I dialed Timmy’s number, and he answered on the first ring. “What’s up, boss?”
“Timmy, get to my office ASAP,” I said, hanging up before he had a chance to respond. I turned my attention to the monitors displaying various angles of the club. My security team had everything locked down, but I had a habit of keeping a close eye.
Timmy, my intelligence analyst, burst into my office almost immediately. The door swung open, and the thundering bass of the club briefly flooded the room before Timmy shut it out with a firm hand. He looked at me with a mix of curiosity and urgency.
“What’s up?” Timmy asked.
“I need an update on Mia. What you got for me?”
I had asked Timmy a few days ago to get me a location on Mia since she had gone into hiding.
He settled into the chair across from me, pulling out his tablet. “It’s like she vanished off the grid. We’ve checked everything we could. She hasn’t used any credit cards or made any transactions since she disappeared. I’ve combed through her financial records. Nothing there. No sign of cash withdrawals, no suspicious activity.”
Frustrated, I leaned forward. “What about her phone?”
Timmy shook his head, tapping on his tablet. “Her phone hasn’t pinged anywhere since Saturday. We’ve traced its last location, but she must have either shut it off or thrown it away. There are no records of her at any airports or transportation hubs. It’s like she just disappeared.”
I combed my forehead as my patience began to wear thin. “Have you checked with other local sources?”
“Yeah. I cross-referenced with surveillance footage from her usual spots around the city. Nothing. It’s like she’s gone underground…” As Timmy continued, I barely heard him. My focus suddenly shifted to the camera on the entrance of the club. My eyes locked onto a familiar figure slipping through the crowd.
It was Damar.
I couldn’t believe Damar was at the club while Aviana was a wreck alone in a hotel room. The anger I felt was immediate and consuming. My protective instincts flared up, overriding everything else.
“Timmy,” I interrupted sharply, cutting him off mid-sentence. I stood abruptly, causing the chair to scrape against the floor. “I need to make a run. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Timmy looked up, concerned. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I assured him, already heading toward the door. “Just keep digging. We need to find her ASAP, and let me know the second you get any lead.”
Without waiting for a response, I stormed out of the office.
AVIANA SCOTT
The knock on the hotel room door sent anxious nerves through me. My breath hitched with anticipation, and my nerves were all over the place. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror in the plush surroundings of the luxurious hotel room. I was dressed in a cozy pajama short set, comfortable yet far from the glamorous outfits I usually wore. My hair was pulled up into a messy high bun, and I could only hope it didn’t look as disheveled as I felt.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the uproar of emotions erupting inside me. The fire had been overwhelming, and Damarleaving me alone had made it worse. And now, with Mythic on the other side of the door, I felt like my nerves were strung tight.
I walked over to the door, each step feeling heavier than the last. My fingers hovered over the handle, and I hesitated for a moment before twisting it open. The anticipation of being alone in this beautiful hotel room with the man who had a hold on my heart was too much in addition to all the other shit that was happening.
As I opened the door, I was instantly encased in Mythic’s musky, masculine scent. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the aroma sweep over me. His tall, commanding frame glided past me and into the room. My eyes lingered on his powerful legs as he settled on the couch in the living room of the suite. Suddenly, I had a wild yearning to straddle him.
I sat beside him, noting the furrow in his brow and the tension in his shoulders. “What’s wrong?” I asked gently.
“I’m worried about you.”
I shook my head. “No. Something else is wrong.”
He hesitated for a moment. His eyes shifted, as if he were deciding whether to answer or not.
Finally, he spoke, “Lelani… Her doctor told her today that she has a tumor in her brain. It’s most likely cancerous.”
I gasped. “Oh my goodness. That’s the reason for all the headaches she’s been having?”
He nodded sadly, and my heart ached for him.
I reached out, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “Oh my God. Mythic, I’m so sorry. She’s young and strong, though. She’ll be able to fight this.”
