Chapter 37
REN
T he wheels screech as I pull up outside Lance Worthington’s home, and I quickly jump out of the car and burst through his front door.
I guess Lance must have been on a night shift cause I find him in bed, looking all startled and scared.
I grip him by his t-shirt, drag him out, and send him crashing headfirst into his wardrobe.
“Where is she?” I reach between his legs and crush his cock and balls in my fist. I swear, if he’s laid one finger on my girl, that's the first part of him I’ll take.
“ What the fuck? ” he screeches back at me, and I twist.
“You heard me, tell me where my girl is or I will detach this from your body and make you swallow it.”
“You’re mad! You’re fucking insane.” He tries pushing me away, but I press my body harder into his.
“You tell me right now, where Eloise is, or I will ensure your death is slow and excruciating.
“She probably came to her senses and left you, you freak,” he spits back at me, with all the tendons in his neck straining from the pain he’s in.
“Don’t be fucking smart. Start talking.”
“Look, I have no idea where she is. I literally just got home from a night shift. I was with my partner, Jasper, all night. His number’s in my phone; call him up and ask him if you want.”
I release him and watch as he doubles over in pain, clutching between his legs as he tries to get his breath back.
“If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”
“How would I fucking know? Did you guys get into a fight?” He strains as he moves to sit on the bed, keeping his hand between his legs.
“No, we didn’t fight; she’s about to give birth to my kid.” I look at the prick as if he’s stupid and notice how shocked he is by my words.
“So the two of you are in a good place?” he checks, almost seeming as if he doesn’t believe it.
“She didn't leave me, if that's what you mean.” I shake my head. “She was taken, her and that annoying friend of hers. I dropped her there while I took care of something in the city, and when I got back, they were gone, so was Katelyn’s car. The place was trashed and there was…” I can’t even fucking say it.
“There was blood.” I slide my hand over my face and look up at the ceiling.
I’m a little confused when Officer Limp Dick gets back up on his feet and starts struggling into his jeans.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask as he takes his gun and holster from his top drawer.
“You're gonna take me to this friend's house, and we’re gonna see if we can figure out who’s got her,” he tells me simply.
“You're gonna help me?” I check I’m hearing him right.
“No, I’m gonna help her.” He limps out of the bedroom, leading me out the front door, and when he sees my car blocking his patrol car, he looks back at me.
“I take it you’re driving?”
“Shit.” Lance takes a look around the kitchen and sees the blood smears on the tiles for himself. “You said the girl who lives here is her friend?”
“Best friend,” I assure him. “They’ve known each other since they were kids.”
“Katelyn.” He nods his head as if he’s familiar. “She spoke a lot about her when we dated.”
“Let’s not go into that. It makes me wanna crush your ball sack again,” I warn him.
“There's been a struggle here, for sure. I’m assuming whoever took them took the friend's car.” He looks back out the door to the empty garage.
“I could ask forensics to get down here and take some swabs, see if it’s a match for hers,” he suggests, and I crouch down and swipe my finger through it, studying it on the pad of my finger before I taste it on my tongue.
“It’s hers.” I look up at him with rage pulsing through my veins, feeding me with adrenaline.
“What kind of sick bastard are you?” He looks a little haunted as I stand back up.
“I’m her sick bastard, and I’m gonna kill whoever made her bleed,” I growl as I show him through to the living room.
“We should get the place dusted for prints.” He sighs as he follows me.
“I don’t want your police buddies involved; besides all that shit takes time, and this place will be covered in traces of men. Katelyn’s a serial dater.” I sit down on the couch and scrub my hand over my face.
“She’s three days off her due date. This can’t be happening.” I shake my head.
“Focus, Ren. Not on her, or what might be happening, but on the bigger picture. On the way over, you said a guy dropped off a note at her work, that he was inside her apartment, but took nothing. That means he was there looking for something specific.”
“You think I didn’t work that out for myself?” I look up at him blankly.
“I’m just trying to find an angle here. Why would this person take Eloise and her friend? An extra hostage means more work. Maybe it wasn’t just Eloise he was watching. You said they’ve been friends since they were kids?”
The thought never crossed my mind, but it makes sense.
“If we look back into their past, we might find something. Does Katelyn have any family?”
“I know everything about Eloise’s past. I’ve been there for most of it.
I’ve been following her since she was nine years old.
” I see how shocked Lance is by that admission and choose to ignore it.
“There’s nothing. Nothing that hasn’t been cleared up.
” I feel so deflated, but I can’t give up, I have to use my head and start coming up with some fucking answers.
“The trunk.” I suddenly remember cleaning out her closet and seeing that trunk, which belonged to her father. It was locked, and from the way she was acting, I’d guess that she feared whatever was inside it.
“Trunk?” Lance waits for me to explain.
“There’s a trunk back at Eloise’s old apartment. What if there's something in there? What if it’s what the guy in the helmet was looking for?” I jump back up on my feet.
“You stay here, you try and find us a lead on Katelyn. I’m sure Eloise mentioned that her parents died in a road accident, but she’s gotta have some living relatives.”
“You got it.” Lance nods as I rush back out the door.
“Wait,” I quickly march back inside when I realize I forgot something. “Give me your phone.” I hold my hand, and when he reluctantly hands it over, I punch in my number. “Call me the second you get something.” I start heading back out.
“Wait, shouldn't you take mine?” he calls out after me.
“I already got it,” I holler back.