But I’ll stick it out for Aerin.
Several hours after we arrive, Aerin slips off to the bathroom and I linger outside with my eye on Giacomo who is busy on his phone.
Once Aerin’s finished, I guide her back to her table, which is suddenly empty.
“Where’s my brother?” Aerin glances up at me then scans the crowd. “Did he go to the bathroom?”
“I didn’t see.”
“Oh.” She slips back onto her stool and pulls out her phone. “He said his friends were coming.”
“Maybe he changed his mind?”
“He wouldn’t leave without saying something,” she snaps then points past me to one of his guards. “See? They’re still here.”
They are, and they look worried. Knitted brows and flat mouths immediately bring a rise of concern in my chest. “Stay here,” Iorder Aerin, then I weave through the crowd to the closest man on Giacomo’s security detail.
“Oi. Where’s Giacomo?”
The man glances at me with narrowed eyes but doesn’t speak. As I’m about to repeat myself, I catch his finger pressed to his ear as he intently listens to someone buzzing in his ear.
I glance back at Aerin. She remains at her table, sliding her phone back and forth between her hands.
“He’s…” The guard finally speaks and draws my attention back. “He was right here.”
“Well now he’s not.”
“I know,” the man snaps. “I blinked and he just…”
My eyes narrow. “You’ve lost him?”
“No, we’ve just…” The guard steps away from me but I tightly grab his arm and drag him back. “Don’t walk away from me. Tell me what the fuck is going on, where’s Giacomo? If something is going on that has even the slightest hint of affecting my detail, then I need to know.”
“Fucking hell!” The man attempts to drag his arm out of my grip but fails. My fists are like iron. “Fine, we’ve momentarily lost him. He stepped out to make a call because he couldn’t hear over the music and we just…we lost him.”
“I’m taking Aerin out of here. If you find him, tell him she’s gone home.” Giacomo isn’t my concern, but I’m not waiting around for his games after last time. Spinning on my heel, I turn back to Aerin’s table.
And freeze.
Her stool is empty.
My heart punches up into my chest while I immediately climb onto the nearest table and rapidly scan the crowd for her fair, auburn hair to no avail.
There’s not a single glimpse of her.
Fuck.
Dragging my phone from my pocket, I call her but as I hop down from the table, a flashing light catches my eye.
Aerin’s phone is on the ground, kicked under the table she was previously sitting at.
Gone.
She can’t be gone.
Not again.
There’s no way this happened again.
