I’m reluctant to let him go but know I need to. Stepping back, I nod my head.
“Don’t forget… the food will be here in about twenty minutes. One of my guys will bring it up. No one can get up to this floor who isn’t family,” Neo says.
“Thank you.”
As soon as he’s gone, I spot my bag by the door. When and how did that get there? It’s the small backpack I had in my empty apartment. Shit, I should let the landlord know I don’t need the space. I will figure that out tomorrow.
Picking up the bag, I head down the hall and open one of the doors at the very end. My breath catches in my throat. This bedroom is fit for a princess. It’s gorgeous, all whites and lilacs. There’s a huge king-sized bed with matching whitewashed furniture.
I set the bag on the bed and sit on the edge of the mattress.What now?
Chapter Twenty-One
“What do you mean you don’t have him? Where the fuck is he?” I yell at Aleksi.
He’s currently standing across from me in my home office. I came here straight after dropping Caitlyn off,waiting for her fucking ex to be delivered to my basement. I had my night planned, a night of violence and destruction, dedicated to his pathetic ass.
Now I’m told the men failed to nab him from the airport.
“He wasn’t on the flight,” Aleksi says.
“I don’t care where he is. I want him found. Now!” I scream.
“We’re working on it, Neo,” Aleksi replies calmly, not an ounce of fear in it. “She’s safe in the Petrov building.”
I lean back in my chair. Knowing some asshole is out there looking for Caitlyn and I’m not with her sets my anxiety at an all-time high. And I’m not an anxious person. I’ve never had anything to worry about before. My family, my brother and sister—they can all defend themselves. My cousins? They have the skills they need to fight off an attack.
But Caitlyn? She doesn’t. The fact she was trapped in an abusive relationship tells me she doesn’t fight back. Or if she did, the fight was beat out of her years ago. I make a mental note to take her to the gym… and the shooting range. She needs to learn self-defense.
I run a hand through my hair. I know Aleksi is right. She is safe in that building. No one can get up to her floor that hasn’t been vetted. It doesn’t set my mind at ease, though. I check the time. It’s nearly midnight. She’s probably asleep.
Fuck it.I grab my phone off the desk and send her a message.
Me: I know you’re probably asleep, but I wanted to let you know that I’ll be there at seven to pick you up.
I see the read notification. What the fuck is she still doing awake? Then a reply comes through.
Caitlyn: Thank you. I’ll be ready.
Me: Why are you awake?
The little dots come up, indicating that she’s writing a reply, and then disappear. This happens three more times before I hit the call button.
“Hello?” Her voice is soft. Uncertain.
“Caitlyn, what’s wrong? Why are you awake?”
“I’ve been trying to sleep. It’s just hard in a new place. There are noises and I… I don’t know.” She sighs.
“You’re scared,” I state.
She’s alone and knows there’s a fucking psychopath after her. Of course she’s scared. I thought giving her space to sort through her thoughts was what she needed. I was wrong.
“I’m coming back. I’ll be there in about forty minutes,” I tell her.
“No, you don’t need to do that, Neo. I’ll be fine. Really. You’ve already done more than enough for me.”
“See you soon,solnishko. Try to go to sleep. I won’t wake you if you’re asleep when I get there.” I cut the call and stand.
