Koby’s at my side in a flash. “What? What have you found?”
“Vaughn,” I grit out.
The footage loads, grainy but clear enough to see his face as he wheels down the street. A street I know well. A street in Columbus. The time stamp in the corner tells me the footage is twenty minutes old.
“What the fuck is he doing?” Koby asks, watching Vaughn turn his wheelchair and enter theMillenium Hotel.
My thoughts race, my hand already reaching for my phone as I hack into the hotel’s surveillance system. It takes less than a minute to pull up the feed, another one to find the footage from the lobby with the correct time stamp.
I dial Carter, watching Vaughn exchange words with the front desk clerk before being handed a key card. He disappears into the elevator, his face a picture of tragedy. He’s aged tenyears in a few months. He looks like a terminal illness is sucking the last remnants of life from his system.
The line rings twice before Carter picks up.
“Ryder?”
“Vaughn’s in Columbus,” I say. “He checked intoMilleniumtwenty minutes ago. I’m watching the footage now.”
Carter swears loudly. “He’s fucking asking for it now. Drop whatever you’re doing. Call Koby and meet me at the hotel as soon as you can. I’ll call Broadway.”
“Koby’s already here. We’ll head out now.”
“Good. I’ll see you there. Don’t go in without me.”
Koby’s pacing by the door, his jacket in one hand, car keys in the other. If he thinks he’s driving while his blood’s running amber with whiskey, he’s delusional.
I dial Arthur next, barking out an order the second the call connects. “Get to my place. Now. Vaughn’s been spotted in Columbus. I need someone here watching over Bianca.”
“On my way. Fifteen minutes tops.”
I hang up, shoving the phone in my pocket as I head to the bedroom. Bianca stirs when I sit on the edge of the bed, her eyes fluttering open. She looks soft, half-asleep, and content. The last thing I want is to pull her out of this peace but I have no choice. Better she finds out from me.
“Koby and I are leaving for a while.” I brush her hair over her ears. “Vaughn’s in Columbus.”
She sits up immediately. “Vaughn?”
“We’ll handle it. You’re safe here. There are two men outside and Arthur’s on his way. He won’t be long. I’ll be back soon.”
She nods, but the worry in her eyes doesn’t ease. “Be careful. He’s... unpredictable.”
“I’ll be okay.” I kiss her forehead, my lips lingering long enough to take the edge off the maelstrom in my chest.
I grab my loaded holster and strap it on as I march out of the bedroom. Koby’s pacing the apartment now, a restless kind of energy not allowing him to wait in one place.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yeah, let’s catch a bad cop.”
38
Bianca
Adrenaline floods my veins as soon as Ryder leaves with Koby in tow. I sit on the bed, my heart fluttering like a caged pigeon. Rationally, I know I’m safe here.
There are two men outside. Arthur’s on his way. No one without a code can enter... but no matter how much I rationalize, the nagging fear won’t subside.
Sleep isn’t an option. The empty apartment feels too quiet, too big. The bedroom door stands ajar, and the faint hum of the refrigerator is the only sound I can make out aside from my shallow breaths.
My hands tremble as I grab a pair of leggings and a sweater from the closet. Arthur will be here soon. No way am I parading around him in a thin night dress. I know he doesn’t give a shit, but I have a feeling Ryder would.
