"I didn't do this, son," he said, each word precise and cold. "But I will fucking find out who did."
"Bullshit," I spat, trembling with rage and fear. "Was this the plan all along? Lure me into thinking you liked her? That she was safe? And then snatch her away from us?" I knew I was ranting. I could feel the words spilling out of me, my voice almost close to panic.
My father stood, his height matching mine, his presence filling the space between us. The other diners were openly staring now, waiters hovering uncertainly at the edges of the room.
"Everyone out," my father commanded, his voice carrying across the restaurant. "Clear the room. Now." The staff moved immediately, ushering shocked customers toward the exit. My father waited until the last customer had been escorted out, the doors closed behind them, before turning back to me. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes I'd rarely seen before, a cold, focused fury that wasn't directed at me.
"I would never harm her," he said quietly. "Not after what I saw tonight. She's worth more than half the Trivium brats put together."
“You put your life on that?” I asked. He nodded, his face solemn.
“And your mother’s name,” he said. “I did not hurt your girl, nor did I advocate for anyone to hurt her.”
"Then who did?" I demanded, my voice cracking. My father's gaze shifted to the phone in his hand, then back to me.
"That's what we're going to find out." He pulled out his own phone, dialling a number from memory.
"Jacob, it's Nic. I need every available man on the streets. Now." His voice was clipped, authoritative. “A girl has been taken. Cadence Turner. Last seen on…” he looked up at me expectantly.
“Water Lane,” Cole answered from behind me. My father nodded and continued into the phone.
“Water Lane, approximately thirty minutes ago." I nodded in confirmation. He listened for a moment, then continued. "Yes, that's right. The Regents Consort. I want every pair of eyes on Water Lane and every inch surrounding it. Check the surveillance cameras, talk to witnesses, tear the fucking city apart if you have to. And Jacob? Whoever did this is dead. Make that clear to everyone.”
He ended the call and immediately dialed another number. I stood frozen, watching as my father, the man I'd spent my life fearing and resenting, mobilised an army to find Cadence. It wasn't an act. The concern and anger were real.
"You really didn't take her," I said, the realisation hitting me like a physical blow. My father glanced up from his phone.
"No, I didn't. But I will find her." He returned to his call, barking orders to someone else, demanding updates on security footage from the area. Cole approached, placing a hand on my shoulder. Ryder joined us, his face ashen, his eyes wild. He put away his own phone.
"I've got Ryan and Owen hacking into all the cameras in the area. So far nothing, but they're expanding the search." The two Covenant housemen weren’t Ryder, but they were the next best thing we had when it came to digital security in our house. My father ended his second call, turning his full attention to us.
"Sit down," he commanded, gesturing to the abandoned table. "All of you. I need to know everything. Every threat, every enemy, every detail of what happened tonight."
We sat, the four of us around the table that just an hour ago had been the site of a civilised dinner. Now it felt like a war room, the remnants of our meal still scattered across the whitetablecloth, a grotesque reminder of how quickly everything had changed.
"Start from the beginning," my father said, his eyes fixed on me. "What happened after Miss Turner left the restaurant?" I swallowed hard, the guilt threatening to choke me.
"I followed her. Tried to get her to come back to the car. She refused. We argued. She..." I closed my eyes, seeing again the hatred in Cade's face, feeling the crack of her fist against my car window. "She was upset. Hurt herself punching my car. I lost my temper and left her there."
"You left her alone?" My father's voice was sharp with disbelief.
"Yes," I whispered, shame burning in my chest. "I left her." Ryder made a sound, half-growl, half-sob, but said nothing. I glanced over at him, but his eyes were firmly on the table in front of him.
"We received a package at Covenant House while they were gone," Cole explained, his voice clinical, detached. "Photos of Logan and Cade leaving the house earlier tonight. And a note." He produced the crumpled paper from his pocket, sliding it across the table to my father. My father read it silently, his expression darkening.
"'You meddled with things beyond you. For that you pay.'" He looked up, his gaze moving between the three of us. "What have you boys been involved in?"
"Nothing unusual," I said, running a hand through my hair. "Just the standard Trivium business. The Blackwood job, but that was weeks ago, and Killingham himself sanctioned it."
"Have there been other threats? Other warnings?" My father pressed, his tone urgent. I exchanged glances with Cole and Ryder.
"Cade received some threatening notes," Cole admitted. "Telling her to leave Regents. We thought it was justharassment, maybe from Julia or one of the other girls who wanted her position."
“Then there was the attack,” I said.
“Attack? What attack?” my father asked.
“At the Halloween event,” Cole started, “Someone tried to…” he trailed off, his voice choking up.
