Zane:
I wasn't even paying attention to Lucas anymore. His voice was background noise—static, meaningless. My focus had already shifted to the hallway behind him, where Alisa had disappeared twenty minutes ago. Just a quick trip to the bathroom , she'd said. I'll be right back.
Yeah, right.
The moment I tore my eyes off Lucas, it hit me like a goddamn freight train. She wasn't back yet. I hadn't noticed how long it had been because I was too busy listening to Lucas drone on about his latest conquest to his buddies.
And then it got worse. I glanced back at him, ready to tell him to shut up so I could figure out where the hell she went—and he was gone.
"What the actual hell?!" My voice echoed off the walls as I spun around, fists clenching. It was like they'd both vanished into thin air. Lucas was slippery, sure, but Alisa? She knew better than to disappear without saying something. My gut twisted into knots. Something wasn't right.
Lucas set his eyes on her earlier...
I yanked my phone out of my pocket, hands shaking with the effort of holding back the wave of anger surging through me. My fingers jabbed at the screen as I scrolled for the number I needed. Serena. She owed me a few favors, and I was ready to cash them all in right now.
She picked up after three rings.
"This better be good," she said, her voice as sharp as ever.
"Serena, I need you to listen and move fast," I snapped, pacing back and forth. "Alisa's gone. She's not answering her phone, she's not back where she said she'd be, and I've got a bad feeling about this."
There was a pause, long enough to make me want to throw my phone against the wall. "Zane," she said, her tone cautious, "you know I'm not in the field anymore. If this is about—"
"I don't give a damn where you work now!" I barked. "You're the best tracker I know, Serena, and if anyone can find her, it's you. Don't make me waste time explaining. She's missing, and I'm not waiting around to see if she shows up. She already knows better not to test me, you hear me? Something's wrong."
I heard her sigh, followed by furious typing. "Okay, okay. Give me her info. Last known location, description, phone number—whatever you've got."
I rattled off everything I could remember, my voice sharp and clipped. The words felt like acid on my tongue because saying them out loud made it real. She was gone. Gone.
"Alright," Serena said, her tone all business now. "Her phone's not pinging, so either it's off, or it's been destroyed. I'll start with her last known location and work from there."
"Destroyed," I muttered, the word hanging heavy in the air. My blood boiled at the thought. If someone had taken her—or worse—they wouldn't just destroy her phone. They'd do anything to keep her quiet.
It has to be Lucas!
"Zane," Serena said, her voice cutting into my thoughts. "You need to stay calm."
"Calm?!" I barked a laugh, low and bitter. "You want me calm when the one person I swore I'd protect is out there, alone, with God knows what happening to her? Don't tell me to calm down, Serena. Just find her!"
She was silent for a beat. "I'll send you her last location. Don't do anything stupid."
"Too late for that," I growled, already grabbing my jacket. My feet moved before my brain could catch up. Every step was fueled by rage—rage at her for disappearing, at myself for letting her, and at that idiot having the nerve to take what's mine in front of me.
l was responsible for this mess.
If someone had hurt her, there wouldn't be a safe place on this planet for them. I'd find them. I'd make them regret every second of their miserable existence. But first, I had to find her.
My jaw clenched so tight it hurt as I stormed out of the building, Serena's voice fading into static on the phone. My world had narrowed to one thought, one mission.
Find Alisa. No matter what.
And if someone was standing in my way? God help them.
*****
The engine roared as I slammed my foot down on the accelerator, the tires screeching against the asphalt. Furious. That was barely scratching the surface of what I felt. Serena, my associate, had given me the tip-off. She may have trusted Lucas once, but now she was helping me bring him down.
As I approached the warehouse, the air was thick with tension. The darkened windows and flickering lights cast eerie shadows that danced across the concrete. Sweat formed on my brow as the weight of the situation gripped me tighter. Alisa—innocent, caught in the middle of our war. I couldn't let her down, not now.
I pulled the car into a secluded spot, shutting the engine off with a decisive click. Heart pounding, I stepped out, the night wrapping around me like a cloak. Where are you, Alisa?
Creeping toward the entrance, I ducked behind discarded crates and barrels, my senses sharp. Lucas' men patrolled the space, their attitudes casual, unaware of the tempest about to hit them. It was chess, and I was about to make my move.
Taking a deep breath, I burst from the shadows, launching myself at the first guard. A quick jab to the side of the head, and he crumpled to the ground like a rag doll. My body moved instinctively, a dancer on dangerous ground as I knocked out the next man with a swift kick to the gut.
"Where is Alisa?" I growled, eyes blazing with determination.
Two more guards met the same fate before I paused to assess the situation. Silence enveloped me, but in the distance, I could hear muffled voices. My mind raced, piecing together the puzzle as adrenaline coursed through my veins.
Ducking low, I crept toward the source of the noise. Think, Zane. What if they moved her? What if I was too late? Reaching the corridor, I noticed a door slightly ajar, the faintest sliver of light spilling out. That was my target.
With precise movements, I eased the door open and stepped inside. My heart stuttered at the sight of Alisa—bound but fierce, her eyes searching, pleading.
I'm coming for you, I silently promissed her even though she can' hear me, determination setting my jaw as I prepared for the next round.