Had she not even taken two minutes to think of the repercussions or how this may seem to the rest of us? Travis had spent the time either pacing or chain-smoking cigarettes; anything to keep his mind ticking and hands busy, instead of focusing on what was happening. I’d barely kept it together and I was ready to knock three shits out of my team.
I lifted my head when I spotted Barrett walking toward me on the opposite side of the corridor. I pushed myself off the wall and crossed my arms across my chest as I faced him.
“Anything?” I questioned.
Barrett shook his head from left to right, struggling to hide the grimace on his face. He hated being unable to solve an issue.
I stood frozen for a minute longer before I began to rub my hand across my stubble. Suddenly a brainwave hits me. The tracker.
“Barrett, did you place the tracker on Charlotte’s car? Did you put one anywhere?” I stormed toward him, becoming impatient at his lack of response. “Fuck sake, Barrett. Charlotte’s driver. Did you hide it behind the wheel? Have we got a lead?”
I watched Barrett pat his pockets as recognition crossed his features and his brows drew together in concentration. I watched as he pulled his cell out of his back pocket and begin scrolling through it.
“I’ve activated it,” he said. At the same time, I grabbed the phone out of his hand and waited for the red blinking dot to flash on the screen, showing me where the fuck she’d last been taken to.
“Cassandra’s place, let’s go. I should’ve fucking known…” I slammed my hand against the wall and headed out towards the cars. “Memphis,” I shouted over my shoulder. “Inform Travis we’re off to Cassandra’s place. If she’s not there, at least the damn driver should have answers of where she is.” I blew out a breath. “Kitten where are you hiding?” I whispered to myself.
* * *
The twenty-minute drive to Cassandra’s place turned into an hour thanks to an accident on route that turned into a long-winded diversion. I was livid with the fact that Charlotte had gotten the upper hand on me. She’d learn fast enough that my restraint only stretched so far. The moment the car pulled up to the curb I pushed open the door and ran up the steps, only stopping to slam my hand against the red door.
“Open up, Cassandra. Let me in!” I shouted. I quickly realized just how late it had become as I realized that the darkness was now surrounding us. “I’m not messing around any longer.”
“She’s not here,” Barrett said cautiously from the bottom of the steps, making me turn on my heel. “Driver is still parked up, but the women are gone.”
“How can they be gone?” I asked. I ran my hand across the back of my neck. “Why leave the driver here?”
“Because she knew we’d come here.” Barrett shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a good thing that guy could be bribed.”
“Talk to me!”
“Club Annex,” Barrett announced. “Cassandra was not amused.”
“Fuck! That bloody woman is determined to push my buttons,” I snapped as I made my way down the stairs and headed back toward the car with Barrett and Memphis surrounding my sides. “She wants to test my patience; she’s not going the right way about it.”
“Oh, it seems she’s got us exactly where she wants us.” Memphis smirked as he slid into the backseat alongside Barrett.
“And where’s that?” Barrett cocked his head to the side, squinting his brow together.
“By the balls, man. By the balls,” I announced. “And I assure you that the tight grip she thinks she has on me is soon going to be dropped when I get hold of her. She’ll soon realize how serious I am about keeping her protected. No matter what.”
I parked my car as close to the entrance of Club Annex as I could, in the hope that it would minimize the risk of a drunk party-goer falling or scratching the paintwork on the exterior. I wasn’t going to be too long inside but you could never take any chances. The sooner I get the fine ass of Charlotte Baxterly out of this place and locked in her home, the better.
I battled with the decision whether Barrett, Memphis and I should storm inside and drag Charlotte and Cassandra out of the place and back to their homes or whether it should just be one of us going in. I knew they both wouldn’t take to it too kindly and kick up a storm if they were confronted with all three of us—especially my kitten with her sharpened claws. Charlotte’s driver had already informed me that Cassandra had kicked up a fuss about her little plan but being the kind of person she is, she wouldn’t let Charlotte venture out alone.
Club Annex was known to be an elite hotspot for the stars and well-known celebrities so I understood immediately why Charlotte had picked it out to visit but that wouldn’t deter anyone from getting to her. I mean, I got in without too many questions so it wouldn’t exactly take a genius to worm their way in if someone wanted to attack her. It was time to make Charlotte realize that it wasn’t safe to be out without protection. Anyone could get to her and it was damn time she realized that.
I scoured the edges of the club, prowling for the woman who had given me the slip. I had made strict instructions for Barrett and Memphis to stay in the shadows and not to approach either of them unless a direct threat showed themselves. Charlotte made her way out of the toilets as I snuck up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, turning her quickly so her back hit the wall.
“So, you thought you could give me the slip, Lotte?” I caged my hands around her, not missing the scared features that crossed her face before they suddenly morphed into a pointed pissed off glare. “I think we need to talk, don’t you?
ChapterSeven
Charlotte
Iquickly realized that tonight may have been a huge mistake. I was starting to think that I shouldn’t have pushed Cassandra to go out to the club with me. I’d never live it down if Cassandra clicked on that her extreme protests to persuade me to stay in may have finally hit home. I was beginning to worry that maybe her complaints hadn’t been in vain at all.
The moment I walked into Club Annex it was as if I was on high alert. A shiver coursed up my spine as my gaze darted around in fear that someone was watching me. Surely, I was safe in a crowded club with other influential people around. After all, it was only a stupid irrational fan who wanted to scare me and grab my attention. Wasn’t it?