Bill shot up from my lap, responding to the request.
Everything blurred and time went haywire. There were moments of awareness that devolved into panic, and then back again. Hand on my chest, I attempted to calm myself enough to grasp Sybil’s continued conversation with Ethan. She kept the phone pressed to her ear, placing her hand on my shoulder to reassure me of her presence.
“When did he disappear?” ...“Okay, last night. From his home? Yes? Any sign of injury, blood? No. Good.” Then she listened intently for a while before saying,“Wait, Gray’s about to come in. I’ll let you explain it to him.”
I heard the front door burst open, letting in light from outside. Gray and Bill rushed toward us. Bill licked my hand again, and Gray placed a hand on my cheek, tilting my head up to look at him.
“Betty,” he gasped, finding me unresponsive.“What happened?” His features were devoid of color but filled with fear.
Nash lifted me by the arms and guided me to the nearby bed.
Sybil thrust the phone into Gray’s hand.“Matteo took their dad, left you a ransom note.”
Nash erupted with questions, leaving my side. I could hear Gray shushing them, then yelling for everyone to shut up while he tried to talk with Ethan.
Tears ran from my eyes. Mydad.I knew it. I knew this would happen.
Why didn’t we go back to New York sooner? What were we thinking? Of course Matteo would retaliate this way; why did anyone think otherwise?
I was hyperventilating, both hot and cold at the same time, sweat coating my skin with shivers wracking my body.
I couldn’t lose another parent. I couldn’t.
Gray hung up the phone, only to dial a new number.“I’m calling David,” he barked.
I’m not sure how long he was on the phone, but when he returned to my side, I felt numb. The ache in my chest was now a gaping black hole of nothing. My dad was gone. I’ll never see him again. Matteo was a monster; he would kill him.
Dad was probably already…
I couldn’t think it.
“David wants to talk to you,” Gray whispered, pulling me out of my dark thoughts.
I tilted my head up to find him standing beside the bed, phone outstretched. Confused and alarmed, I wondered why his uncle wanted to speak with me. I took the phone, my hand trembling as I raised it to my ear.
“Hello?” My voice was small and weak.
“Betty? It’s David.” His voice was deep and commanding, yet remorseful.“Darling girl, I promise I’ll get your father back, okay, honey? I will. It’s important that you hear it straight from me. I will make this happen.”
The sincerity in his voice made me feel comforted somehow, as if we were already family. The cadence lulled me into believing him. I suppose dangerous men were like that, their deep timbre and confident air pulling you into a trap.
I nodded, managing a choked“Okay” through my sobs.
“Give me back to Grayson, honey. Don’t worry, we’ve got this. Just trust Gray, and we’ll see you soon.”
I did as he instructed, returning the phone to Gray. Nash paced behind him in the tight space between the back wall and my side of the bed. Sybil leaned against the wall across from us, arms folded over her chest, looking ready to vomit. Gray moved away from the bed again, nodding as he listened to his uncle’s further instructions.
I sniffled a few times and pushed myself up against the headboard. The initial panic was subsiding, replaced with anger.“That motherfucker,” I muttered.
Nash stopped pacing, hands on his hips, his eyes blazing with fury. He looked like a boiling stew pot, primed to explode.
When Gray hung up and came back to my side, he addressed everyone as he said,“Alright, he has a plan, and the team’s all set.”
“Just like that?” Nash asked, sounding unsure.
Gray remained fixated on the quilt, and his expression gave me pause.“What is it, Gray?” I snarled the question, knowing there was more he wasn’t telling us.
He sighed, his gaze slippery.“He wants something in return.”
