Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
LEVI
Ihate when I can’t focus. I hate it even more when I try to use work as a distraction.
That said, I really needed to be at Vale Global today, and I didn’t come here looking for extra work.
I needed to meet with a few important clients before I head off to England.
If I’d had my way, I would’ve cancelled everything and stayed home with Piper.
It’s almost six. I can head out in an hour. I just need to work through these contracts first. That part is the distraction.
I’m not one of those people who fall apart when shit’s going down.
I can still operate. Still be sharp. Still run the show.
But that doesn’t mean this situation isn’t fucking tearing me apart.
It’s been two days since the fight.
Nothing’s happened so far.
The police turned up after Reece left. But they were too late.
The motherfucker had already disappeared and hasn’t been seen since.
I keep waiting for some Eureka moment where I’ll come up with an idea that fixes everything, but nothing has come to me.
That’s probably because Reece is a fucking psycho. People like him don’t scare easily.
The only thing we’ve got so far is the restraining order violation, but what good does that do when nobody can find him?
None of this feels real. I still don’t know how everything went from perfect to this.
I loosen my tie and blow out a ragged breath.
Everything’s turning into a fucking disaster.
Piper’s trying; I can see it. She doesn’t want that asshole controlling her life again.
But there’s only so much a person can take.
We’re supposed to be flying to England on Sunday. I hoped the distance might help, but I don’t think it will. That bastard would follow her anywhere.
He wants her. It’s painfully obvious he’ll do whatever it takes to get her back.
There’s no way in hell I’m getting on a plane knowing that psychopath is still walking around free. But there’s only so much I can do, too.
A sharp knock suddenly hits my office door.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, already irritated before the door even opens. Every interruption feels like another weight pressing against my skull today.
I barely glance up. “Come in.”
The door swings open. My stomach drops instantly when Arthur Lockwood storms into the office. In his hand is a large envelope. On his face is a deep scowl, one sure sign he’s pissed with me.
“Levi Vale. What the hell is this?” he demands, waving the envelope furiously.
He doesn’t look anything like the man who drank wine and bourbon with me at Belladonna Ridge while talking about family and legacy.
I can’t fucking deal with him right now. Not today.
“What is it, Arthur? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He marches forward, opens the envelope, and tosses a contract onto my desk.
At first, I think it’s our contract, and that he’s found something else to displease him.
But my blood freezes when I see it’s not our contract.
It’s the one I gave Piper. The contract offering her two hundred thousand dollars to be my girlfriend.
Fuck.
My stomach turns. I already know exactly how this looks.
Like Piper meant nothing.
Like she was some transaction instead of the woman who’s become the center of my fucking world.
Arthur laughs bitterly when he sees the look on my face.
“So, it’s true. You devious son of a bitch,” he snarls.
He’s not wrong.
“Arthur—”
“No.” His voice cracks through the room. “Don’t you dare start talking yet. You lied to me. Fucking lied to me.” His face tightens with hurt more than rage now. “You lied to Ellie Mae. You lied to our whole family.”
“I’m sorry. But it’s not what you think.”
“What the hell do you mean by that? That contract is no lie. It’s clear as hell.”
I stand and hold up my hands. “I know, but I love her. I love Piper. We were never fake.”
That’s the truth. Right from that first night. And those words come straight from my heart.
Arthur lets out a humorless laugh. “Do you seriously expect me to believe that? For all I know, she could’ve been an actress.”
“No. She’s not. She’s a real person who loves me.”
“That supposed to make me feel better?” He shakes his head slowly. “I welcomed you into my home. Trusted you. Treated you both like family.”
Guilt punches straight through my chest. “I know.”
“No.” His gaze hardens. “I don’t think you do. You may have thought my demands were ridiculous, but those were my terms. You made me believe a lie, and I took you under my wing thinking you were genuine.”
Fuck. I didn’t know things could get worse.
Before I can answer, my phone suddenly rings and vibrates against the desk.
I look down at it.
An unknown number flashes across the screen.
Normally, I’d ignore anything like that. Not today. Anything could be happening with Piper.
“I have to take this,” I tell Arthur.
“I am talking to you about serious matters.”
I don’t argue. I answer the phone, stopping it mid-chime.
“Who is this?”
A quiet laugh crackles down the line. “Hello, my new friend. Levi Vale.”
Reece.
Every muscle in my body locks instantly.
“How did you get this number?” My grip tightens around the phone hard enough that my knuckles ache.
“I don’t think that matters.”
Arthur seethes before me. A man like him should have walked out by now. He’s only sticking around because he’s not done with me yet.
“What do you want?” I growl. My tone makes Arthur narrow his gaze.
“Just to talk. Man to man. I wanted you to know I’m getting my girl back.” He sounds high. Piper mentioned drugs.
“You need to stay the fuck away from her.”
“No. I don’t think so. Anyway, you have other things to worry about. I don’t think
Arthur Lockwood enjoyed the reading material I sent him as much as I thought he would.”
Holy fuck.
It was him.
Reece.
Reece managed to get into my systems, which are near impossible to breach, and find the contract.
Ice floods my entire body and the office suddenly feels too small. Like the walls are closing in around me.
“You bastard.”
Arthur’s expression changes immediately at whatever he sees on my face.
Reece chuckles softly. “You really should’ve protected that contract better. But really, it makes sense. A contract like that is the only way a man like you can get a sweet girl like my angel. You tried to buy her.”
Rage explodes through me.
“You sick bastard.”
“Relax.” Reece’s voice turns mockingly calm. “I’m just helping everybody see the truth.”
“You need to leave Piper alone.” I don’t care about anything else.
“That’s not going to happen. For a start, she’s about to meet with a client tonight.”
“What?”
“She thinks it’s business.” Reece’s voice lowers dangerously. “Turns out she’s meeting me. And she doesn’t know.”
Every instinct in my body detonates at once.
“No.”
“Yes. And you won’t get to her on time.”
“Don’t.”
The line goes dead. For half a second, the silence on the line is louder than anything I’ve ever heard.
“Fuck!”
Arthur steps forward immediately. “What is happening?”
I ignore the question and call Piper. The phone doesn’t even ring.
Thinking quickly, I call the bodyguards I got for her. They’re supposed to be at the house with her. When I call them, the same fucking thing happens—their phones don’t ring.
There’s no way that’s a coincidence.
I’m already grabbing my keys.
“Levi, what the fuck is happening?” Arthur grabs my arm.
“Piper’s in danger.” Saying the words out loud makes everything feel horrifyingly real.
Arthur’s anger disappears immediately. “Jesus Christ. Levi—”
“You can hate me tomorrow.” I look him dead in the eye. “Right now, I need to save my girl.”
For one long second, Arthur just stares at me. “Well, then what the hell are we standing around for?” His jaw hardens. “If that girl’s in trouble, I’m going with you.”
I barely register what he just said.
We both rush out of the office.
I make two more calls. One to Dorian to see if he can try to track Piper.
The other to the police.