14. Stefan
STEFAN
Now that Max was in the picture, and considering everything my father was doing to control—and ultimately destroy—my life, I was more intent than ever on turning KZ Modeling into a legitimate business and getting my father out of the way.
I would destroy the seedy underbelly he’d created to fund the agency’s operations and then expand the branches of the company that were successful in their own right, giving them room to grow organically.
After all, KZM had made a name for itself by representing the fashion industry’s most sought-after faces, models with both striking features and strong presence. We’d sign even more.
Our top-notch talent scouts knew the business inside and out, so I’d hire more of those as well. Give everyone incentives for signing fresh faces or for renewing contracts with models that were already doing great work for the agency.
I’d also pick up the pace on my end, even if that meant taking even more calls and meetings in order to forge new relationships with designers, fragrance companies, my contacts in the cosmetics industry—whatever was needed to secure KZM’s future.
And I’d make sure the clients we already had were happy, too.
Maybe I’d have my assistant send them all champagne baskets or artisanal chocolate.
Whatever it took, I’d woo them and keep them wooed.
The confrontation with my father at his penthouse had been exactly what I needed. Exactly the motivation necessary to force me to get my ass back in gear.
And if Tori came back—no, when she came back—she’d be proud that I had followed through with my plans to dismantle the trafficking ring, expose my father’s corruption, and bring all the responsible parties to justice.
She’d see that I’d accomplished something important.
Righted some of my father’s wrongs. Done something genuinely good to change the world.
My father was going down.
In the meantime, it was hard not to stress about the fact that my father was plotting to keep Max and Anja in his home like his own personal human pets, obviously in order to control them.
Everything he did, from providing them with money and a place to stay, to feeding them three meals a day and allowing them to go on these lavish spending sprees, was a way to make them completely dependent on him.
To manipulate them. And to manipulate me, through them.
We’d all be under his thumb. Nothing my father did came without strings.
So it was critical that I acted as quickly and discreetly as possible—before he was in a position to use Max against me. I knew he wouldn’t think twice about treating my son like a bargaining chip, and if Max was threatened, my hands would be tied. I couldn’t let that happen.
It was time to reach out to Gavin’s brother, Frank Chase, directly.
Knowing my father might have someone watching me, and that any attempts to contact the feds meant I was at risk of exposing both myself and the agency’s involvement, I had my driver drop me off at Union Station, where I tucked myself into one of the few remaining payphone booths left in the city of Chicago. Then I made my call.
After giving Frank the fake name we’d agreed I should use over the phone, I said, “Tell me what your agency has to have in hand so you can take this man down. Because I’m ready to move, and it has to be soon.”
He’d sounded surprised to hear from me, but he only hesitated briefly before saying, “What’s changed? Something we should know about?”
“There are some new players involved,” I said. “People close to me, people who could get hurt. One of them is a child, and this man…he knows the kid is a weak spot for me. I don’t want to have to walk away, get uncooperative, you understand?”
“I understand,” Frank said.
“So what do you need?” I prodded. “Let’s move on this.”
“To be honest, we’re in a good place,” he said, his voice detached and business-like. “We’ve almost got everything set up to be able to make our arrests.”
It was a surprise, but I was glad to hear it. My father’s brutal reign was almost over.
“Okay, so how soon are we talking?” I asked.
“These things take time,” Frank said. “Everything has to be by the books, the evidence has to be rock solid, we can’t risk a mistrial over a technicality, yadda yadda.”
“You’re telling me I’m supposed to just sit here and wait?” The fucking feds. It was infuriating. I didn’t have time for this shit.
“Everything’s under control. You gotta be patient,” he said calmly.
“I’ve been nothing but patient,” I shot back. “I put my ass on the line for you guys and every day that goes by is another day for him to plan a way out of this. I’m ready for things to start happening.”
“Soon,” Frank promised, unperturbed by my outburst. “Is that all?”
Tori’s name was on the tip of my tongue.
I wanted to ask him about her, ask if she was safe—because he had to know that my wife was shacking up with his little brother by now.
But I said nothing. I wasn’t supposed to know where she was, and I wanted to give her the space she needed, even if that space was in Gavin’s apartment. I’d honor what Tori wanted. For now.
“That’s all,” I said, and hung up.
When I got home, I found that my misery was about to have company. Because Gavin Chase was waiting for me in the lobby.
It took all my strength not to punch him in his face.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I said, causing the uniformed woman at the security desk to raise an eyebrow and lift the phone. “We’re good,” I told her. “No need to call the cops.”
Turning back to Gavin, I folded my arms and waited for his answer.
As much as I hated him, he didn’t seem the type to gloat. And looking closer, I realized his expression wasn’t one of smug victory. In fact, he looked worried. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed uncharacteristically…slumped. A lot like me, come to think of it.
“Where’s Tori?” he demanded, obviously on edge. “You got her locked up in your apartment?”
“What, you can’t keep track of her either?” I shot back, bitterness seeping in. “Not my problem, now that she ran off to be with you.”
His face went slack. “What?”
“Yeah, I know all about it,” I said. “The last time anyone saw her, she was with you. So it was pretty fucking obvious she ran straight into your arms the second she walked out on me.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Gavin said, narrowing his eyes. “She didn’t run off to be with me. She’s been gone all week. I haven’t seen her since Monday.”
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “Are you lying to me right now? I’ve been calling you for days and you never picked up. Never returned a single one of my messages. What the hell are you trying to pull?”
Gavin’s eyes were wide. He took a step back, shaking his head.
“I blocked your number,” he said, pulling out his phone. “My brother thought it would be better if we didn’t have any direct contact. Look.”
He showed me the screen that listed all his blocked contacts. My number was right on the top of the list. No wonder he hadn’t gotten any of my frantic phone calls or messages.
My stomach dropped, my pulse kicking into overdrive.
“So you really haven’t seen Tori?” I asked.
“I swear to god I haven’t,” he said.
I sank down onto the lobby bench, Gavin standing warily over me. For a moment, I had no words. With sudden, gut-wrenching clarity, I realized that I should have looked harder for her. That I never should have stopped looking. I had let Tori down. I couldn’t believe I’d given up on her so easily.
“Maybe she went home,” Gavin suggested.
“I tried her Springfield number,” I said, already pulling my phone out.
I scrolled through my contacts and tried calling Senator’s Lindsey’s house line again. Predictably, there was no answer. I knew Mitch was in DC for work, but I hadn’t tried him directly. Once I was sure that Tori had left me for Gavin, I’d given up on trying to reach her friends and family.
This time I dialed his cell. He picked up after the third ring, sounding distracted and annoyed.
“Stefan,” he said flatly. “What is it?”
“Is Tori at your house in Springfield?” I asked.
Gavin leaned forward, and I tilted the phone in his direction so he could hear the senator’s reply.
“She’s your wife,” Mitch said with an obnoxious laugh. “I thought it was your job to keep a leash on her now.”
I hated him, but forced myself to take a deep breath before I responded. Even Gavin was clenching his jaw, having overheard the senator’s booming voice.
“We had some words and she took off,” I said, keeping the details vague. “I’m trying to track her down.”
“She isn’t there as far as I know,” Mitch said, “but why don’t you try the house? The staff will answer. Or maybe she’s with one of her school friends. Either way, I’m sure she’ll turn up soon.”
He hung up on me and Gavin and I stared at my phone.
How could this man be so dismissive when his daughter, his only child, was missing?
She wasn’t with her school friends, and no, the staff at the senator’s mansion would not answer.
I had been calling the Springfield house day and night, but no one had ever picked up.
Which was strange if you thought about it, since it was their job to answer calls and take messages for the senator and his family.
“Fuck.”
“What?” Gavin asked anxiously.
“I’m an idiot.”
Gavin put his hands up. “You said it, not me. Where is she?”
“She’s gotta be at home,” I said. “I’ve called that line more times than I can count, and the staff hasn’t picked up a single one of my calls. They’re avoiding me. On purpose.”
“You think she’s there, then?”
I nodded. “Has to be. I’m gonna head out. If I leave now, I can probably make it in under four hours.”
“Wait. Can you—can you have her text me?” Gavin asked. “Just so I know she’s okay.”
“Sure, man,” I said, holding out my hand. We shook on it. “Thanks for showing up.”
“No problem,” he said. Maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all.
We went our separate ways and I headed to the underground parking garage to get my BMW.
The M5 had over 600 horsepower and went from zero to sixty in three seconds.
This wasn’t the time to call a chauffeur.
I needed to get to my wife as soon as possible.
I needed to see her now. Even if that meant breaking a few traffic laws in the process.
Just as I was about to pull out of the garage, ready to ignore every speed limit sign in the state of Illinois, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen on the dash and saw that it was Emzee calling. I put her on speaker and sped away from the condo, my tires screeching as I peeled out.
“Not a good time,” I told her.
“It’s about Tori,” she said, and I eased up on the gas pedal.
“I know where she is,” I said. “I’m on my way now. Make it quick.”
Emzee let out a huge sigh. “Good,” she said. “I’m glad. Did she call you?”
“No.” I cut somebody off, waving as I sped by. “But I’m going to get her anyway.”
“Okay. Never mind then,” she said. “I’ll let you drive.”
“Emzee,” I ordered, using my best big brother voice. “Spit it out.”
She let out a huff of air. “I’m not supposed to be telling you this, but I know why she left. And it’s not because she doesn’t love you.”
“Keep talking.”
As zoomed toward I-55, I listened to my sister explain why Tori had walked out on me. There was no doubt in my mind that I could still fix this.
I was going to get my wife back.