My hands curl at my sides into tight fists. As if he senses my rage building, he holds a hand up, still grinning, and says, “She went that way,” then he points towards the stairs.
I don’t bother to answer as I take off in that direction, rushing up the stairs two at a time and busting into my room.
I freeze at the sight of Sasha lying naked on my bed. She grins, running her hand over her bare thigh. “Well, it’s about time.”
“What are you doing?” I ask, glancing round the room for any sign that Remi was here.
“Waiting for you, obviously,” she purrs, letting her legs fall apart. “Now, are we fucking or talking?”
“Has Remi been in here?” I demand.
She rolls her eyes, slamming her legs closed. “Remi . . . again. Seriously?”
I close the gap between us, grabbing her by the upper arm and hauling her to her feet. I grab her discarded dress and thrust it against her chest as I march her to the open door. “I told youalready, stop fucking hanging off me like a desperate whore. I’m not interested.”
I slam the door in her face as she screams curses at me. There’s no trace of Remi here, and her pyjamas—my shirt and shorts—are still screwed-up on the bed where she left them this morning.
I go back out into the hall, thankful that Sasha has left. “Remi?” I call out, hoping she’s somewhere nearby, but when she doesn’t show, I start opening doors.
A lot of the rooms along this floor are empty, used for guests when we have other charters over. I go up the next flight of stairs, onto the whores’ floor, and begin throwing open doors. Smoke shouts in surprise, tangled in the sheets with a blonde I don’t recognise. “The fuck, brother?”
“Have you seen Remi?”
He blinks, dazed. “No, I––”
I slam the door closed before he can finish.
Next room, same thing. I tear it open, startling Pit, who’s mid-hand of cards with two others. They stare like I’ve lost my mind.
“Remi?”
Blank looks. A shake of the head.
My chest is tight, breaths coming harsh. I check the bathrooms, the spare closets, even the goddamn laundry room. Every second I don’t find her, the panic claws deeper.
By the time I storm back into the main room, every brother in the place is watching me like I’ve finally snapped.
“Shadow!” Axel’s voice cracks across the room like a whip. “What the hell are you doing?”
I ignore him, shoving past to pound on another door at the far end. No answer. I kick it open anyway. Empty.
“She was just here,” I bellow, voice raw. “Where the fuck is she?”
The whole place has gone silent now, every eye on me. My fists clench, nails digging into my palms. She can’t have just vanished. Not again.
Axel steps closer. “Let’s step into the office.”
I bite down on a curse and follow him. The door shuts behind us with a heavy thud.
“Start again,” he says carefully, leaning on the door.
“Remi’s gone. Again.” My voice cracks on the word, and I rub my brow, frantic.
“You’ve checked everywhere?” I nod, my breaths coming out short. “Then relax. She’ll show up. Why are you getting so ate up over this woman?”
“I’m worried about her,” I mutter. “She’s vulnerable, even though she acts like she isn’t.”
“We still don’t know what she’s mixed up in,” he reminds me.
