Chapter Seven
Will
I wake Lily up with my head between her legs. It's a delight watching her wake up groggy with desire. She looks down before moaning and whimpering softly. Her voice is still thick with sleep when she tells me she wants to taste me, and who am I to deny this goddess?
She has me lean back against the pillows as she settles between my legs, exploratory licks stroking up and down my length.
“You’re doing so good, honey,” I say, just as she swirls her tongue around my head.
“Are you sure?” she asks, eyes staring up at me, mouth placed just above my cock.
“I could come just from looking at you right there,” I say, and that gives her the confidence to continue. Her strokes become wilder as she uses her hand to work the rest of me. She’s a natural, the best head I’ve ever received, and I find myself ready to burst for her in just a few minutes. She gets sloppier as my cock begins to twitch inside of her mouth, and when she swallows every last drop of me, I know then and there that I’m in love with this perfect, talented, beautiful, scared, brilliant, brunette woman.
I pull her into my arms and drift back to sleep.
We spend another night at the motel before finally deciding it’s safe enough to go back to her place. I pack up by bags, load them into my car, and we head back. I’m hoping my car parked in front of her townhouse will be enough of a deterrent.
***
A few days later, I’m waking up in her bed, feeling more rested than ever. I've slept more hours with her in my bed in the last three days than I have in the past six months. The bliss I feel is short lived. When I open my eyes, I discover that I instantly notice the sheets beside me are cold. She’s been gone for at least half an hour.
For a moment, I think she’s in the bathroom or rummaging in the kitchen for something to eat but the house is dead silent. I sit up, scanning the room and then the bathroom. There's no sign of her. My stomach twists as I spot the folded paper on the nightstand. Her handwriting is as pretty as she is.
Morning, baby, I had to rush down to the theater. Martin messaged to say I have a new co-star and that I need to meet him and rehearse this morning. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Xo, Lily
I stare at the words, frowning with every line I read. I read them over and over like they’ll change if I look at them enough. My mood darkens. She's beyond vulnerable alone. Why would she take off without waking me? The idea of my timid angel roaming the streets alone is enough to set me on edge.
The dread in my stomach spreads. The remnants of sleep clouding my eyes clears almost immediately. She can’t be alone, not when he’s still after her.
I grab my jacket and keys, shoving my feet into my boots.
It’s way too early for a rehearsal, they’re usually in the late afternoon. Something about this isn’t right, and I can’t believe she went off alone.
I see a total of only ten people on my jog to the theater and none of them meet my gaze. I’m sure I look crazed, a bulky man rushing down the streets this early in the day. But I don’t care, I just need to get to Lily. It’s just a ten-minute walk, but my gut tells me I'm already too late.
I enter the theater, and for the first time in years, I feel true fear.
It’s empty.
No voices, no crew setting up the stage, no one adjusting the lights, and definitely no actors rehearsing.
I move through the rows of seats, heading toward the stage and listening for sounds. I hear nothing but the sound of my own breathing.
The backstage doors are unlocked, so I step inside, adrenaline spiking through my veins.
The scent of cheap makeup, hairspray and stale perfume fills the space from the last night's show but something feels off.
Her bag isn’t on her dressing table and neither is her coat, it's as untouched as we left it last night.
I come back outside and I see a single script page lying on the wooden floor on the stage.
I pick it up. The ink is smudged and the edges of the paper slightly wrinkled like someone gripped it too hard. Her handwriting marks the margins, quick notes scrawled beside the dialogue. The last one trails off mid-sentence like she had written it in a hurry.
She was here earlier.
I clench my jaw, forcing myself to think past the whirlwind of emotions I was currently feeling.
Did she leave me? I dismiss the thought almost as quickly as it came. She wouldn’t leave me without saying goodbye.
Someone took her and that someone was going to pay.
I spin on my heel, scanning the space. There are no signs of a struggle, but that doesn’t mean much. If they knew what they were doing, they wouldn’t need force.
I pull out my phone and dial her number knowing it would most likely be a dead end but deciding to try anyway.
It rings twice and then it stops. I didn't get voicemail, someone hung up the phone.
I let out a curse. She’s in danger and I need to find her now.
I call Martin, the director, suddenly feeling very grateful I took his number from Lily in case something like this happened. If this was a simple schedule change, the theater wouldn’t be empty.
When he picks up the phone, I don't bother with pleasantries. “What is today's rehearsal schedule, Martin?”
“Who are you?”
“A man that's trying to prevent a homicide.” He didn't need to know it was his own death he'd be preventing by answering me. “Lily left a note saying you called her in for an early rehearsal, but no one’s here.”
He sighs, sounding even more disgruntled. “Look man, I don't know what you're talking about. Rehearsals don’t start until four.”
“Didn’t you do a last minute role change early this morning?”
“No. We fired the last guy because he kept stealing pieces Lily’s costume. We've been using a different actor for weeks now.”
Ice fills my veins. Why did I not look into her coworkers? I hang up, having heard all I needed to hear. I make a mental note to make him pay for being so relaxed with security at the theater.
My feet move before I’m done talking. I take out my second burner phone and make a quick call, firing off a quick address to the guy on the other side of the phone and giving him a quick description of what to look out for.
I change direction, heading toward the nearest store. If she was grabbed nearby, someone had to have seen her.
The scent of coffee and fresh bread assaults my nose as I step inside the store.
A young cashier stands behind the counter, chewing gum. I walk up to her, making an effort to keep my voice even. She stands straight the minute she sees me, batting her eyelashes at me.
“Did a woman come in here earlier – dark hair, brown eyes, about this tall?” I raise my hand to a height slightly below my chest.
She blinks, shifting her gum to the other side of her mouth.
“Uh, maybe? What time?”
“This morning. Probably about an hour ago.”
Her brows furrow. “I mean… yeah, I think so. She was standing outside, checking her phone. Looked kinda stressed.”
Something cold trickles down my spine.
“How long was she there?”
“Dunno. I went to the back, and when I came out, she was gone.”
I grip the counter, forcing my voice to stay calm. “Did she leave alone?”
“I guess?” She frowns, thinking. “Wait—actually, yeah, I saw a guy near her. Thought maybe they were together.”
My pulse jumps.
“What did he look like?”
He shrugs. “Tall. Hoodie. Kept his face down. He was standing real close, though.”
I wasn’t there. I let him get to her.
He thinks he has the upper hand. He thinks I’ll waste time calling the police, panicking, playing by the rules like any other man.
He doesn’t know me.
I scan the streets, narrowing my options. If they moved fast, they didn’t take her far. Transporting someone in broad daylight is risky.
That means she’s still in the city. I just need to figure out where she is and when I do, I’ll find her and make whoever took her regret taking what’s mine.