Two days later, I was completely moved into the mansion, which had been thoroughly cleaned up after the path of destruction we had left behind.
On the third day, Baz and I are sitting in my new office. Baz has been sticking around, only returning to his underground lair for the necessities. And I have to admit it’s been nice having him here. I gave him a wing of the mansion just for him and his men, and he was happy for it. He told me he was tired of living with the sewer rats, and I can’t say that I blame him. It’s about damn time he lives and thrives in the light.
I still carry around the piece of paper that Ciccone scrawled on before I killed him. It’s been burning a hole in my pocket, but I haven’t even asked Baz to search for the man yet. My entire focus has been on Victoria, and that’s where I want his attention right now as well.
I’ll worry about finding Sara after Victoria is back and safe in my arms.
“Another video just came through,” Baz announces, bringing me out of my thoughts, as he makes some typing sounds on his laptop. I’m quick to open the email on my own computer, and I stare at the screen as yet another video of Victoria being tortured plays before me.
She looks thinner, frailer, and it guts me to my very core.
Like every other video, I force myself to watch even though I want to do anything else in the world right now than witness her torture.
And just like every other video, I’m completely drained and full of regret and anguish by the end of it.
The videos haven’t stopped coming, and each one is worse than the last. Victoria’s cries and her screams… Fuck, they’re going to haunt me for the rest of my days on earth.
“We have to find her!” I grit out to Baz.
He nods solemnly. “I’m trying everything I can do, my friend. I’m utilizing all of my resources.”
“Well, it’s not good enough!” I practically scream, slamming my hand down on the desk.
Baz purses his lips, and I know he’s close to telling me to go fuck off. I mean, I have been exploiting him and all of his assets for close to a week now, demanding answers, demanding everything under the sun from him as if he’s some kind of goddamn miracle worker.
But I need to find Victoria. Before it’s too late.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him while scrubbing a hand down my face. “This whole thing has got my head so fucked up. I can’t even tell which way is up anymore.”
Baz is silent for a while before he suggests, “Maybe you should take a break for a few hours, my friend. Get some sleep. Maybe eat. And take a shower, for chrissakes,” he grumbles while wrinkling his nose in disgust.
I stare at him for a moment before a small bout of laughter bubbles out of my throat. Fuck, it has been a while since I’ve taken a shower…or even slept in a bed. My amusement is short-lived, but at least it’s a different emotion from the hatred and anger I’ve been feeling for days.
Baz’s lips crack into a grin as a soft chuckle escapes him. “You’re not helping anyone or Victoria, for that matter, by letting yourself go, my friend,” he explains. “I will let you know the moment anything changes.”
Giving him a nod, I know he’s right. Maybe a shower and some sleep will help me refresh, help me be able to think of something new to try to get Victoria back.
I make my way to one of the guest bedrooms in the west wing of the house that I have claimed as mine. It’s spacious with dark, antique furniture and a bathroom that’s bigger than most people’s apartments. Plus, the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooks the entire front yard of the estate. It’s perfect.
I’m the only one residing in this wing of the house, so it’s private.
And very lonely.
I never thought going into this that I would actually fall for Victoria. That I would miss everything about her once she was out of my life.
I miss her laugh, her blue eyes that look violet in certain light, the way her hair fell over her shoulder in such a carefree way whenever she walked. Fuck, I just missher.
Once I’m under the stream of hot water, as hot as I can stand it without actually burning my skin, I think over the efforts that have been made thus far.
We started with Nolan’s properties, raiding every single one, but coming up empty each and every time. Victoria is being kept somewhere, but obviously a place where only Nolan himself knows about. And since Nolan and his most trusted men are with him at this place, the people we’ve tried questioning don’t know shit about anything.
Baz has tried tracing the IP addresses from the emails, but the ping usually bounces around the world and usually ends up in China or Australia. So that’s just another dead-end.
Nolan didn’t miss a single step when he decided to kidnap Victoria. He is keeping her someplace where I may never find her, and he’s covering his tracks well.Too well.
I slam my fist into the wet tiled wall of the shower, grimacing at the pain that shoots through my knuckles and through my forearm.
There has to be something we’re missing. But I have no idea what it is.
