Chapter 26
“You gave O’Brien more than you needed to in order to keep the truce between us.” Ivan taps his phone alive.
After hours of dealing with the Irish in order to keep any more insults from being felt, I’m ready to get the hell out of this suit and into Elana.
“It keeps them from moving too far into Chicago,” Alexander explains as we make our way through the city and back to the hotel.
“And if they start moving into New York?” Kaz asks from the front passenger seat.
“Would you want to take Sienna back to New York so you can hold down the territory?” Alexander asks.
For a second Kaz says nothing, then turns in his seat with his brows raised.
“That’s not a horrible idea. She has friends there and some family that she doesn’t hate.”
“Are you serious?” Ivan deadpans, looking up from his phone. “You’d leave Chicago?”
“We have our own fucking Jet, Ivan. I can be home in a matter of hours at any time.” Kaz makes a face, one I’m sure he made million times while they were growing up.
“There’re still a few DeAngelos that might get ideas to restart what we’ve ended there,” Alexander sounds like he’s considering the idea as a good one.
“Elana wouldn’t be happy to see you move so far away,” I speak up. She’s always been closest to Kaz. If he leaves, even with an easy way to get to him, she will feel it as a loss.
“She can come visit as much as she wants. She’ll always have a room in my home.” Kaz’s eyes harden. “I suppose you’ll be welcome, too.”
“Thanks. Very generous of you.” I mock with a salute.
“Did you set a date yet?” Ivan turns the conversation to our upcoming marriage. “We’ll need time to plan. Venues to book. A priest willing to marry a man like you to an angel such as our sister.”
“Hmph.” I grunt at the teasing. “The one that married Alexander to Megan will do fine. He was able to look over that whole situation; he’ll be more than happy to watch your sister glide down the aisle to marry me with a satisfied smile on her face.
Unlike the three of you, my wife will be looking forward to our wedding day. ”
Alexander’s eyebrow peaks. “All the more reason to make it a large affair.”
“She won’t like that.” Kaz grins. “She’ll hate being the center of attention.”
“You shouldn’t look so pleased at her discomfort.” I shoot at him. “If she doesn’t want a big wedding, there won’t be a big wedding.”
“Ah, she leads then,” Ivan teases.
“No more than your women do you.” I pull out my phone, now annoyed that I haven’t heard from her since the funeral. Still nothing.
The car pulls up to the hotel, and we all pour out onto the street. Several of my team are nearby as we make our way inside and through the lobby.
The plan was to leave in the morning, but leaving tonight would be better. I could get Elana back in our bed before she falls asleep. Hotels have ears. And having her scream my name over and over again might not be what her brothers want to hear.
“The girls are all in my suite.” Alexander types on his phone as the elevator takes us up to the top floor. “We’ll leave here in the morning at seven and be home by eleven.”
He turns his stare on me. “If you can get Elana up and ready that early. I know she likes to sleep in.”
“She’ll be ready.” I promise. I have plenty of ideas on how to get her to wake in the morning and a few more on how to keep her awake on the plane.
“I thought you said all the girls were in your room.” I gesture to the security guard standing outside our room.
I don’t wait for him to answer.
“Is Elana inside?” I ask once I’m close enough.
“Yes. For the last hour,” he acknowledges with a nod.
I dig out my key and swipe it across the sensor, shoving the door open the moment the light flickers green. Something is wrong. I can sense it the moment I see the empty living room.
“Elana!” I bark, charging through the space and into the bedroom. Empty.
“Elana!” I bellow from the empty bathroom. I find a shirt in the trash can wearing a bright red stain. Knowing it’s not, but still needing to be sure, I sniff the shirt.
Wine.
I tell myself to calm down. It’s wine. She spilled wine. It’s not her blood.
But where the hell is she?
“Elana!”
The door to the suite bursts open, and her brothers file in.
“What’s wrong?”
“She’s not here.” I spread my arms wide as though to show them their sister is missing. “Piotr!”
The guard from outside rushes in. He takes in the empty suite, and his eyes widen. “Where is she?” he asks.
I’m going to rip out his tongue.
“That’s what I ask you!” I take a step forward, but Alexander gets in my way before I can my hands on him.
“She was here. She went inside, alone. She never came out.” Piotr’s hands pump at his sides. “She never came out.”
“Did you hear her or anything from inside the suite?” Kaz asks, doing a sweep of his own, checking the kitchen and the dining area as though she’s playing hide and seek and tucked herself under the table.
I might rip his tongue out, too.
“No. Nothing.”
“What’s going on?” Megan pushes through the front door, the color draining from her face the moment she sees mine. “Where’s Elana?”
“We are nineteen stories up. If she never left through the door, how did she get out?” I drag my hand through my hair, marching through the living room again. Everything looks like it’s supposed to.
No broken glass. Not so much as a pillow out of place on the couch.
A speck of something catches my eye on the carpet. Crouching down, I put my finger to the fabric. It’s small and already dried, but I know it for what it is. Blood.
“She was taken.” My jaw snaps. Every muscle in my body tightens, threatening to choke me from the inside. “How.”
The door to the balcony is unlocked.
“How could anyone get up here?” Megan asks, the women now having joined us. There are too many people here, but they’re Elana’s family.
I open the balcony door, and a cold breeze blows in at me. The patio with its small table and two comfortable chairs appears undisturbed. Leaning over the railing, I see it.
Kaz comes beside me and looks down with me.
“They used the swing stage.” Kaz shoves away from the railing and goes back inside, already barking orders to Piotr and the other security team. He wants video from the hotel and a full sweep of the building.
My phone vibrates, and my blood runs cold.
A single message that stops my heart.
“You don’t need any of that, Kaz.” I step inside. “I know who has her.”
“Who!” Kaz demands, his face as tight and angry as his brothers. There isn’t a soul in this room who won’t kill to keep her safe. But they will have to get in line, because once I get my hands on him, he will never see the light of day again.
“Janis.”