34. Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Noah
C aught up in the conversations I’ve shared with Will and Roman, a harsh reality gnaws at me.
It’s been twenty minutes. Ana hasn’t returned with the drinks for her father and me.
Panic starts to creep in as my eyes dart over the crowd, searching for any sign of her green dress. Instead, something else makes my stomach drop.
Cole, Walker, and Jake are gone.
Their families stand alone, glancing around anxiously, searching, just as I am.
A sharp unease grips me as I push through the crowd of people, weaving between clusters of conversation. My pulse hammers in my ears when I spot Megan and Elijah. Without hesitation, I cut into their exchange with their parents.
"Sorry to interrupt," I whisper, my voice hushed but urgent. "I’m your kids’ English teacher, and I was hoping to discuss their recent reports before the night gets away from me."
Elijah and Megan exchange a look, catching the hint despite their parents’ puzzled expressions.
"It’ll only take a second," Elijah says smoothly, flashing a polite smile as he steers Megan away from their families and toward me.
The moment we’re clear, Megan rounds on me, her tone sharp. "Care to explain?"
I don’t have time for her attitude.
"Was Ana with you guys?" I demand.
Their shared look of confusion sets my nerves even further on edge.
"No," Elijah murmurs, glancing at Megan. "Her parents were talking with ours, but they couldn’t seem to spot her in the crowd. Meg and I figured she was with you somewhere, as much as we wish she wasn’t-"
"You haven’t seen her at all?" I press, urgency slipping into my voice.
Megan scoffs, arms crossing over her chest. "I thought I saw her by the drink table a little while ago. She was talking to your brother, the guy from the bar-"
Her voice fades.
My heart slams against my ribs.
I don’t wait for her to finish. My hand is already in my pocket, pulling out my phone as I turn away.
My finger trembles as I scroll through my contacts and press his name.
The ringing stretches on, each second tightening the knot in my stomach. When he finally picks up, my breath catches.
"I was wondering when I’d get your call," Jake drawls, his voice dripping with malice.
"N-Noah?" Ana’s voice trembles on the other end, raw with fear. Every defensive instinct in me ignites.
"Is that Noah-"
"I told you to keep your mouth shut!" Jake snarls.
Ana yelps. The sound sends a bolt of terror through me.
"Don’t you fucking dare hurt her-" I hiss.
"Already have," Jake sneers. "And I’ll keep going if you don’t listen."
My jaw locks as I scan the crowd, desperate for a glimpse of Roman, hoping he’s finished whatever the hell he and Eden disappeared to do.
"You have my attention," I snap. "What the fuck do you want?"
"I told you what would happen if you didn’t listen to me," he says smoothly. "Ana is clearly a distraction-"
"Don’t listen to him, Noah-" Ana cuts in, her voice urgent.
"Alright," Jake muses. "Clearly, you need a lesson."
"Jake-" I try to stop him, but Ana’s scream rips through the phone.
A cold, suffocating dread settles over me.
"A knife to the thigh should be sufficient," Jake says, almost gleeful. Ana’s agonized sobs shred me apart.
"What the fuck do you want?" I force out, my voice raw. "You want to punish me? Fine. Bring Ana back and take me instead-"
"Now, now, Noah," Jake sighs, as if I’ve disappointed him. "No one gets what they want with her alive."
"You said-"
"You didn’t stay in line." His tone sharpens, razor-edged. "Any promise I made to you was void the moment you thought you could go behind my back. Antonovs don’t love. We hunt. You should be thanking me for getting rid of your distraction."
Stumbling out of the building with a smug grin, Roman adjusts his pants while Eden wipes her mouth, her lips curling in satisfaction. I don’t give him the chance to speak. Waving him down, I close the distance between us.
"So," I whisper, forcing myself to block out Ana’s muffled cries. "Should I assume Cole and Walker are with you too?" My voice is sharp, venomous.
Jake chuckles, the sound crawling under my skin. "They should be here soon," he says easily. "Sadly, your lover’s little escapade fucked over more than just you and me. I figured we should all get a chance to say our proper goodbyes."
I stop in front of Roman, who instantly picks up on my urgency. Eden takes the hint, pressing a kiss to his cheek before slipping away. Without a word, I switch the call to speaker, letting Roman in on the conversation.
"Where are you taking her?" I demand, my grip tightening around the phone.
"Somewhere you’ll never find the body," Jake sighs, as if he’s already bored. "Though, with this snow coming in, she might stay fresh enough for an open-casket funeral."
Ana’s breath hitches. "M-my parents," she whimpers. "My-"
"They’re fine, right, Noah?" Jake taunts.
My eyes scan the crowd frantically until I spot her parents. They’re smiling, completely unaware, as Will laughs with a group of old coworkers.
"They’re safe, Princess," I whisper, forcing calm into my voice. "And you will be too. I’m coming for you-"
"Lying to the lady, Noah?" Jake cackles. "God, you really are one pathetic fucking liar."
Roman doesn’t hesitate. Scrolling through his phone, he fires off a barrage of texts, his eyes locked in hyper-focus. Then, finally, he speaks.
"Jake Antonov," Roman says smoothly. "You’ve really gone and made a mess of things, haven’t you?"
The line goes dead silent.
Only Ana’s agonized sobs fill the void.
Then...
"R-Roman Briar," Jake whispers.
Did… did Jake just stutter?
"Oh, don’t go quiet now, kid. You were doing so well hurling threats at Noah." Roman’s voice is smooth, deadly. "Tell me, how long did you plan to creep under my nose? Hmm? Bringing my wife’s name into your petty quarrels…"
His tone darkens, the weight of his words pressing like a blade against flesh. "I’ve cut out men’s tongues for far less. You should know by now, only one man says my wife’s name, and that’s me. Tread carefully. The next thing you say determines how slowly I kill you."
Cold. Unforgiving. The Roman Briar standing before me now is the kind of man who could make even the most ruthless tremble.
"So… my brother has involved himself in Catalyst," Jake sneers, though his bravado wavers. "Is Echo with you too-"
"Echo is where he needs to be," Roman smirks. "In the shadows, lurking, waiting to take down men far worse than you."
Ana’s cries grow louder, slicing through the moment like a blade. I feel Roman stiffen beside me. Even his cold, calculating exterior fractures under the sound.
"You’ve already banged her up, Jake," Roman says, voice low with restrained fury. "Which, honestly, you’ll be lucky if your brother doesn’t slit your throat the second he sees you-"
"Sees me?" Jake scoffs. "There’s no way you, or anyone else, is going to get to Ana in time. Her phone is with Noah. Her body is already damaged-"
With me?
My stomach turns.
I don’t have her damn phone.
"Maybe she can try and outrun us in the woods," Jake sighs mockingly. "But with the snow already coming down, I’d say what you hear now is the last you’ll ever hear of Anastasia Burns."
Something inside me snaps.
I yank the phone from Roman’s hand. "Listen here, you sick fuck. If you lay another finger on her-"
"You’ll what?" Jake laughs, pure malice dripping from every word. "Avenge her?" He tsks. "Once Walker and Cole have had their fun with her, I’ll make sure what happens next is… smooth. Painless." His voice drops into something dark and final. "It’s a pity you used Roman Briar to betray me. Hopefully, after tonight, you’ll learn what happens when you cross blood-"
"Jake-"
"Goodbye now."
Ana’s screams escalate. My blood turns to ice.
"Jake, fucking wait-"
The line goes dead.
My world tilts.
A surge of pure rage explodes through me, and I drive my fist into the rough bark of a tree settled next to me. A few heads turn, but I don’t care. My hands rake through my hair, my pulse hammering as Roman stays glued to his phone, fingers moving rapidly.
"What the hell could be so important?" I snap, my voice low and edged with frustration.
"My men got a lead on Walker and Cole’s car," Roman mutters, still typing. "They’re trying to pin down where it went after it left the lot. Jake was smart, he used them as a diversion so he could slip away with Ana."
My stomach twists.
Her phone.
She said I had her phone.
Frantically, I scroll through my screen, tapping into Find My iPhone. My heart pounds as I pray there’s a reason Jake said that. That Ana left me a way to find her.
Roman finally looks up. "What the hell are you doing now?"
"Jake said I had Ana’s phone," I murmur, my fingers shaking as I navigate the app. "I don’t. But she must’ve hidden it somewhere, knowing he was going to try something-"
The tracking map loads. My breath catches.
"Her phone is in the car with them," I whisper.
The dot moves, creeping closer and closer toward the outskirts of Spokehaven.
A chill runs down my spine.
The wooded area beyond Spokehaven, secluded, untouched, meant for future developments, far away from the public. The perfect place to make someone disappear.
Roman leans in, eyes locking onto my screen, narrowing as he pieces it together.
"My men say it looks like Cole and Walker ditched their car and ran into the woods," Roman says, his tone dark, calculated. "They must be trying to meet up with Jake, to finish what they started."
A cold dread coils in my gut. Time is slipping away. Every second we waste puts Ana closer to whatever twisted fate Jake has planned for her.
"We have to get there," I snap, urgency lacing my words. "Your men won’t make it in time. They don’t have her location-"
"I know," Roman murmurs, his voice dangerously quiet.
Controlled. Precise. Lethal.
With an ease that speaks to years of experience, he pulls out his Glock. The metallic click of the magazine sliding free echoes between us. He counts the bullets with a practiced flick of his fingers, his face void of anything but steely focus. Satisfied, he pops the mag back in, pulls back the slide, and chambers a round.
Then, without a word, he reaches down, retrieving a smaller gun from an ankle holster. He extends it to me, grip first—a silent offering, a gesture that seals our course of action.
No hesitation. No questions. Just cold, relentless determination.
His own weapon disappears back beneath his jacket as he tilts his head slightly, smirking.
"Care for a drive?" His tone is light, but his eyes burn with something darker, something merciless.
I take the pistol, its weight solid in my hands, its meaning heavier. Tucking it securely into my waistband, I let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
"Lead the fucking way."
We stride toward the parking lot, each step propelling us closer to the inevitable confrontation. The crowd hums with chatter, laughter, and the blissful ignorance of people who have no idea what’s unfolding.
For the briefest second, my gaze locks with Will’s across the sea of bodies. His expression is tight, unreadable, but I don’t have time to decipher it.
Adrenaline thrums in my veins, pulsing with a singular purpose.
There is no room for doubt. No room for failure.
There is only one thing that matters now.
Finding Jake.
Saving Ana.
And making them all pay.