Chapter Thirty-Seven
Maddox
Kairo is up before the sun even rises. Naturally.
He’s worse than a golden retriever when it comes to traveling. He’s always the one to have our bags packed, the cab or Uber called, and his shoes on long before anyone else is even up.
Which isn’t surprising when I feel his side of the bed empty. What is surprising is when I notice Rosalie is also missing.
I shoot up, my heart hammering as I throw the covers off of me, suffocating Roman in the process. He rises groggily onto his elbows, tossing the blanket aside as he double-takes at the empty space between us.
“How long—”
“I don’t know,” I answer before he can finish his question. We’re both up and padding down the hallway on high alert. I check each room we pass, pushing open the doors as Roman scopes out the empty chambers.
“Downstairs,” he whispers.
I nod as I take the steps two at a time until we round into the foyer and the front door opens.
Rosalie is dressed in a cute white sundress with a blue flower pattern and white sandals strapped over her ankles.
Kairo is beside her, wearing his usual jeans and a white t-shirt as he laughs at something she said.
He holds a cup holder full of steaming coffee, the cups stamped with a shop’s logo.
“Well, good morning,” the blonde smirks. “Slept well?”
Rosalie smiles radiantly, taking two cups from the holder before presenting them to us.
“Roman. Black coffee, dark roast.” She hands it to him as he blinks down at the gift.
She turns her enchanting emerald eyes on me, making my heart slam.
“Maddox. Caramel macchiato.” She leans in, whispering.
“I had them add extra caramel for sweetness.”
I take it, grinning down at her before stealing her breath in a kiss. She smiles against my lips, her joy spreading.
“Thank you, Songbird.”
Her cheeks tinge pink as she motions to the suitcases by the door. “Ready?”
Roman and I glance at each other. I’m fucking naked, and he’s only in his boxer-briefs.
“Get dressed and god dammit, Maddox, put that thing away.” Kairo covers his eyes exaggeratedly, making Rosalie chuckle. “That’s a certified weapon.”
I roll my eyes before taking a sip of my drink, appreciating that our girl was thinking of us, before following Roman upstairs. We’re ready in record time, joining them back downstairs.
Rosalie is trying to shoulder one of the duffel bags when Roman snatches it from her. “I don’t think so. Walk.”
She grumbles as she steps ahead of us. “I just wanted to help…”
“You’re helping plenty,” Kairo says as he kisses her cheek. “Just stand there and look pretty for us.”
“That’s not even hard,” She smarts as she slides into the backseat of the SUV.
“Watch your mouth,” Roman calls from the hatchback.
She slams her door in retaliation, and he huffs a laugh as he shoves the bags into the back. “Lord, help us.”
Ten hours later, the shimmering turquoise waters stretch as far as the eye can see.
The villa itself is perched on tall stilts over the lagoon, offering a perfect view of Mount Otemanu in the distance.
The inside is just as dazzling, with floor-to-ceiling glass panels that let in natural light, and teak wood and woven fabrics make up the decor.
There’s only one bedroom with a massive bed that overlooks the private deck.
Roman and Kairo set the bags down in the bedroom, stretching out as we all take in the space. The air is warm, but it isn’t unpleasant as we unpack. Getting some sun and a change of scenery will be nice.
Especially since we’ve never been in a place like this. Being broke most of our adult lives, we haven’t had the chance to explore and travel. I’m in disbelief at how easy we were able to get here with Charlie making a single phone call.
“Charlie’s garage has a car and motorcycles,” Rosalie beams as she steps out onto the deck. “I say we do some sightseeing.”
The warm sunlight hits her, illuminating her perfect skin and bright features. Where once she was dark and hollow, she’s now breathing life into us with every smile. The role swap is surreal, but so pleasant to see. She’s healthy and thriving. And we’ll do anything to keep it that way.
“I hate to put a damper on things,” Roman sighs.
“Do you really though?” Kairo quips.
Roman cuts his eyes at the blonde. “But we have some things to look into with the investigation. We’ll be busy for a few hours, and I expect you to stay put until we’re done.”
Rosalie’s shoulders drop as her smile fades. “Well, can’t I just—”
“You don’t go anywhere without us,” Roman slashes a hand. “Do you understand?”
She crosses her arms, cocking her head at him. “My dad can’t reach me. Do you really expect me to just sit here while you work?”
“Yes,” He responds.
She tilts her head. “Fine.”
My brows shoot up at her easy reluctance, but I’m not the only one suspicious of her agreement. Roman points a finger at her, a clear warning in his gaze. “You go anywhere, and there will be consequences.”
She examines her nails. “I heard you.”
She’s definitely going to leave.
Roman stalks out of the room, and I catch Kairo’s smirk as he trails behind our friend.
We know the game Songbird is playing at, but I can’t say we’re going to stop her.
Truthfully, we want her to disobey. It gives us a chance to let off some steam and get her accustomed to what life with us will be like.
She’s met every challenge head-on, and now that we know she can take all three of us…
It’s game on.
We leave her in the living room and do our work in the bedroom. Roman pulls his laptop out, the blinking dot of Waylon’s location still in the last spot we pinpointed him.
“He’s most likely using a burner phone,” Roman shakes his head. “My bet is that he’s already disposed of it.”
It would explain why the dot hasn’t moved in the last forty-two hours. I highly doubt he’s found a perfect place to camp out with no resources and the survival skills of a fucking hamster.
“Any word from Knox?” Kairo asks.
Knox was in the army with us. He specialized in cyber operations and, after retiring, developed his own security company with two of his closest friends. We found we had the most in common with them, and we don’t mind helping each other out of tough situations.
We had him look into Waylon’s records to see if we could find any leads as to what he’s planning. If anyone can figure out his end goal, it’s Knox and his team.
“Let me check,” Roman sighs as he pulls up the email inbox. At the top, there’s a new message from our connection. There are a few files attached, and Roman clicks through them.
Most are recent call logs to an unknown number, but the most notable is the last file. When Roman clicks it, a screenshot of a message sent to the burner phone in Waylon’s possession appears.
Get the goods, and I’ll wire the money. No payout until it’s in hand.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Kairo asks as he leans against the desk.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like the sound of it,” Roman says as he clicks on Knox’s contact and begins a video call.
It takes two rings before the army vet pops up on the screen. He’s burly, with massive shoulders that take up the camera. His dark hair is buzzed around the sides, and the top is cropped short. He scowls at us through the camera, his sharp features twisting unpleasantly. “What?”
“Any word on what that message could mean?” Roman asks, skipping pleasantries.
“Fuck if I know,” Knox grumbles. “Does he have any connections to law enforcement or political figures?”
“Not that I know of,” Roman rubs a hand over his eyes. “It could be anything.”
“Hmm,” Knox hums roughly, typing on his desktop. “My bet is that it wouldn’t be anyone in the line of law enforcement, considering he’s freshly released. I can do some more digging and see if I can trace the message back to a body. Whoever this is, they’re keeping an extremely low profile.”
Roman nods. “See what you can find and get back with me.”
“Before you go,” Knox stops Roman. “Do you know of anyone looking for a security detail out there? Our contract is almost up, and we’re trying to get ahead before the season dips.”
Security work, especially small gigs, always struggles to stay afloat. Knox and his team are no different than us. They’re amazing at what they do, but they’re still struggling to keep themselves from tanking.
“I’ll keep an eye out.” Roman signs off.
“Stay in touch,” Knox ends the call.
Kairo paces the room, rolling his shoulders. “Well, that got us nowhere.”
“In time,” Roman says. “We have to be patient.”
Kairo throws a hand up. “Yeah, until something horrible happens to Rosalie. I’m getting tired of being patient when her safety is on the line.”
Our leader levels him with a severe expression. “And you don’t think I feel the same? I spend every waking hour tracking and noting any last location Waylon may have sniffed around. You aren’t the only one stressed.”
The blonde runs his hand through his hair messily. “Sorry. I need to fucking unwind.”
We all do.
We’ve been on edge for days, holding onto hope that something will give us a lead. We’ve done a good job at holding it together for Rosalie, but there’s only so much we can take.
The unmistakable sound of the garage opening has me going on high alert. My head whips around to the ajar bedroom door, and I see that Songbird is no longer seated on the cream colored sofa.
“We’re on vacation,” I say ominously. “Let’s fucking relax.”
Kairo smirks. “Whoever finds her gets to fuck her first.”
Roman’s jaw twinges. “Why don’t we all teach her a lesson then? She can’t talk back with all of her holes filled.”
“Even better,” Kairo claps a hand over our friend’s shoulder. “Let the hunt begin.”