Chapter 31 Ares
"You got it all?" Ares stood, rubbing the back of his neck. It took longer than he wanted but all the details were hammered out and done.
"Yeah, I'm happy with that. Go back to your woman."
"You too." Ares ended the call, tossed his phone on his desk.
The panoramic views caught his breath. The sight of the grey blue early morning sky and the white caps on the rolling waves, he couldn’t wait to explore every inch of these surrounding views with Josie.
He vowed to have more days like yesterday where his phone was off, he detached from the world and his only focus was on giving his girl pleasure.
But his obligations demanded his attention, even on Christmas.
Christmas.
He’d almost forgotten.
Eager to get back to Josie, he tapped the hidden sensors on the panel and the door noiselessly slid open he stepped through, anticipation quickening his steps.
He couldn’t wait to wake up Josie. He’d kiss those pretty lips of hers and run his fingers through her silky curls.
His dick twitched, remembering how sweet her pussy felt clamped around his length, how soft her sighs were until she screamed his name.
Analyzing was what he did. It’s what made him and his brother millions of dollars but right now he wished he could turn it off, even as his thoughts raced.
Because it was something in the air that told him he was the only one in this glorious piece of architecture.
But he couldn’t stop himself from checking the bedroom.
Seeing the rumpled sheets, his heart dropped to the floor. He bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to confirm his feelings.
Determined to prove himself wrong, he raced into the bathroom, telling himself that she was in the shower.
Empty.
His stomach sunk to the floor; he swallowed bile.
Grabbing her make-up bag off the counter, he told himself that maybe she was in the hot tub.
A flutter of hope threaded its way through his dread and he tried to push it back.
He desperately wanted to believe that there was a misunderstanding, to deny what all his senses and his past experience screamed at him.
Why she’d be in the hot tub without him didn’t make any sense but nonetheless he checked the hot tub.
Empty.
Retracing his steps, he checked his study. Maybe she’d seen the office door closed and decided to wait for him there.
His two armchairs were empty.
He didn’t smell the usual delicious aroma that indicated Josie was in the kitchen and even as he strolled that way, following the gentle curve of the house, he pulled his cell out of his pocket, bringing up the security feed.
With his heart in his throat, he watched Josie walk down the long driveway, past his house to the sidewalk before she disappeared from view.
“Fuck!” He bit his knuckle, stopping himself from throwing his phone.
Giving into his emotions wouldn’t help him.
But he couldn’t help the crushing sense of rejection that slammed into him.
Why did she leave? His mind couldn’t access his usual logic to work out the why. Suddenly, it was Trixie all over again, leaving him.
But that’s not Josie.
Deep in his bones, he knew Josie was his and knew that she wouldn’t hurt him. His logic started to claw through his anguish.
Ares forced himself to drink a glass of water to stop pacing and ran the possibilities through his mind. Maybe her mother called and she had to leave? Maybe something happened with Avery’s mother? Maybe the asshole’s restaurant that she worked out of burned down?
All those explanations felt hollow because he didn’t understand why she didn’t wait for him to be done in his office.
There had to be an explanation.
One that made sense.
Something that explained why she left that isn’t because she never wanted to see him again.
Ares pushed his hurt and anger as far as he could and noticed things he hadn’t when he first entered the kitchen.
The espresso machine he fought with was all set up, the cups underneath the shiny new nozzles.
His laptop.
Feeling like his bones were leaden, dread choking him, he woke up his laptop and scrolled to the last recording of the live feed.
His cybersecurity measures were set to time out the feed, so he wasn’t worried about Josie seeing anything she shouldn’t have.
But as the clip played, he clenched his hand into a fist. Sweat broke out on his forehead. His jaw tightened.
He wanted to roar and smash everything in this house. For years, he had worked hard to keep the underground side of the business out of the public eye. He knew Quinn’s ex-girlfriend would be a problem.
He thought that by sending her away and giving her a chance, it would be case closed.
This was one where he was dead wrong about.
Josie had to be scared and he needed to find her. His logic kicked in and demanded he find her before she went to the police or the press because their work with authorities also needed to stay hidden.
He stood there, crouched over his laptop, frozen in place, his emotions so jumbled he couldn’t process them.
Josie was too good for him.
She was lightyears away from his world of intrigue and secrets. His world of making money and protecting a genius brother.
But for once, he wanted something for himself.
He wanted her and didn’t want to stop his pursuit.
Ares strolled over to the windows, trying to formulate a plan on how to get her back. But the growing sense of dread wouldn’t let him hope and it bothered him that his sweeper team didn’t call him as soon as they noticed the breach. A new fear sparked as he thought of Mac’s face.
He should have pulled the plug as soon as he caught sight of the man’s emotion. That was the rule.
He was so lost in his happiness, it softened his edges and clouded his vision and, he’d do it all over again if it meant that he could have one more night with Josie.
His cell rang from across the room.
Ares picked it up, thankful for the super indestructible technology and answered.
“Yeah?’
“Merry Christmas to you!” Drustan’s voice grated on his last nerve.
“What do you need, Drustan?”
“Rumour has that Ida received an invitation to Hill Oak. I also received an invitation to a private dining for tonight at the same place.”
“I guess I couldn't resist playing cupid.”
“Thanks, Ares. This makes me feel bad about what I did. But you guys haven’t listened to me this whole time and I had to show my father I am capable of standing on my own feet.”
Ares thought of the van they saw parked at the compound. Of Drustan’s mysterious calls.
“What’s that supposed to mean?’
“You’ll find out but I consider this dinner a show of goodwill so I might slow down the wheels I set in motion.”
“Is that a threat Drustan?”
“I know not to threaten the mighty Xander but you can take it any way you want. See you soon.”
He called Josie.
Her phone rang in his ear.
He tried again.
Then again, demanding that she pick up his call, that she called him back.
He couldn’t be sure that she overheard anything that came through the feed and as he worked through other explanations, nothing made sense.
The cold hard fact was she chose to walk out of this house on her own violation. She wasn’t hurt or distressed. Go after her.
Maybe she did hear something through the feed. Maybe that was the person Rachel was talking to when she spewed all that stuff A cold wave of fear crashed over him as the thought surfaced.
Ares’s jaw clenched so hard, he knew he’d buy his dentist a new Maserati.
He called her cell again.
“Josie, call me. I need you to call me.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say so he ended the call and as he did, the phone buzzed in his hand.
“Yeah?’
“Boss, this is Frank, Mack’s second. I got news.”
“Go ahead.”
Even before the man said it, he knew. Ares thought of the dopey look on Drustan’s face and remembered hearing Mac’s plea to give the target another chance.
“Mac took the target. He is nowhere to be found but we are covering every inch of this island, discreetly of course. We won’t stop until they are found.”
Ares chewed the inside of his cheek so hard; he tasted blood.
“Keep me posted.”
“You got it.”
Ares knew he should make calls. Force himself to act but as his feet moved to the bedroom, all he could do was lay down on the bed, and sniff Josie's pillow, and pull the sheet over him.
He couldn’t lose her.
But maybe she needed air.
Maybe she needed to go for a walk.
Maybe she would come back.
He laughed, feeling foolish that he hadn’t thought of those possibilities. He'd stay here until he heard from her and then make a move.
And cursed himself for not giving her the backup manual key to the house. That would have been a much more romantic gesture that said exactly what he wanted.
Ares didn’t want to answer his phone but it flashed Xander’s number.
“Yeah?”
“You sound awful. What’s wrong?”
“That’s not why you’re calling.”
“Check Drustan’s Instagram.”
Ares scrolled through, finding the man’s feed mostly filled with pics of his dog or his cars. But seeing the recent post he cursed.
“The fucker put a ring on her finger?”
“He sure did.”
“At least he doesn’t mention her by name.”
“That’s true.”
“Or show her face.”
“Yeah.”
“What now?”
“We expand the security to include the bastard. Nothing else we can do. Our obligation is to protect Ida.”
“Yeah.”
“Ares?”
“Yeah?”
“What is it?”
Ares sighed. He didn’t want to tell Xander he screwed up. He didn't want to tell him that Josie left. He wanted to stay here, breathing in her scent from the bedsheets, praying that she came back.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“I know that.”
“Talk later.”
He hung up before his brother could launch into any questions. This was dumb. His girl left and he was lying in bed.
He called her again. “Josie come back. Tell me where you are and I'll come and get you, just come back.”
Ares hated how his voice cracked but he didn’t care.
He’d give her more time.
She was his and no matter what it took he’d make her believe that they were meant to be together.