Chapter 37
Parker
Something was wrong.
My father and I were in a shareholders' meeting, and we were only on agenda item three out of twelve so far after being here for an hour already.
I had zero plans to go into the office today, but my assistant, Clara, called frantically about a meeting I had to attend. My father had sprung it on her, and now her job depended on my attendance. Janae and Aja were planning to arrive late, so they followed behind me from the cafe.
For weeks, he had been saying that I needed to get more familiar with the board and the shareholders.
I vehemently disagreed. There was no point in schmoozing these people because I wasn’t staying here.
After the blow-up with my father, I felt it even more strongly that I could never stay here and work under him.
Especially not for a job I didn’t particularly like.
I’d come and go as I pleased without submitting to his conditions.
There wouldn’t be any formal resignation letter.
He knew I was done being his puppet. I was here as a last favor for Clara and nothing more.
He deliberately endangered Evelyn despite my warnings, on top of the shady deals he was making for Gentry, the lies, and the manipulation. There was no going back for us.
I didn’t give a shit about this meeting.
When I looked out of the glass-paneled conference room, I saw Aja and Janae rushing towards the door. Their faces told me that something was wrong. I just didn’t know how bad.
Aja stormed through the door with Janae closely behind her.
“Parker, something is wrong. We need to go.”
My father huffed loudly, jumping to his feet.
“Aja, we are in the middle of a meeting right now!”
I could tell it was taking everything in him not to make a scene. We had been tense around each other since I arrived, and now all his children were stirring up trouble.
“Parker, check your phone right now. We have to go,” Janae said, completely ignoring our father.
Checking my pockets, I found them empty. I was in my office in record time with the twins traveling close behind. Grabbing my phone off my desk, I saw eight missed calls from William and a few from Aja and Janae.
I was filled with a sense of foreboding. I didn’t have to call William back to know that something was wrong with Evelyn. I dialed her number and was immediately sent to voicemail.
I tried again and again but failed.
“William said he took Evelyn to the Marquis. Someone attacked him. When he came to, she was gone,” Janae said with a tremble in her voice.
“What do you mean, gone, Janae?” I said evenly.
They exchanged a look before Aja spoke up.
“Her office was empty, with her bag and phone still there.”
Janae continued, “William said he tried to look at the camera footage, but it had been tampered with. They were offline for over an hour for routine maintenance.”
My fist flew into the filing cabinet, causing my sisters to shriek.
A silence blanketed the office as the staff paused their tasks, shocked by my outburst as well.
I didn’t care about the optics. Everything in me wanted to destroy this place.
“Take a deep breath, Parker,” Aja said.
Followed by Janae’s request. “Please.”
“Let’s call the police,” Aja suggested.
I dragged my hands down my face, struggling to maintain my composure.
“You both don’t understand. There’s so much more to this that I haven’t explained. It’s not just this person after Evelyn. Danny’s been working to uncover a network of corruption within the justice system. We don’t know who we can trust.”
I watched as their facial expressions morphed from confusion to fear. Janae had always been more in tune with her emotions than Aja, but this time it was Aja’s eyes that were filled with unexpected tears.
“We have to go. You guys can ride with me, or you can follow me back to the house,” I said while moving towards the door.
They moved silently beside me and piled into my truck.
We were gathered around the table in the kitchen while Gerard and William paced the room, glued to their phones.
Night had fallen, and we were still no closer to finding Evelyn.
My mother had joined us at the table, and she was rubbing circles on Janae's back as she wept quietly. The twins had filled her in on as much as they could.
William’s eyes cut to mine before he looked away in shame. I’m angry with him even though I know I have no right to be. Whatever they hit him with, they hit him hard. The twins had to convince him to get his head checked out.
“Parker, I see the look on your face. I know what you’re thinking, and you're wrong,” my mother said, trying to be the voice of reason.
How could she possibly know that my heart was breaking in two?
All I could do was respond with a silent nod of my head. I didn’t know what to think. It had been hours since Evelyn was taken. Who knew what Charles was doing to her, or what he had already done?
I reached for my phone for what seemed like the 100th time today and sent another message to Danny.
SOS
Evelyn is missing
“I need some air,” I said abruptly and strode out of the room.
What I really needed was space to think.
I halted my steps once I reached the main room. Sheriff Strauss and my father were standing by the door talking.
“I’ve heard the buzz around here is that the new girl is gone,” Strauss says with a chuckle.
My father reached out to shake his hand. “Oh yeah? Well, good riddance.”
He’s the reason that I had to leave home.
He’s the reason that I didn’t get to see my sisters grow up.
He’s the reason why the woman I just realized I’m in love with is out there no doubt fighting for her life.
“What did you do?” I bellowed, as I marched across the hall to my father.
“Ms. Howard left on her own. I had nothing to do with it.” He says facing me with ire in his eyes. “At least she’s smart enough to know when to leave.”
My sisters appeared at my side placing a hand on either side of my shoulders holding me back.
“Dad,” Aja said with a warning in her tone.
“What I can’t seem to figure out is how you’re involved in all of this?” I grit out looking between my father and the sheriff.
I would at least try to get answers before I completely lost my cool.
“She’s guilty. What do you expect, of course she left,” he said flippantly, “she’s dangerous to this family, and the sheriff was simply doing his job to protect this town. A few calls to New York and he learned just how good Ms. Howard was at scheming.”
“You’re the real danger to this family.” Aja snapped.
Shock flickered across my father’s face but it was fleeting and his signature scowl returned.
“What if this were one of us? She trusted us to protect her and you completely disregarded Parker’s advice.” Janae chimed in.
“Did you not hear me? She is a criminal,” my father said, this time frustration was clear on his face and in his body. “Don’t let your little friendship blind you to what is at stake here.”
Sheriff Strauss leaned against the doorframe with a smug smile.
“Don’t upset yourselves too much. I’m sure trouble will find her soon. You know how criminals are, they can never stay quiet for too long.” Giving my father a clap on the back, Strauss opened the door and left.
My father straightened his suit and turned towards us.
“It’s good she’s gone. If she hadn’t left, I would’ve called the sheriff anyway. It seems that you all have had a lapse in your memory. This is my house and I decide who resides in it.”
Uninterested in hearing another word from his mouth I shoved past him and marched towards the pool house with the twins following behind me.
So much for being alone.
Janae walked to the bar and poured herself a drink while Aja sat next to me on the sofa. With my head bowed, I tried desperately to think of anything that would give us a lead, a clue, something to point us in the right direction.
My phone pinged, breaking the silence that had descended the room.
[Danny]: Call me when you’re alone.
I hit the call button and waited to hear his voice on the other side of the line.
“Are you alone?” Danny said disregarding pleasantries.
“I’m with the twins.” I rushed out. “Do you have a name?”
“Gregory Strauss. Transferred to Miami PD two years ago. He’s been bouncing around ever since.”
“Shit. He just left here.” Jumping from the couch I rushed to my room, grabbing my gun from the safe.
Tucking the handgun into the back of my pants, I grabbed my car keys off the counter heading for the door.
“Parker, I’ll be there in a few hours. I’m not asking you to wait for me—just please don’t go in there guns blazing. They’re smart. Strauss knows how to make things look like an accident.”
“I hear you. I don’t plan to be the one dying tonight.” I huffed before walking through the sliding doors. The twins were hot on my heels following me to the garage.
Another ping from my phone let me know a text message was coming through.
[Unknown]: She’s so much prettier when she cries isn’t she?
A photo of Evelyn tied to a chair with tears streaming down her face follows the message.
“Fuck!” My fist collides with the hood of my car, leaving a dent.
“What happened?” Everyone seems to say in unison.
“Charles has her tied up. She looks hurt.” I release another string of curses, throwing open the door to my truck.
“Find the sheriff, Parker. He’ll lead you to her.” Danny says with a heavy sigh and hangs up.
“Where are you going?” Janae says standing in front of my truck
“I’m going to find the sheriff. He’ll lead me to her.”
“But what happens when you find her and she’s with Charles? He’s dangerous. They both are.” Aja interjects taking a stand next to Janae.
“The longer I wait, the more time he has with her. I’m leaving. Move aside so I can bring Evelyn home.”
There was no time to argue, the twins moved and I hit the gas.
Evelyn looked terrified in that photo. I couldn’t stand seeing her tears or the thought of this man inflicting any more pain on her than he already had.
I would find her if it were the last thing I did.