“We should get back to the house,” Lincoln says, pulling me from my thoughts. “It’s nearly two in the morning. Much as I hate to say it, we’re not going to find her tonight.”
I grind my teeth together at the thought of trying to sleep while she’s with this sick fuck. Much as I know I need sleep to function, and I can’t find her if I can’t function, I still hate it. But I nod regardless.
Finley checks over the Range Rover before deciding it’s okay to get us home at least. We have to kick out the windshield to be able to actually see, but we get it done and make the drive back in silence.
I just have to tell myself we’ll find her tomorrow, because nothing else is acceptable. I might have blood on my hands, but it isn’t the blood I wanted and my monster isn’t sated.
But he will be, and God help whoever has her, because no one else can save them from me.
* * *
The sound of my phone wakes me, and I groan groggily as the chiming just gets louder. I roll over and pull my phone from the nightstand, trying to shut off my alarm for school. I’ve barely slept an hour because my mind would not shut down and I felt antsy as fuck. After spending an hour in Linc’s gym, I managed to wear myself down to a point where I could sleep, but by then, the sun was already coming up.
School can get fucked today. I’m not exactly a genius, but I have more important shit on my agenda today. Like finding V and checking in on East.
Linc called Luc on the drive back here last night to find out there’s been no change with him, and he still hasn’t woken up. I still have no idea what the fuck Finn found yesterday, because I wasn’t in any mood to listen to more Knight bullshit last night, but today… today I want to know what the fuck is going on.
Throwing off the duvet, I climb to my feet and stagger into the bathroom. Switching on the shower and twisting the water to its coldest setting, I jump beneath the cold spray, the icy water pummeling my back as it helps me wake up and clears the fog from my mind.
Once I’m shivering, I turn the heat up and shower quickly. I don’t want to waste any time fucking around when V is God knows fucking where, with this psychopath that has her. I’m the only psycho she needs in her life.
I’d sell my soul to the devil if I thought it’d help get her back… though I’m pretty sure that ship sailed a long time ago.
By the time I’ve sorted my shit out and get downstairs, Finley is already set up on the kitchen table, laptop out. “There’re eggs if you want some. Or there are bagels.”
“Thanks.” I grab some eggs and put a slice of bread in the toaster. Culinary whizz I am not. Ramen and toast is about as far as my skills go. When it’s done, I sit down opposite Finn and try to eat. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve been trying to see if there’s any footage on the cameras around the house we went to last night. I found the black SUV that took her pulling up and taking her into the house. The SUV leaves shortly after, but there’s no sign of her or anyone else leaving.” He turns the laptop around and shows me the sped up footage, right up until we arrived last night.
“How is that possible? You think they took her out the back?”
“Must have, but of course, that’s a dead spot and there’s absolutely zero fucking footage on the back street. Which is probably why he took her that way.” He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. “This guy is a ghost. It confirms my suspicions that the people who came to get her were hired guns, rather than her stalker himself. Why risk being caught? Which means he’s not stupid, even if he is fucking insane.”
“Well fuck. Any way to trace the guy who actually took her?”
He nods, and for the first time since yesterday afternoon, I feel a glimmer of hope. “I’ve been running the details of the bodies we dropped. They all work for a private military company headquartered on the East Coast called Dranas. I’m hoping I can find out who hired them, or at least which of the team made it out alive. I’ve put a call in already, just waiting for someone to call me back.”
“At fucking last.” I look up and find Linc entering the room. “If you don’t hear back in an hour, call them back and cause merry fucking hell.”
“With pleasure.” Finn grins. “What are the other plans for today? I hate feeling like we’re doing nothing while she’s gone.”
Linc pours himself a cup of coffee and joins us at the table. “Since we’re waiting on Dranas, I’m going to head to the hospital to see if there’s been any change, and then I’m going to call a Conclave meeting. The two of you need to stay on Dranas. Any news on Thomas or Indi?”
“Nothing,” Finn answers. “I dropped Dylan a message this morning, but he hasn’t responded.”
“Thomas said the Rebels took her,” I tell them. “Either of you have any idea who they are?”
Linc frowns as he nods. “They’re the Kings’ rivals, but from the city. I didn’t realize things had gotten that bad between the two gangs. If it was the Rebels… I’m going to make a call, because if something happens to Indi while V is gone, she’s going to have our balls when we get her back.”
He’s not wrong. I’m just glad he knows who they are and that they’re not someone we need to worry about. We’ve got too many balls in the air already at the moment, I’m not sure how much more we can juggle. At least not until we get V back and we know East is going to make it.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, secretly hoping that it’s Octavia’s phone. That we can trace it. But my hopes are dashed when I see my mom’s name on the screen instead. “Gimme two minutes,” I say, and leave the kitchen before swiping the screen and answering the call.
“Maverick, I need you to come home.” Her voice wobbles, and my heart sinks.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
She sniffles and I clench my free hand. I already know what’s coming. “I need to go to the doctor.”