Chapter 30

44.1K 1.4K 73
                                    

The ride over to my dad's house was silent. Damian held my hand the entire time, stroking his thumb across the back of it to reassure me that he'd do anything to get my dad back. We didn't even know yet what had happened. William assured me he'd gone through the house, and he did so again while we drove over.

Every last trace of alcohol in my blood had evaporated. It felt like that, at least, but I was pretty sure I still couldn't walk in a completely straight line.

I practically jumped out of the car before Damian stopped outside the blue house where I grew up, and ran straight inside. Nothing seemed out of order. The pictures on the walls were intact, some a little crooked, but that was normal. I walked through the hallway and into the kitchen, and that was when I knew something was wrong.

There was a bowl of soup on the table, the spoon in it, half-eaten, and a coffee mug that had fallen over, spilling a tiny bit of dark liquid onto the light blue table cloth. He never left anything out of order or untidy. Even if he'd gone to the basement or the attic, he'd set his mug straight and wipe the mess.

"Isabelle, thank God!" I recognized William's voice, but I kept staring at the discarded dinner. It was close to midnight, and dad ate his dinner around five or six in the afternoon. He'd been gone for hours already, and I was lounging on a leather couch in an expensive home, drinking expensive wine and reading porn. It wasn't porn, but my mind degraded myself and my stupidity, even when I knew there was no way for me to have known. A hand landed on my shoulder, and I realized William had kept talking. "...and I checked the bathroom again, just to be sure, I yelled for him, but no answer in the basement or the attic, like you suggested. Can we call the cops now?"

"No cops." The voice was stern, like being slapped in the face with a cold wind, as Damian entered the kitchen. He looked around, briefly, before walking over to me and putting his arm around my waist.

"What do you mean no cops?" William's hand left my shoulder, and he waved them around him as if to make a point. "A man is missing! Your girlfriend's dad is missing, and you don't want to call the cops? What's wrong with you?"

I'd never heard William so frantic.

"I know who he's with," Damian said, the vibration in his chest grounding me. "I can find him. If we involve the cops this could get ugly really fast." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and I saw him find James in his contact list and then he hit the call button. "He's gone. Orlov."

My blood turned to ice at the name. I turned in Damian's arms and took his phone. James was in the middle of reciting a plan when I put it to my ear and said, "He's been gone hours, his dinner is still here. I don't know why or what's going on, but we have to find him. No matter what."

I stared into Damian's eyes as I talked, and he stared back, putting a hand on my cheek to calm me. It worked, to an extent.

"Alright, good info, Belle," James said as Damian took his phone back.

"We're finding him, no matter what," he barked at his friend, his eyes still on mine. "Send out Mongrel and Diana to check the warehouses by the river, Kurt can handle the streets. I need every Strac on this."

I barely heard an "OK, boss" from James on the other end before Damian hung up and put his phone away, his attention fully on me.

"No one messes with my girl and comes back alive." His voice was low and filled with violence. My heart thundered in my chest, both from the terror of my dad's safety, and from Damian's promises. I would be safe. Dad would be safe. We would figure this out.

"What do you mean, alive?" I'd forgotten we weren't alone as William stepped up behind me and Damian's eyes moved away from mine hesitantly.

"I mean I'm going to hunt them down, get her dad to safety, and kill them." His arms tightened around me for a second, before he pushed me back a step. I barely registered anything he did until a gun was pressed into my hands and he lifted my chin up with a finger. "Stay here with William. You know how to use that if you need to. Just, please be safe."

 Bullet ✔️Where stories live. Discover now