She had to know that I wasn’t going to give up that easily. I’d never felt this way before, I’d never felt so compelled towards anything or anyone. In a way, I didn’t have a choice. She was a magnet, my magnet, holding my entire world in her hands. I was just a piece of metal stuck in her orbit. I would never be able to pull away but she wasn’t close enough for me to grasp either.
No matter the restraints, I wouldn’t stop fighting. I wouldn’t ever stop trying to be a part of her world.
“No sign of her. Sorry,” Zedd spoke gruffly, dragging my attention from my daydreams. It was a somber tone for him, one that I hadn’t heard for a while. My baby brother barely ever had the chance to be serious, let alone angry.
“We searched everywhere. Even knocking on doors. She’s not here Nik,” Drex said as he sat on the step next to me. I could feel the defeat he felt just by looking at him. It only made me more determined to find her. She had run away from me, hurt me, and hurt them. I was going to bring her back to me. To us.
I knew she wasn’t here. Of course, she would never stay so close to the house. Anastasia wasn’t stupid, if she took off on her own she would know better than to hide close by. And if someone managed to sneak past my security to kidnap her, or even to lure her outside, they were clearly smart enough to know my next move.
But we still had no clue as to what had happened, or what led to her disappearance.
I’d spent hours questioning every one of the security team, to no avail. They hadn’t been able to tell me anything and dammit, she had gotten away without even being seen! I needed to know how this could’ve happened, and who the fuck was slacking on their job, although Jeffery wouldn’t be back anytime soon.
“Where would she go?” Drex asked, but at the shrug of my shoulders, we all sunk into a thoughtful silence. I didn’t have an answer for him.
WherewouldAnastasia go?It was a question that I had run over again and again, never getting any closer to an answer.
I had no clue. At this point in time, it was a toss-up, she could’ve been anywhere - with anyone.
As far as I knew she didn’t know anyone in the area. She didn’t have many friends, no family - except her biological parents. Before I stole her away from her old life, all she did was work.Bingo!She must’ve had some friends at her old job. Now the question was which one to visit first.
Before I had a chance to get the guys on the move, Zedd spoke.“I know this is off-topic, but what the fuck happened last night?” My eyes dipped low at Zedd’s question. I wasn’t sorry about what happened with Finch, deep down I just prayed he didn’t have anything to do with Ana’s disappearance. “He called me. Said you two had a fight and that he was going out of town for a few days.”
What?My eyes narrowed in annoyance — why the fuck would he have called Zedd? “Wow. Running straight to our brothers for the deciding votes.”Real mature...
“It wasn’t like that Nik, and you know it,” Zedd huffed.
“Just tell us what happened, man,” Drex jumped in, as always, being the voice of reason amongst a sea of otherwise hot-headed men. That had been his role for as long as I could remember, the sensible one that diffused bombs left right and center.
“He was laying into Anastasia — telling her she was worthless — and then he hit her. That’s what happened.” I expected them to call me a pussy, call me whipped. I didn’t give a shit. I was ready for it because what could’ve been seen as me being pussy whipped was actually just my love for Anastasia showing itself. Before they could say anything else, I cut them a hard look. “No brother of mine will ever be a threat to Ana.”
“That fucker!” Zedd grunted as he kicked at the ground.
“My sentiments exactly. So, what’d you do?” Drex asked.
Zedd, impatient as ever, continued on. His face had pinched and started to flush with anger. “I would’ve gone off it! Torn him to shreds. I can’t believe he would disrespect Anastasia like that or you for that matter. Way to make it awkward at the office...”
“Well, I kicked him out. Told him he wasn’t welcome here. That no brother of mine would ever treat my woman that way and get away with it.”
I couldn’t help but feel relief at their agreement. I hadn’t expected them to understand the full extent of my disappointment and complete outrage, but they didn’t seem too far behind me. But then came the hard part…
“Look guys, I know you love Ana and I appreciate the support on this but...” As my eyes flickered back and forth between Drex and Zedd I struggled with my words, more than I thought I would’ve. We were brothers and I’d never met anyone that was as close to their brothers as I am with mine. We worked together, literally seeing each other nearly every day. At that moment, I couldn’t picture what it’d be like not being with them all the time.
“I’ll be branching out on my own from now on. I can’t have anything to do with Finch as long as he’s got issues with Anastasia.”
I never thought a woman would’ve come between me and my brothers but this was a situation of special circumstances. Never in a million years had I pictured myself finding someone, loving them as much as I do Ana and wanting to settle down with them. Hell, she’d had me questioning my involvement in the family business altogether. She was different, and luckily, we could all see it.
That was something we still had yet to discuss. Our future. I just prayed that we’d still have one. She had to know how much she meant to me, how much I would’ve given up just to make her happy. Her happiness was now my happiness.
“Well...I wasn’t expecting that. Fucking hell. The fam’s breaking up,” Zedd said, sighing dramatically.
“Idiot.” Drex rolled his eyes at Zedd’s antics. “Nik, I’m with you. Whichever way you wanna do this, leave or take over. I’m with you.”
“I don’t want to do that. I don’t want you guys choosing sides like kids going through a nasty divorce.” I shook my head at my brother’s undying loyalty but really, I’d not considered taking Finch’s chair.
“Being truthful, I always thought that Finch manipulated you into giving up your position. It’s not right, and I’d be proud to work under you.” His words made me think twice. Drex threw an expectant look at Zedd as if waiting for him to agree. I could’ve almost laughed at Zedd’s dramatic eye roll.
He was such a diva.
