend that I met at my cousin's engagement party. Frowning in confusion I walk up to him and take the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Theodore Jackson?" She asks and her panicked tone has me instantly on edge.

"Yes, that's me. Is something wrong Carmen?"

"I-It's – Charlotte hasn't called me back! Is she with you?!" She asks and I feel my heart start to race. Char hasn't answered my recent texts but I assumed she was resting from the jet lag. "I called her an hour ago about Liam. I-I overheard him talking to someone that he wants to get back with Charlotte and will force her if she refuses. She told me she was going to you and that she'll call me back. I haven't heard anything, please tell me she's with you?!"

"She's not! I-I'm going to go check on her right now. I need to go, please let me know if Liam calls you about his whereabouts." I rush as I take out my phone.

She tells me she will and after giving her my number I quickly hang up before running out of the building. Getting into my car I drive to Charlie's place while ringing her at the same time. My heart pounds furiously and I curse myself for not checking up on her sooner. I refrain from almost breaking the speed limits and running red lights as I rush towards her neighborhood.

I've just about parked the car when I hop out and race up to her door. Twisting the handle, I find it already unlocked and step inside. "Char?! Aria?!"

My gaze lands on the smashed laptop, her mobile and the landline. There's grocery bags on the kitchen counter and running into their bedrooms I see everything in a disheveled mess. Her locker is open and I realize it's where she used to keep her important documents, noticing that hers and Aria's passports, birth certificates, and much more are gone.

"Fuck!" I yell and punch the doorframe as I get my phone out. I dial Roman's number as I walk back to my car. "Roman?! It's Charlie and Aria, they've been taken by Liam! I'm going to call the police but do you have any connections in the UK?"

I hear his sharp inhale before he slips back into work mode as usual. "Ask her neighbors if they saw anything too. I'll contact my supervisor so we can get the UK department on this."

"Excuse me?!" I look up to see a man step out from his house. "Are you looking for my neighbor Charlotte?"

"Yes! Did you see her?!" I rush up to him while on the phone with Roman.

"I just checked my camera footage and it looks like someone took her and her daughter. She mouths help at the camera so I was about to call the police." He states and Roman tells me to confirm.

"Can I see the footage please?" I ask and he gestures for me to come inside.

He rewinds it and my blood runs cold when I see Liam walking up to her door. She opens it and my eyes narrow when I spot the bags in her hand. She was clearly on her way to me. I watch with a clenched jaw as he steps inside and closes the door. Minutes later he walks out with them trailing behind. Char looks up with a desperate and pleading look, shaking her head before mouthing the word help.

"Rome, I'm calling the police now. It's him." I state as I watch Charlie get into the driver's seat before they leave.

"Good. I'm on my way, be there in fifteen." He grunts before hanging up.