Chapter Sixteen
“Where the fuck is she?” Gideon yelled. When he couldn’t find his mate, he’d about lost it. The one in charge knew him and escorted him into the room where he was at the moment. The guy knew his alpha was about ready to tear the place apart.
“Was she in a red dress?” one server asked.
“Yes.”
“I think she left, sir. You might ask the attendant outside. He’d know for sure.”
“I will, thank you,” Gideon said.
Gideon turned when he heard his name called and saw Leo heading his way. From the look on his face, Gideon knew he wasn’t going to like what he heard.
“What?”
Leo cursed and wiped a hand down his face. “Have you said anything to Jessica about the clause in your grandfather’s will?”
Gideon thought back. “I’m not sure. Why?”
“I was told that someone overheard your cousin talking to her. He was telling her about it and how you were anxious to find someone. He also asked her if you had called her your mate. She got really quiet. Adan told her he was sorry, but we both know that was exactly what he wanted.”
“Fuck. I thought about it at the beginning because I didn’t want this to happen, but, dammit. I forgot. Staying the alpha was not my main concern after meeting her. It was making sure she was mine in every sense of the word.”
“Dude, you need to pull your wolf back. Your eyes are changing, and you’ll freak out a lot of people.”
Gideon sighed and tried to calm down. “I want that bastard out of our pack. Tell him if I find him, I will challenge him and tear him apart.”
“I’ll take care of that. What are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to find my mate and blister her ass.”
Leo snorted. “No, you won’t.”
“As pissed as I am right now, I’m not so sure.”
“Go talk to the attendant,” Leo said. “I’m going to make sure that bastard is gone. I’ll have a few of our pack members help him move.”
Gideon nodded. All he cared about at that moment was getting to his mate. He walked outside and stopped one of the attendants. “I’m looking for my wife. She’s wearing a red dress.”
“Yes, sir, I got a taxi for her.”
Gideon’s teeth snapped together. “Do you know where he took her?”
“I don’t, but there is a possibility the taxi driver is out on the street waiting for me to call him for another job.”
Gideon nodded. “I’ll check it out. Thank you.”
Gideon walked down the driveway and looked right and left, taking in all the taxis. A human would have problems finding the one they needed, but Jessica’s scent was ingrained in his DNA, so Gideon was able to pick out which car she rode in.
He knocked on the window.
“Hello, sir. Can I take you somewhere?” the man asked.
“No, but you can tell me where you took the woman in the red dress,” Gideon said.
The cabbie looked uncomfortable. “Oh, I don’t know. She seemed pretty upset.”
“Yes, I know. She’s my wife, and someone hurt her, and she couldn’t find me.”
The cab driver looked undecided, and Gideon was about ready to drag him out of the car and shake him.
“Listen, my name is Gideon Rothschild. I’m sure you’ve heard of me,” Gideon said.
The driver’s eyes widened. “Oh, my. Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. I will take you to your wife.”
“I have a car here. Just tell me where she went.”
“I dropped her at the Plaza Hotel uptown.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Have a nice night.”
Gideon waved. “You, too.”
He didn’t waste another moment and called his driver. “Come get me by the gates.”
“I’m just down the street. I’ll be there in less than a minute.”
“Thank you, Stanley.”
He hadn’t put his phone in his pocket yet, and his driver was pulling up. He jumped out and opened the door for him.
Gideon settled back in the seat.
“Where would you like to go, sir?” Stanley asked.
Gideon glanced at his reflection in the mirror. “The Plaza Hotel.”
“Okay. We’ll be there shortly.”
Gideon tried to calm down because his wolf was fighting to get free, and now wasn’t the time or the place.
He looked out the window when the car pulled up outside the building, and an usher opened his door.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Hello.” Gideon turned to the driver. “Go home. I’ll be staying here tonight.”
“Very good, sir. Call if you want me to come back.”
“Thank you, Stanley.”
The usher opened the hotel door. “Have a good evening, sir.”
“You, too.” All he could think about was finding his mate. Her scent was strong here, so he knew he’d find her.
“Hello,” the lady at the counter said and smiled.
“Hello. I’m looking for my wife. She was wearing a red gown.” He could tell before the woman opened her mouth that she was going to lie to him. It would have pissed him off if he hadn’t known she was trying to protect Jessica.
“I don’t recall. What is her name?”
“Jessica Rothschild.”
The woman pretended to look at her computer. “I’m sorry, sir, but we have no one with that name.”
Gideon tightened his grip on his anger and tried to look tired and worried, not pissed. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve been calling other hotels, and this one was on my way home, so I thought I’d stop.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir.”
He nodded and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to make the two-hour trip home. Do you have a room I can have?” He pulled his wallet out of the pocket on the inside of his jacket and handed her his card.
“Do you have any preference, sir?”
“No. It doesn’t matter. I just need to make some calls and then crash for a few hours.”
He saw her relax a bit and hand him a key.
“You’ll be on the sixth floor. Have a good evening.”
“You, too. Thank you.”