Finding Him

C H A P T E R - T W E N T Y - T W O

Closer

V A L E R I U S '    P O V :

When I come home after a stressful day, my only interest is seeing my daughter. There is just one problem.. I can't seem to find her.

And usually I'm good at that.

Usually.

"Leon? Where is Ellie?"

Leon's head perches up from his locked stance. "In her room, sir."

"Right. Not currently she is not."

I don't get worried because Ellie is a smart girl. This house is big but guards are everywhere. She's here somewhere. She's not foolish enough to leave the house without protection.

"I haven't seen her come out." Leon says confidently. My eyes narrow and it only takes me a second to slam her door back open.

"Ellie." I state into the empty room. She's not inside.

She's not inside.

I pause, taking a deep breath. I scan the room.

It's okay. There is no way this could happen again, Mamma is gone.

The window is unlocked, she could have easily jumped down from the second floor. But why?

I do not panic. "I want guards scanning every inch of this house." I do not panic. "Check every camera from the two hours." I do not panic. "Check the woods." I do not panic.

"Yes, Don." Leon messages out the order from his phone.

I fist my phone from my pocket and check the tracker on Ellie's phone. It's in the middle of nowhere, thirty minutes out.

"You're coming with me. Get a good team together. Let's see if this is a trap." I mumble the last sentence more to myself. I don't call my family but I tell Leon to let them know. As a backup incase something goes wrong. "Let's go." I'm stalking out of the room and running to my car instantaneously. Leon falls short behind me.

My brothers responded saying that they'll take some guards to some locations outwards, checking in case someone is trying to kidnap her. Kidnap.

For some reason, I just don't think that's the case.

There's an odd pull in the center of my gut. I can feel it. I can almost feel her. It's a thought in the back of my mind. We have no enemies to which I'm concerned with. None I can think of.

My mother is dead. Katerina is dead. Ivan is dead. The men who kidnapped Ellie and plugged the chip into her, they're dead. The rest of the Russians are dead. I made sure of it myself.

There is no one left. No threat I know of.

Unless.. no.

I pause, thinking.

Is Ellie hiding something from me?

"You're destination is on your left." The automated GPS speaks aloud. I almost flinch at the sound.

When I jump out of my car, I realize I'm unarmed. I guess it doesn't matter though, I can rip a man to shreds with my bare hands if it means saving my daughter. I have no restraint when it comes to protecting my girl.

A warehouse can barely be made out through the ivy and vines. A car planted right in front of it can though. A cheep black car, I've never seen it before.

Leon's door slams shut and his gun clicks. There are twenty men behind me. It's all I need. More than what I need actually.

Peaking in the car, I see Ellie's phone on the passengers side. She came here willingly from what I can see.