Chapter 51 Cole
FIFTY-ONE
COLE
After a night of fucking shit up and killing a man, we’d gotten a call that one of Enzo’s warehouses was on fire.
Tons of product were going up in smoke.
That meant E would be practically chained to the basement trying to catch up. I didn’t want that for him. Although he simply nodded at the news and went back downstairs without a word.
Now that everything was fucking ash and shit, we were home. Enzo was pissed and slamming shit around in his office. One of our guys was killed in the gunfire tonight at the warehouse. Everything was a hot mess.
I needed my Rosebud.
It had been way too long since I felt her body against mine. Since I’d buried myself inside her and told her I loved her.
The feelings overwhelmed me as I made my way to her bedroom. I had every intention of showering her with affection. Of telling her how much I loved and needed her. Of begging her on my knees to forgive anything I’d done over the last few weeks.
I opened her door softly and stepped into the room.
“Rosebud—” The words stopped as I stared at her rumpled sheets. I frowned and went into her bathroom, hoping to find her in her bubbles like she used to love doing.
Nothing. Emptiness greeted me.
“Rosalie?” I shouted. I’d been downstairs. She hadn’t been there.
I rushed out of her room and went to Fox’s, wondering if she’d gone inside. I paused outside his closed door, my heart in my throat. Going in there felt wrong. It made my guts churn.
Finally, I pushed his door open to find everything just as he’d left it. Bed made. Clean as fuck except for one of his hoodies draped over his computer chair.
She wasn’t in there.
I backed out and closed the door, my heart hammering hard. Quickly, I went downstairs, calling her name.
“Rosalie! Rosalie!” I shouted as I rounded the corner and collided with my brother. “Where the fuck is Rosalie?”
He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know. She was here.”
“She’s fucking not,” I snarled, pulling my phone out as Enzo came out of his office. I looked at the tracking app to find none of the devices were tracking her because she probably fucking left them behind.
I was going to be sick.
“What’s going on?” Enzo called out.
“Rosalie is gone,” I said, staring at him, my heart in my throat.
Enzo looked past me to Jamie, who had just come into the room.
“Where is Rosalie?” he demanded.
She stared back, her eyes wide. “Um… she’s not home yet?”
“What the fuck do you mean?” I shouted. I was going to lose it. I was barely holding on. If I lost her… FUCK.
“Explain,” Enzo said in a deadly calm voice.
“S-She had a meeting today. She left to go to it. I-I fell asleep. I figured she was back by now.”
“What kind of meeting?” Enzo pressed.
Jamie looked to Colten, who stared back at her.
“I-I don’t know. She didn’t say.”
Enzo reached out and cradled her face. “She didn’t say, or you don’t want to tell me?”
Jamie stared up at him for a moment before speaking, her voice trembling.
“I am not Rosalie,” she said. “Take your hands off me, Enzo. If Rosalie wants to tell you what she’s doing, she will. If she doesn’t, then she’s just like you, you cheating fucking prick.”
I froze at her words.
So did Enzo.
“What the fuck did you say?” he snarled.
“Easy,” Colten said. “Enzo. Let her go.”
“What did you say?” he shouted, gripping her tighter.
“You heard me.” She sneered at him, not backing down. “I heard you talking to that girl on the phone. Rosalie is breaking apart, and you’re meeting up with other women. You’re a fucking asshole.”
Enzo glared down at her for a long time, everyone tense. I knew him. He was close to snapping. I thought he’d shove her at the very least.
Colten stepped forward again. “Enzo, let her go, or I’ll fucking knock your ass out.”
Enzo released her and backed away. “You don’t have any fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
“I heard you,” Jamie pressed.
“Did you tell Rosalie?” he demanded.
“You fucking know I did.”
I looked from Jamie to Enzo. “Enzo, what’s going on?”
Enzo was quiet for a moment. “We need to find her. She’s not safe out there.”
He stormed from the room without another word. I looked at Jamie.
“Jamie?”
“She deserves better, Cole. You should be ashamed of yourselves for how you’ve been treating her. It’s bullshit, and you know it.”
Ethan came into the room. “What’s going on?” Worry crossed his face.
“Did Rosalie tell you where she was going?” I asked.
“No. I-I haven’t spoken to her since…” Shame washed over his face.
He didn’t need to tell me. He’d said absolutely nothing to her since the engagement party, aside from telling her not to touch him.
“She’s gone,” I said to E. “We need to find her.” I turned to Jamie. “If you know where she is, please tell me. I-I can’t lose her,” I rasped.
“She went to see Fox’s lawyer for his will,” she said softly. “She was supposed to come right back.”
“Where?” I demanded.
“I-I don’t know. His name is Dennis Welton. That’s all I know.”
That was enough for me. I left the room to find Enzo on the phone, yelling at someone.
“What do you need, boss?” Elijah asked, coming into the room.
“Rosalie is missing. Find her. I don’t want anyone resting until she’s back in this fucking house,” I commanded.
Elijah gave me a curt nod and left the room as Enzo hung up.
“Come on,” Enzo said, storming past me.
I followed him to the garage, passing E along the way.
“I’ll go—” E started.
“Stay,” I snapped. “If she comes home, call us.”
E nodded and stepped away.
I sent up a silent prayer she was safe and she’d be warm in her bed with E deep inside her when we got home.
Fuck, please.
Everything was falling apart.
“Where the fuck is she?” I rubbed my eyes hours later after not finding her anywhere.
“Call Anson,” Enzo said, sighing.
“Fuck him—”
“Cole. Fucking call him,” Enzo snapped. “It’s Rosalie.”
I swallowed. I’d been trying to avoid calling his ass.
Sighing, I pulled out my phone as Enzo continued to drive through the city. I hit Anson’s name and waited for him to answer.
“Hello?” came Anson’s groggy voice a minute later. “Cole? What’s wrong?”
“Rosalie,” I said tightly. “Is she with you?”
“No. Why? What’s going on?” He sounded alert now.
“She’s not home. We’re looking for her. Thought we’d see if you had her.”
“I don’t,” he said tightly. “Where are you?”
“None of your damn business,” I said sourly.
“You fucking called me, Cole. Not the other way around. And I care about Rosalie. Tell me where the fuck you are so I can help.”
“Fuck off.” I disconnected the phone.
“Nothing?” Enzo asked.
“Nothing,” I mumbled.
Enzo sighed and turned the Escalade.
“What are you doing?”
“Going home,” he said. “I’m tired. You’re tired. No news—”
“We had no news on Fox and E, and look what fucking happened! We can’t stop looking. We need to find her—”
“Cole, we will. Maybe she doesn’t want to be found.”
“She needs to be. She’s not well, Enzo. You know she’s not. Fuck, man. Why don’t you care? What the fuck is happening to us?” I shouted, feeling like I was going to lose my mind. I tugged at my hair. “Why can’t you keep fucking loving her!”
He said nothing as he pulled the Escalade over.
I stared at him, my heart aching.
“Who was the girl, Enzo? That Jamie was talking about? A-Are you cheating, man?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“Enzo?” My breathing picked up.
“Do you remember when I said I’d get us to the top?”
“Yeah.” I watched him.
He finally looked over at me. “I promised Fox. I promised Rosalie. I promised you guys. Trust me?”
“You’re scaring me. What did you do?”
“Nothing,” he murmured. “I’m just waiting.”
“And the girl?”
“No one.”
“Enzo, what the fuck? Come on. It’s me. Who the fuck is the girl?”
He sighed. “Celeste.”
I blinked. “Why the fuck are you talking to that fucking bitch after what she did to E?”
“Because I can’t fulfill my promise without her,” he snapped at me. “You said you were in. Was that a lie?”
I studied him, my rage barely contained. “I love you,” I whispered. “You know I do, but please, don’t fuck shit up for us.”
“I’ll make you a deal.”
“What’s that?” I asked sourly.
“If this doesn’t work, I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I’ll let you make the call. You can decide our future.”
“And if we lose Rosalie?”
He looked ahead again. “It won’t matter, Cole. She’s not going to want me once I’m done. I don’t deserve her anyway. If she decides she wants you, I’ll give you my blessing. You’d be a good husband for her. A good father.”
“What about you? And E?”
“Me?” He laughed bitterly. “I’ll be fine. It’ll fucking hurt to watch you with her while I’m on the sideline, but I deserve that. If she wants E, I’ll bless that as well.”
“You’re losing it, Enzo. You are. You’re giving up. I don’t like it.”
“I’ve fucked up too much. You’re right, but I’m doing it because it needs to happen.
She needs to leave. You know she does. She needs to sign that contract.
E held her back before, but he’s different now.
He’s let us touch him once. He hasn’t let her touch him.
He doesn’t talk to her. She’s not even trying with him anymore.
We started falling apart months ago. Fox was the tipping point. Just like he said.” He exhaled.
“So you’re just letting go? That’s what you’re saying?” My chest clenched.
“I guess I am, but not because I don’t love her. It’s because I have all this guilt and regret. I think time would be good for all of us.”
“And in the meantime, we just let her run the city alone?” I clenched my teeth. “I can’t believe this shit.” I punch the dash. “Fuck! Why?”
He said nothing as he wiped at his eyes.
“Enzo, please,” I begged softly, reaching for him. “Don’t give in. Please. Keep-keep going. Keep trying. I can’t do this without you. She’s our girl. Not just mine. I want our family—”
“Our family is gone, Cole. Fucking gone!” Enzo snapped at me.
“It’s never coming back! Fox is in a hole in the ground.
Rosalie is just… fuck. She’s broken. It’s all my goddamn fault!
All of it! ME!” He let his head fall back, his chest heaving.
“Stop forcing what just isn’t right. Not right now. Let us breathe.”
“What if she’s hurt—”
“Then we fucked up again. I don’t know what you want from me. I-I don’t know where she is. I don’t even know where to begin to look for her.”
“Matteo,” I said. “Maybe she went to him again. Kurt. Maybe she went to her parents.”
He sighed. “She promised. I don’t believe for one second she went to Matteo. She wouldn’t go to her dad. Kurt… I also doubt. He’s too busy setting our warehouses on fire.”
I grunted. He was probably right on that account.
“Rosalie is likely holed up in a hotel. That’s where I see her. Safe. Taking a breather. Maybe one of her bubble baths,” he murmured.
“Promise?” I reached for his hand. He took my hand in his and squeezed it.
“Yeah, brother. I promise. We’ll look some more. I’ll keep the guys out scouting, too. We won’t just let her be here alone. At least if the guys are out, we have ears to the ground. Sound good?”
I nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
He released my hand and put the Escalade into drive, and we continued on, searching the city for what I hoped was still our girl.