Chapter 67
I am goingout of my mind. It’s been nine days. nine long, horrific, grueling, torturous days. We’ve had nothing else from Wolfe, and for some reason that scares me more. Nate is working day and night to try and find the missing piece. We need to work out where Wolfe has taken Arizona. We’ve replayed his steps, we even checked his laptop that he left in the hospital room, and there is nothing apart from his chats with Arizona when she used to be a cam girl.
He has left sloppy clues, but still nothing that will indicate where he has her hidden.
Xavier walked into the room with fresh coffees and food, placing them down on the large conference room table. But the thought of eating food makes my stomach turn. I can’t think of anything other than finding Arizona. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I don’t even feel like I can breathe without her. I inhale a sharp intake of breath and I feel the rattle deep within my chest, reminding me just how hollow it has become since Arizona was taken. I fear for my unborn babies lives, but I fear more for Arizona’s.
I can’t stand to be here anymore. I pace towards the elevator and Kaleb is hot on my heels.
“Where are you going?” he asks me, concern lacing his voice, and I let out a heavy sigh.
“I just need a moment,” I admit, as I press the button for the elevator and call it to our floor.
“Let me come with you, I don’t like the thought of you being out there alone.”
I want to protest and fight against him, but it’s pointless. Even if I said not to, Kaleb would still follow me. He always has and he always will at the end of the day. He is my big brother.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” He lets out a soft chuckle, and I have no idea how we can even laugh at a time like this when I feel like my world is ending, I feel like my heart has obliterated in my chest, and there’s nothing more than dust, crumbling through the crevices. Once there was a full and strong beating heart, and now there is nothing left, but a few remains of what once was. Arizona was the reason my heart beat the way it did. She was the reason my heart beats so ferociously within my chest, making me feel things I have never felt before, but now, without her, I was empty, numb, a shadow of myself. My eyes were hollow. I was dead behind them, nothing left and all my soul has done since she disappeared is weep. Without her, I was dead.
I can only breathe with her, I am only able to live with her, I am only able to exist with her in my life because without her I am nothing.
We have walked for what feels forever. My tired and heavy feet beating against the sidewalk. The heavy rain is hitting my skin and it stings. But I don’t care. I would like to say it’s nice to feel something other than a shattering pain but I don’t feel anything, I am numb.
There is nothing that could make me feel any worse than how I am feeling now. My whole world has crumbled around me and it didn’t matter how much I tried to pick up the pieces and glue them back together, they would never look the same. I would never be whole again.
I had to learn to live with a broken world, a broken heart and a shattered soul.
The silence is comforting after being in an office for nine days, listening to voices constantly talking about what may have happened, or where she may be, and even worse what he has done to her. It was too much for my mind to comprehend. It was nice to have some silence, so I could gather my thoughts, but who was I kidding? My thoughts were dark and gloomy with a thunderous cloud hanging over me, but I have kind of gotten used to that now. I’ve got used to feeling how I have. She was my ray of light, and without her my world was gray.
I have no idea out of all the places in New York why my legs have taken me to the hospital where I dropped Arizona off. I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want to be reminded of the last conversation that we had, where I broke her trust, and no doubt her heart but here we are. I’m standing outside, the rain is cascading over me and I’m taking it all in. I’m letting the rain wash every ounce of guilt that I feel away.
“Did you wanna go inside?” Kaleb asks me and I can see the concern all over his face. He’s worried about me. I know he has been here; I know he’ll be feeling the indescribable pain that is searing through my heart, but I don’t care how he felt. I don’t care that he has been through this. I don’t care that even Titus had been through this with Amora. Well, let’s be honest his situation was completely different to mine. He was still with her. Still got to watch her. Make sure she was safe because he was to never leave her side but me? I did leave her side, I walked away again. Instead of dealing with it, I ran away like a coward to lick my wounds when it wasn’t even my wounds that needed to be licked. I had to focus on her, but I was too childish to even do that.
Before I answer him, I walk up the steps and into the hospital. I don’t stop to talk to anyone, I just head for her room.
Fear cripples me as I step closer to where I left her ten days ago.
I made Kyra promise that she wouldn’t go to the police because we were working privately to find her. I just hoped she stuck to it.
Whispers echoed around the ward as I walk towards her room, my chest aches and I heave.
Kaleb rests his hand on my shoulder as we step into her room. Everything has been left where it was. The room has not been touched and it scares me.
I walk slowly towards her bed, my fingertips brushing over her cotton pillowcase. Everything still smells of her and I crumble. Falling to my knees I reach for the pillow and pull it towards my chest as I hold it tightly.
This is what I have become.
A broken man.
I hear Kaleb’s footsteps, but I can’t look up at him.
“Keaton…” his voice rumbles through the room but I ignore him. “Why is there a poker chip on Arizona’s bed?”
My head snaps up just as my phone beeps.
Kaleb holds the chip between his finger and thumb and my eyes widen, heart falling out of my chest.
“I know where that’s from…” my heart stutters. Pulling my phone from my pocket I see a text message from Dex that simply says ‘Arizona’.
“Fuck!” I shout, all self-wallowing dissolving in an instant as I push to my feet.
“What is it?” Kaleb asks, narrowing his gaze on the chip.
“Tell the guys we’re heading to Vegas.”
We don”t fuck around.We land and are already in two cars heading for the strip. My heart has been racing since we landed, and I am desperate to get to her. I just hope we”re not too late.
Nate is already on his computer searching the hotel CCTV. I have been trying to call Dex but he isn”t answering.
I leave another voicemail.
“Dex, please, call me. I”m in Vegas,” I cut him off just as my phone screams in my hand. It”s him. “Hello,” I pant, feeling like my heart is in my throat and I can”t breathe.
“I”m so sorry man, I didn”t mean to ignore you and when I tried to call you back, your phone was going to voicemail and it makes sense now, you were already in the sky.”
“Yeah.” Is all I manage. I feel sick.
“How did you figure out Vegas?” Dex asks.
“Kaleb found a casino chip under her pillow when we went to the hospital where she was last seen,” I swallow the thickness down, the lump so far lodged into my throat I am desperate to throw up to just try and ease it a little.
“Fuck,” Dex whistles.
“Look, I don”t mean to rush you off the phone but where was she? Was it you that found her?” I have a million more questions, but I don”t have time. Nate is giving me eyes from the front seat of the escalade we’re currently cruising in.
“I didn”t see her, it was Sage.”
“Why didn”t she get her? Why did she leave her?”
“Arizona told her to. She didn”t want to put Sage at risk.”
I suck in a sharp intake, hand covering my mouth and even in all of this hell, she still puts others before herself.
My selfless, beautiful Arizona.
“Where is she?”
“Laced Promises.”
“Thanks for everything Dex.”
“Look, before you go. Me and Sage are still in Vegas. We promised each other we would stay here until we knew she was safe. Sage worried you weren”t coming, Sage thought there may have been an ulterior motive,” and that feels like a knife in my back, but I get it. Look what Xavier done to Amora.
“I get it,” I sigh, and I am struggling to keep my emotions in check.
“We will be here if you need us.”
“Thank you,” I mutter before cutting the phone off.
I tell Nate the name of the club and the driver heads there, the second escalade following behind us.
It”s time to rescue my baby.
We sitin the suite of the hotel, we”re right where we need to be. Just across the strip and our eyes are settled on the entrance of the building. Nate is going to stay back and watch our moves along with Kaleb. Killian stayed back home in New York, so Amora had someone there if she needed, at least that way she has Connie, Reese and Royal. I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as I feel a migraine building at the base of my head, my temples throb. I am exhausted, but I won”t be able to sleep until I know she is safe with me. Connie and Reese are pissed at me for not telling them that she was in hospital, I get it. But she didn”t want a fuss. I done as she asked and yet I am the bad guy. Kaleb rubs my shoulder in a reassuring way and a small smile forms on my lips.
We agreed that me, Titus and Xavier would be the ones to find Arizona. I felt sick to my stomach, what if something bad had happened to her? What if he had hurt her? Rubbing the ache from my chest, my palm presses against the wedding band that hangs around my neck. My eyes close and my mind flashes back to the call. She was so scared, I could hear the fear in her voice when she told me we were divorced. He made her sign the papers. We haven”t been able to work out why he done it, but it doesn”t matter why in the grand scheme of things. He still made her do it.
I pace the room, waiting for Nate to give us the green light. He has managed to hack into the hotel security where the club is situated and has been spending the last hour trying to break down the walls for Laced Promises but to no avail.
“We need to make our move before it gets too dark,” Xavier rumbles from across the room, standing in the window like a peeping Tom.
“Xavier is right, Nate, we”re going to have to go in blind and hope that luck is on our side,” Titus sighs as he pushes off the end of the bed and walks to where Xavier is hovering.
I hear the groan that escapes Nate and I know he is agitated. Nate hates not being able to finish a job, so this will be rubbing him up the wrong way.
“Fine,” he stands from his desk and walks across the room to the closet. He grabs two black briefcases and places them on the bed. Unbuckling them, he opens the lid to reveal three handguns with silencers on the barrel.
“Do you think these are needed?” I ask, brows furrowing when I hear a deep laugh coming from Xavier.
“Oh, we do, you don”t know what Wolfe is like,” he shakes his head from side to side.
“He is a monster,” Titus swallows, his throat bobbing and I know he is scared. I am terrified of what we”re going to find when we eventually find her. I just hope that Wolfe didn”t intentionally leave the door open knowing that Sage would find Arizona and in doing so, would make Wolfe move her on once more and out of our grasps.
“I”ve come across some nasty pieces of shit in my life...” Xavier turns, hands folded into pockets as he walks towards where the guns are sitting in the briefcase, “none of them compare to Wolfe.”
Dread buries itself in my gut.
“Can we just go now; I need to get her. I need to know she is safe,” my eyes bounce between Titus, Nate, Kaleb and Xavier. Nate gives a very soft but stern nod. He fixes our guns, and we slip them into the waistband of our suit pants.
“Kaleb will distract the security guard...” Nate begins and I watch as confusion smothers Kaleb.
“Sorry? I thought I was staying here with you.”
Nate just smiles at him, nose crinkling and a low chuckle passes his lips.
“You need to be the distraction,” seriousness blankets the room and Nate is not fucking about.
“Great,” Kaleb rolls his eyes, “and how am I going to do that?”
“I”m sure you can work it out, you”re not just a pretty face.” Nate chuckles then opens the hotel door. “Now go, I’ll be watching you and if anything goes sideways, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Anxiety cripples me, but I need to focus on the end game and that is getting Arizona. Dead or alive.
I told my brother in private that if I die, not to be sad. Because if dying for her meant taking my last breath and that she got to live then I would happily go. I would sacrifice myself for her over and over.
Giving him a firm nod, I walk out the door behind Xavier and Titus. Kaleb follows behind a couple of steps back and as soon as we”re out on the strip, we part ways. I hang back, Kaleb keeps walking and Xavier and Titus move to the right.
We all have reason to put a bullet through Wolfe”s head. I just hope I”m the first to pull the trigger.
The strip is busy already and it”s only five p.m. Vegas never does sleep. We wait for Kaleb to disappear into the club and then we hear Nate in our ear.
“Start making your way over, try and stay apart. You don”t want to draw attention to yourselves.”
We all look each other, and I give a firm nod.
“Kaleb is just walking up towards Laced Promises, only one security guard,” Nate continues and I try and silence him a little. I am trying to keep my head in the game and not go into a panic.
I’m not panicking in case something happens to us.
I am panicking that we”re too late.
“Kaleb is approaching the guard. Hang back,” Nate orders us and we do. We fall back just in front of the club, the three of us spread through the crowd.
Silence fills our ears and my heart is rushing in my chest.
After five minutes I hear the static in my ear, the sound of Nate”s heavy breathing. We wait with bated breath for his command.
“Move.”
We walk into the building and follow Nate”s instructions, when we see Kaleb and the out cold security guard.
“What the fuck happened to distract?” I hiss, looking over my shoulder as we surround the guard who is on the floor.
“Wasn”t working, now get the fuck in there before the cops show up.”
“Already got it covered,” Nate says as three men dressed in uniform walk towards us, dragging the body away.
“Let”s go,” Xavier rasps as he pushes through the red door.
“What about me?” Kaleb asks, hope in his voice.
“Go across to the restaurant and get yourself an iced coffee princess,” Nate mutters in our ears.
“Are you serious? You”re cutting me out again? Just like you did with Connie. I”m relevant!” he shouts out and I twist my lips and bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.
His eyes bounce between the three of us but none of us say anything.
“We don”t have fucking time for this,” I grit, teeth clenched, and jaw wound tight.
“Fuck you,” Kaleb sulks, turning his back and walking away. Xavier”s low chuckle vibrates through me.
“Is he always like that?”
I sigh.
“Pretty much,” Titus says, following Xavier and only when I am inside the club, does the fear prick at my skin again. What makes it worse is that no doubt Wolfe the weasel is watching our every move.
“Move upstairs, you need to slip into the corridor which is tucked between room three and four. It”s narrow, but once down there you want the eighth door on the left.”
The three of us keep mute. I slip my gun out the back of my suit pants just as Xavier and Titus do. I pull the safety catch and make sure it is ready to shoot if needed.
Titus slips down between the rooms and uneasiness coats my skin. Xavier nods for me to follow behind Titus, then he stays close behind me.
“Perfect,” Nate talks quietly in our ears. We have small bodycams on so he can see where we”re going. “Sixth door on the left,” he reminds us.
We all stop outside the door, all eyes locking on each other’s, and I inhale heavily. Titus gives one final nod as he reaches for the handle and twists it slowly. He pushes the door open and my jaw goes lax when I see Arizona in front of me, covered in blood. My heart drops in my chest, my knees weak and I feel like my legs will buckle at any moment. I edge forward, but am stopped in my tracks when everything moves too fast because the next thing I hear is the sound of a gunshot, echoing around the room.