One
Devlin
Two days without her, and my mind was fucked.
I could not think of anything other than her. Violet Cabot, my princess, stolen from right under my nose. I couldn't believe she was gone. I swore I'd get her back, and I'd put Jasper on the job, too, trying to make sure my princess was returned home safe and sound.
That night was a bad one. I'd downed Negroni after Negroni, a drink I usually saved for tough times when I didn't know how to deal with shit. The numbing taste of alcohol had made my thoughts frantic and frayed my patience. I was waiting for Jasper, strong fingers tapping against the solid wood of my desk, eyes trained on the door. Come on, man. Give me some fucking good news for once.
I watched the entrance to the room for what seemed like an eternity until finally, there was a knock, and I gruffly ordered the intruder to come in.
Jasper appeared in the doorframe, and from his body language alone I knew whatever he had to tell me wasn't going to be good news. I grit my teeth together, motioning for him to come inside the room. He hesitated before softly closing the door behind him.
"What is it?" I barked, barely able to hold back my anger, even though Jasper wasn't to blame for it. "What did you find out?"
"I'm afraid there's nothing, Sir. We've turned every stone, asked everyone what they knew. But she's gone, and there's no trace left of her." Jasper shifted his weight from one foot to another. He'd rarely seen me this angry, and I knew he was worried about my reaction - and for good reason.
I stood up calmly, buttoning the jacket of my suit. "Leave. Now."
"But Sir, let's..."
"No," I gritted out. "Get the fuck out right now."
He looked like he was about to say something else, but my eyes must have said it all. Jasper gave me a curt nod before leaving the room, and I took a deep breath before sweeping off everything on my desk with a swift motion of my right hand. Calmly, I regarded the mess on the floor. Important papers soaked in whiskey. Glass shards cutting into my carpet. None of it mattered, and I struggled to care about any of it.
Finally, I was starting to realize Violet was like a light in my life, and without her, I couldn't find a purpose. She was the reason I kept going all those years. Owning her, keeping her - those were my goals, and having her as my possession made me more fulfilled than anything else before her. And now, I was fucking lost. Roaming the house by myself, racking my brains with where she was... It was a fucking nightmare come to life.
I felt rage running through my veins, and for once, I wanted to give in. I'd spent a lifetime holding back my anger, swallowing the bitter truth, but now I was fucking done.
Walking over to the wall, I grabbed the bookshelf. It rattled, the accounting books starting to fall out and fanning out on the floor. I slammed it against the floor. The sound was deafening, the books falling all over the fucking place. I wanted to fucking kill someone, but until I found out who had taken Violet, I'd have to make do with destroying objects.
But once I found the bastard that did this... they were going to fucking pay for it.
In blood.
When I arrived home the day Violet disappeared, Belle was waiting in the front hall, deathly pale and shaking with fear.
"Who was that in the driveway?" I demanded, locking my eyes with the maid. "We were not expecting guests, were we?"
"I-I d-don't know, Sir," she cried out, already panicking. "But Violet, she's... she threw up. Please, come with me. Let me show you what happened."
Worry tore at me as I followed the maid through the house, up the stairs and into Violet's room. There was nothing there, save for the whisper of her perfume in the air.
"Where is she?" I turned to face Belle. "Where is Violet?"
"I d-don't know," she managed.
"What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you in charge of her when I'm away? What the fuck do I pay you for, Belle?"
"I just looked a-away for a second." She palms her apron, worried eyes afraid to look back into mine and instead flitting across the room. "She just disappeared."
"Call Jasper." My voice was calm and collected, though it was the opposite of what I felt. "Tell him to bring five others, to help me search for her. And alert the staff. Tell them to fucking tear the house apart if they have to. I want you to check every goddamn nook and cranny until you find her, Belle. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Sir." Her panic seemed to have subsided, replaced with steely determination not to disappoint me again. "I'm on it."