Page 45 of Let Me Love You

Chapter 20

Victor

Icheck my watch for what feels like the millionth time tonight. It’s only eight, and my brain won’t shut off until around midnight, so I have too much time on my hands. Maybe since Serenity refuses to allow me to buy her new clothes, I’ll go to her house and grab more.

With that decided, I hop in my SUV and drive the short distance from my hotel to Serenity’s condo. I climb out of the car and start up her walkway. Before I walk even two steps, I notice shoe prints in her lawn right along the pathway. I shake my head. Maybe I’m seeing things considering how late it is.

Turning on my phone’s flashlight, I forge forward and climb the three stairs that lead to her front door. Thank goodness Sully found her house keys for me.

A strong breeze blows, and the front door sways. Wait a minute. This isn’t right.

I step up onto the small landing, and the door is cracked open. As I pause, my phone vibrates, and I jump. My heart pounds so fast it must think I’m a racehorse.

Elias’s name flashes up at me, so I answer.

“Get the fuck away from Serenity’s condo now,” he says, his voice deadly calm.

I grip the phone tighter. “Why? I’m not doing anything—”

“It’s not you,” he says, cutting me off. “Someone was just there.”

Every muscle in my body tenses. I’m thankful Serenity isn’t living here. “Who?”

“I don’t know, but you need to get in your car and lock the door until I can get there.”

Complying, I move to my SUV. I’ve been too careless. I should’ve brought my own security along, but doing that last minute to my employees isn’t how I run things. She paid those scumbags who were after her. The threat should be gone. So, who would be breaking into Serenity’s house?

“I’ll call this into the police. Stay safe.”

Five minutes later, Elias arrives. It has taken all of my control not to go inside and check things out. I might’ve thought I was overreacting, that maybe Serenity left the door open by accident. But Elias confirmed someone did enter the home.

“The police should be here soon,” Elias says as we both climb out of our cars. “I’m not sure how long he was in there. I think I need a new system. It was slow to alert me.”

I nod as I step inside the condo. My company has its own line of security cameras. “I’ll make sure to get one installed.”

Flipping on the light switch, my body starts to tremble. I take in the wreckage of her overturned couch, drawers all emptied and strewn around. Moving to the kitchen, all her dishes and utensils are on the floor. Even the table is on its side. Her windows are shattered.

I bolt out of the kitchen and head toward the stairs. Shattered picture frames are on the floor and the staircase. I take the stairs two at a time and turn to the first bedroom. I assume it’s Summer’s with the cartoon murals on the wall and the little girl bed. Her closet door is open, and everything that was in there is thrown around on the floor.

Who would do this? I move out of Summer’s room and head to the next bedroom. A queen-sized bed sits in the center of the room. The blankets are thrown on the floor along with an overturned mattress.

I run my fingers through my hair. If Serenity and Summer were here … fuck. Something about the situation is off. It doesn’t appear like they were just looking for something or someone—no. It almost seems like they were in a rage.

Elias enters the bedroom, and I say, “I think we need to watch more of the security footage.”

He nods. “Let’s go to my house. I can pull up the feed.”

Blue lights flash outside, and we go to greet the police officers to tell them what happened. It takes everything within me to remain calm when they say they’ll “look into it.” Other than sending patrols down the street, they say they can’t do much.

So, I’ll have to handle it. From now on, I’ll keep my men stationed here until we figure out what’s happening and who’s angry enough at Serenity to trash her home.

Sending out a quick email to Martha, I ask her to send a cleanup crew to Serenity’s. I’ll find whoever did this to her. I’ll never let anyone hurt her or Summer ever again.

***

Elias and I are sequestered in his tiny but efficient office while Serenity and the girls are still hanging out at Sully’s house. Elias is sitting at his desk, looking between his two monitors. A little fluff ball lays at his feet.

Elias pulls up the feed to Serenity’s condo, and I straighten.