Chapter 38
38
S he’s gone .
Ford’s mind was blank, his thoughts crashing and scattering as panic set in. Where was Tessa? Was she all right? Was she afraid?
Stupid! Of course, she was afraid. Christ, he was afraid.
Who could have taken her? Damien? Malina? His fists clenched as he paced the small hall. There had been no whispers, no actions, nothing to suggest they were still interested in Tessa. If not them, then who?
“This changes everything,” said Liam, pulling Ford from his thoughts. “If she was kidnapped, we can’t waste any time. I want to call in official backup, but…” He hesitated, glancing at Chase and Ford, a storm of indecision in his eyes.
“You do what you have to,” replied Chase. “But you know the Brotherhood has more resources than the sheriff’s department.”
Liam exhaled sharply. “I know, and I don’t like it. I can hold off for a while, but then I’ll have to call it in. You have a small window here to do what you need to do.”
Chase crossed his arms. “First thing is to figure out how and why she was taken. This took some planning. We need to know the reason for taking her.”
“Mia, Emelia, and Simone claimed they hadn’t seen Tessa in a while,” said Ford. “I’ll talk to Simone again. She might remember something, anything. Oh God, if we can’t find her, I don’t know what…” He closed his eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. “We just have to find her.”
“We will, I promise,” Chase said. “I’ll gather the men and head back to the campus.” He looked at Ford. “Come there when you’re finished.”
“I’ll check around outside. Now that we know she’s been taken, someone had to have driven her,” said Liam. He glanced at Chase. “Keep me in the loop.”
Chase nodded, and the men left.
That was the one thing that Ford liked about having the Brotherhood taking on paid cases. Their mission wasn’t as private anymore, and Liam was privy to some of the information they could gather. It was a long cry from when no one outside the organization knew what they were capable of.
Ford found Simone near the bar, scanning the dwindling crowd. When she saw him, she frowned and took a step toward him.
“Any news? Did you find Tessa?” she asked anxiously.
His jaw clenched as he shook his head. “No.” His voice trailed off as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
“I’m so sorry.” Simone reached out as if to touch his arm but pulled back. Her fingers moved instead to rub a gold and ruby pendant hanging from her neck—a snake coiled around a dagger. “I wish I could help more, but I noticed nothing out of the ordinary.”
Ford narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure there wasn’t anything unusual? Maybe someone watching her? Something?” he begged.
Simone’s hand froze on the pendant. She hesitated, as if searching her memory. “Well, it may mean nothing, but I saw Tessa talking to a man near the side exit a while ago. I didn’t get a good look at him, though. I think he was tall.” She looked him up and down. “Maybe your height with dark hair.”
Ford’s stomach dropped. “The side exit?” He looked around. “Where is it?”
“By the kitchen,” Simone replied. “I don’t believe Mia or Emelia were there, but maybe one of the waiters saw her.”
“Thank you. If you remember anything, please call me.”
“Of course,” said Simone. “I hope you find her soon. I’m worried about her. “
So was he. But who was this tall, dark-haired man? It wouldn’t be like he’d stand out in this crowd. Fuck, half the men in the Brotherhood were tall with dark hair. This was like finding a needle in the haystack. Except Tessa’s life depended upon him finding her.
Simone watched as Ford stormed off. She took a slow sip of her sparkling water, her mind racing.
Too easy, she thought.
Mentioning a tall, dark-haired man was plausible but vague. There were quite a few of them at the event. Ford would be chasing windmills for a while.
Her hand brushed the cool surface of her pendant, the gold snake coiled around a dagger, its ruby eye gleaming. It was a silent reminder of the power she held.
She stepped into the kitchen, where Emelia and Mia were still packing up. She forced a slight tremble in her voice as she asked, “This is terrifying. You don’t think Tessa left on her own, do you?”
“Never,” exclaimed Emelia. “She is too professional to just leave.”
“Something happened to her,” said Mia. “I hope they find her soon.”
“So do I,” Simone replied. She turned to leave. “Let me know when you hear something.”
“Will do,” Emelia replied.
Simone stepped back into the main hall. The staff was cleaning up. The guests had left, and now it was her turn to disappear.
The cool night air wrapped around her as she melted into the shadows, her mind already planning the next steps.