42. Orion
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
ORION
M ax looks like he’s about to hit something.
Actually, he looks like he’s about to hit me, and I’d probably let him.
He and Darius arrived two hours after we called to let them know the plan went to hell and we have no idea where Ember is, and there hasn’t been a moment since that he hasn’t looked ready to kill me for the part I played in all this.
“You two fighting isn’t going to help,” Darius reasons, but his body is coiled just as tightly as ours are.
The more time that goes by without any new information, the more hopeless everything feels.
I won’t give up.
I’ll never give up on finding her.
But that doesn’t mean I can protect my mind from all the ways they could be hurting her right now.
I’ve seen the way Lucas looks at my girl, and allowing myself even a moment to think of the vile things he would do given the chance makes me crazy.
“I can’t believe you let her walk into that bar,” Max says for the tenth time in the last hour. I know, because I’ve counted every single one.
It’s one of the ways I’m stopping myself from doing something rash, like burning down every building Lucas has ever stepped foot in.
“It was the best plan we had,” Killian reasons…again.
“It was a stupid plan,” Max snaps.
I run my hand down my face, fatigue beginning to get the better of me.
It’s been six hours since we found her trackers and earpiece in an abandoned van down by the marina, and every single minute has felt like an eternity.
We have every person who works for us, plus a bunch of security specialists that Max hired, scouring the city for her, but in a city the size of Los Angeles it could take days, weeks even, to get so much as a lead.
Darius contacted an old hacker friend of his from college, and they’re helping, but it’s taking too long.
It’s all taking too long.
I drop my head into my hands. It’s getting late, and we all need some sleep. Tensions are running high, and if we keep going the way we are, we’re going to kill each other before we ever have a hope of finding Ember.
But I know I won’t sleep.
There’s no way I’ll be able to while thinking of all the things Ember could be enduring right now.
“I know we’re all anxious to get Ember back, but right now we’re no good to her. We have people looking for her, we’re not giving up, but I think we all need to take a breather to regroup,” Killian says carefully, and is met by three men glaring at him.
“No,” Max growls. “No way. I’m not going to rest until we have her back. Absolutely not.”
“Max.” Darius squeezes his shoulder. “Killian’s right. We’re burned out already, and we’ve only been here for a few hours. Ember needs us at our best, and right now, we’re not that. We’re a mess.”
Max looks as if he’s about to argue, but instead nods. “Maybe we could sleep for a few hours,” he hedges.
Killian breathes a sigh of relief before tapping out a series of messages on his phone. “I’ve got everyone reporting to me, so if they find anything, I will let you know immediately.”
Max and Darius are hesitant to leave my office, but eventually walk out toward the spare bedroom that’s never been used. I almost forgot it existed if I’m honest, but I’m suddenly glad for it because there’s no way they’d be leaving to stay in a hotel.
Killian eases into the seat beside me, the couch dipping under his bulk as he rests his head back, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry we haven’t found her yet. But we will. Ember is a fighter. She’s always been a fighter, and that hasn’t changed.”
“They could be doing anything to her right now, Killian. Every time I close my eyes, my mind is filled with the most disgusting things you can imagine, and she’s at the center of all of them.”
“Don’t think like that. She needs you to keep it together, just as you need her to do the same. You may not be together right now, but you’re a team. A dysfunctional team for sure, but still a team.”
A rough chuckle falls from my lips before all humor drains from me. “I thought he would have reached out by now, to taunt us at the very least. But he’s gone quiet. There’s been no sign of him or anyone who works for him directly.”
“It’s the middle of the night. Maybe they’re sleeping.”
“If they were normal people, sure. But they’re criminals. Lucas’s main legitimate business is a strip club he spends all his nights at. There’s no way that motherfucker sleeps while the sun is down.”
Killian considers me for a long moment. “Maybe they’re traveling? It would be stupid of him to stay in the city, because we have a never-ending number of resources at our disposal. Maybe he got her out of dodge while he could.”
“Maybe.” But it doesn’t feel right.
At this point, everything is a game to Lucas.
He always wanted Ember, but he also wants to take me down, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s going to try to take both things at the same time. I just can’t quite figure out how.
“I’m going to get a few hours of shut-eye,” Killian tells me as he pushes himself to his feet. “I’ll let you know if the teams find anything.”
“Are you going down to your place?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll crash on the couch. Just in case.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
The tips of his lips turn up, and he nods. “I know you’d do the same if someone I loved was missing.”
“You finally admitting there might be a woman out there that could bring you to your knees?”
For the first time, he doesn’t immediately dismiss the idea.
Instead, he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a night full of nightmares.