An Eye For Illusion: A Private Investigator Romantic Suspense: (Dunn Security Group Book 2)

Chapter 33

“Excuse me, sir! You can’t just barge in there like that!” Heather’s raised voice hits my ears just as my office door swings open and bangs against the wall. I startle at the intrusion and jump to my feet. Ever since Elliott paid me a surprise visit, I’ve been jumpier than normal. It takes a metric shit ton of makeup every morning to cover up that little encounter.

“Who the hell are you?” I ask when a man I don’t recognize waltzes right into my now open office door with Heather hot on his tail.

“Ms. Foster, I’m sorry to just show up like this, but I’m worried about Colin,” he replies.

My heart pounds in my chest at the mention of Colin’s name. I swallow, trying to push down the nausea threatening to make an appearance.

“What’s going on? And I need you to tell me who you are before I call security.” At this point, I don’t trust anyone. To say that I’ve been a basket case would be underestimating the level of crazy I feel right now. My insecurities flare their ugly heads, and I’m not in the mood for bullshit.

I raise one eyebrow, waiting for him to respond before I reach for my phone on my desk.

He chuckles. “Now I see what he was talking about.” His response is cryptic and only serves to aggravate me more.

“And what the hell does that mean?” I don’t know who the hell this guy is. For all I know, he could be working for Vinny. Hell, he could be Vinny!

The worry I see on his face catches me off guard. He seems sincere, which means he probably isn’t an associate of Vinny’s. That, or he’s a really, really good actor.

“I apologize, Ms. Foster. I’m Donovan Blake, and I work at Dunn Security with Colin. I’m sure you’ve overheard some of our conversations. I’m helping with your case.” He extends his hand.

Donovan? D? I do recognize the name, and I have overheard them on the phone. I’m shocked by his question, and the worry I held at bay when he first barged in flares back to life.

“You don’t know where he is?” I ask.

His eyes slam shut as he slowly shakes his head no. “I was hoping you would know.”

My fear of trusting anyone honestly made me think he was avoiding me after he didn’t return my call the day after we spent the night together. Then I pushed that aside and was worried something might’ve happened. I’d decided that if I hadn’t heard from him by this morning, I’d call Liam.

Unfortunately, my earlier fears that had consumed my thoughts became reality when I received a text from him early this morning. “I can’t do this with you. I made a mistake,” it said. I was absolutely devastated, and frankly, I still am. His words gutted me like nothing ever has before.

If Donovan is here… Does that mean something did happen? So, what does that text mean?

“He texted me this morning over something personal, but besides that, I haven’t heard from him,” I say in a solemn tone.

His eyes narrow. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did the text say?” Donovan asks with a bit of hope in his voice. His inflection confuses me.

He definitely seems worried about Colin. He’d have to be to just barge in my office, but that text this morning… This is confusing me more by the second, and now I want answers as much as he does.

I grab my cell phone and pull up the text thread between Colin and me. I can’t bear to read those words aloud, so I hand Donovan my phone, and he takes a moment to read Colin’s text before handing the device back to me. I place it face down on my desk.

“Does that clear up any worries? Seems to me he was fine and dandy this morning.”

Donovan turns and paces the small space between my desk and the two chairs I have sitting in front of them. “Actually, that only brings more questions.” His eyes bore into mine. “Jade, I would bet my life that Colin didn’t write that. He’s obsessed with you. So, the question is, who did?”

“What do you mean Colin is missing?” Bridge asks in a loud whisper.

“Shhh, keep your voice down.” I don’t want the noisy hags getting their nails done around us to hear. Elliott once again surprised me this morning by declaring today a spa day for all the most important ladies in my life. Of course, it was also at the insistence of my father.

I was so damn close to screaming at the top of my lungs that there wouldn’t be a fucking wedding to pamper me for, but I stopped myself when I saw the sick smile on Elliott’s face behind Dad’s back.

Elliott looked evil. It turned my stomach in knots. Could he have something to do with Colin being missing? If so, how did he find out we were following him? Colin is the best at what he does, so I highly doubt Elliott of all people caught him.

My mind was a hurricane of what if when Donovan stormed into my office wanting to know where Colin was. Did he fuck me and dump me? Was he in danger? But when Donovan said he was sure Colin didn’t send me that text, my heart leaped in relief that Colin would never call me a mistake before immediately plummeting when I realized what Donovan was implicating.

It’s one thing for Colin to avoid me because we caught feelings for one another. It’s something else entirely for Colin to avoid Donovan—who is not only his best friend but his colleague and work partner—in the middle of breaking a case wide open.

Donovan’s concerned expression was enough to convince me that Colin’s disappearing act wasn’t personal with me. Instead, it was potentially something much more sinister.

“What I mean is that no one has seen or heard from him in three days. Something’s wrong.”

“What are you going to do?” she asks in a panic.

I lean in so no one else can hear me. I don’t trust anyone here. Half of the women here I barely know, but my father or Elliott insisted they be a part of the wedding in some way. It’s just another thing I regret. I should’ve stood up and told them no, but I told myself it didn’t matter. The wedding wasn’t a big deal so why would I care?

I’m starting to realize that I do care. I care a lot, and Elliott Moore is not the man I want to walk down the aisle to.

Colin is.

“Donovan called Liam in my office, and let’s just say, they’re really worried something bad has happened. Liam has the whole team working to find him.”

I nibble on my lip because I can’t help but think that all of this is my fault. If I hadn’t agreed to this whole damn sham of a marriage to begin with, none of this would have happened. My father wouldn’t have been threatened. I wouldn’t be on the verge of losing a major stake in my company. I wouldn’t have to pretend everything is okay. Lastly, I wouldn’t be head over heels in love, and Colin wouldn’t be missing.

That last one is what really guts me. I’d go through the rest of it again if it meant Colin was okay. That I hadn’t put the man I’m falling for into grave danger. If we don’t find him alive and whole, I don’t know what I’ll do. Right now, I want to curl into a ball, cry, and scream at the injustice of it all.

Colin is a good man who is trying to help me find a way to free myself from a man who apparently has no morals and zero issue with hurting someone else.

“What are you going to do?” she asks.

I blink several times as I struggle to answer. All Donovan told me before running out of my office yesterday was to proceed as normal. How the hell am I supposed to proceed as normal and act like my whole life isn’t falling the fuck apart before my eyes? Especially when I know something is wrong because Colin hasn’t contacted anyone.

“The show must go on. At least, until we know he’s safe,” I say gloomily.

Her eyes go wide, and her jaw falls open. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Her words are loud enough to draw the attention of one of my father’s oldest associates.

Gretta looks over at us curiously. I smile and wave nonchalantly. “I just told her about a surprise I have in store for Elliott.” Oh, I have a surprise in store alright, but not one he’ll enjoy.

My blood pressure raises when I think about the very real possibility that he’s behind Colin’s disappearance. When I asked Donovan why we couldn’t see if Elliott knew anything, Donovan’s face turned so serious my stomach flipped. His response sent chills down my spine.

“Because that will most likely get him killed, Jade. If who I think took him did take him, we have to be smarter than them if we have any hope of getting him home in one piece.”

I shiver when I replay that moment in my mind. It was enough to make me sit down and shut up. I’ll do whatever Liam and Donovan tell me to do to save Colin. If that means walking down that damn aisle and marrying Elliott, that’s what I’ll do.

“Awe! That’s so sweet! Can I ask what the surprise is?” Gretta asks joyfully.

I swallow. Well, that was a stupid lie. Now I have to come up with a way to brush her off.

I like Gretta; she’s one of the few people here who I enjoy being around. I always wondered if she and my father would be a good match. They’re the same age, they have the same interests, and she’s kind, honest, and pretty. Those are hard traits to find in the social circles we find ourselves in. Most have one, some have two of those traits, but very few have all three. Plus, I’m pretty sure she likes my dad and has for years.

I fight to keep a small smile on my face. “Oh, it’s nothing big. Just a little something special for the honeymoon.”

Her cheeks turn a little pink, and a knowing look crosses her face. “Ahh, I see. Well, I’m sure he’ll love it, Dear.”

I want to puke. I’m sure he would love it, but that isn’t what will happen. At least, I hope with all that is holy it doesn’t.

Gretta goes back to talking to my second cousin twice removed, who I barely know, and I turn back to Bridge. My eyes widen when they lock on her.

“Will you keep your voice down?” I whisper.

“I’m sorry. I’m just shocked, okay? How did you guys even manage to get the wedding moved up so quickly?” she whispers back.

I stomach pitches at the thought of the approaching date. ”Elliott paid the couple that was supposed to get married this week an obscene amount of money to switch with us. We got their date and they took ours. We are keeping all the same vendors they already had booked and they get our vendors that are already paid for.”

Bridge”s eyes go wide, ”just like that?”

I nod my head, ”just like that he was able to move the wedding up weeks without a fucking hitch.”

”What about the guests? I mean surely there won”t be as many people?” she asks.

I shake my head, ”No, not as many but most don”t want to miss Harrison Foster”s daughter getting married. It”s too big of an event.”

”Why can”t you guys just go to the police with what you already have on Vinny and Moore?”

I look around to make sure no one is eavesdropping, everyone seems to be engrossed in their own conversation. I lean in even further to make sure only Bridge can hear me. ”The police need time to set it all up and Vinny and Moore are guaranteed to be at the same place at the same time. Another police team can carry out the raid on the warehouse while another does the arrests. It”s the best time and place to ensure they get everyone and everything they need.”

Bridge sets back in her chair with a look of astonishment. ”What about Colin?”

“We have to find him before the wedding in two days. If we don’t, I won’t have a choice. I’ll have to marry Elliott. I won’t risk them hurting him because I didn”t follow through with the wedding.”

“What if they already have?”

Her question is my biggest fear. We may be too late. Just the thought is too painful to bear. I hold on to what Donovan said. That they’d need him for leverage, so he’s likely fine for now. Still, my heart squeezes so tight in my chest that I think it might stop.

I face the kind woman currently painting my nails a classy nude color and clear my throat. “Then nothing matters anyway.”