In My Viens (Sequel to "Enchanted")

32 - Search

***

I walked to the room, the route that I had already known by heart. As I opened it I found him watching tv. "Hey handsome."

I walked over to him and kissed him, Derek following behind. "How you feeling?"

Logan shrugged with no importance. "I'm alright, just want to get out of here. How was your visit with Chris?"

Derek's head shot up. "You went to see him?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, I had to see him. I needed to let him know that he's a complete asshole, and to demand who the hell he has working for him." I confessed, although it went unnoticeable Derek swallowed, his fists shoved into his pockets.

"What'd he say?" Derek asked taking a seat.

"He didn't want to say who it was, but he just said that it was someone we knew. Derek it isn't you, is it?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

Derek scoffed offended. "I am most certainly not working for him. I'd never hurt someone who I love. With all due respect to Logan, who is here. It wouldn't make sense, what would I gain out of this?"

Logan looked at him, switching his view to me. "So he didn't say?"

"Nope, all he said was that he didn't have to do any work, that he -the person- would by himself exploit. I'm just really worried. what if something bad does happen to us?"

"Shush! We've been through so much worse, I don't think any worse could happen anymore."

I sat next to him as he surrounded his arms around me. His scent -woodsy and musky- had permeated my nostrils, it was strong enough to surpass the strong smell of hospital. Derek looked away at the sight of affection. "Derek I want to thank you, for taking care of Jackie."

"I think anyone would've done the same. Jackie is an extraordinary woman who wins anyone over. But your welcome, so are we alright?" Derek asked hopefully, the sight made me smile softly.

"Yeah, we're ok British dude." Logan teased, they shook hands finally making peace between them both. My neck was at the crook of his neck finding that place where I had fallen asleep so many times. I probably would've if Derek hadn't brought up Katie to Logan's attention.

"Of course, we're going to everything to help her and find Toby. Jackie, can you please bring Derek a cup of coffee, and while your at it can you smuggle one for me too?" He kissed my forehead as I made way out of the room and into the cafeteria and string so cups of coffee with two sugars each. I walked back to the room and just as I was about to enter I heard Derek's voice.

"It's a possibility it's him. We just need to know the motives as to why he accepted." he whispered.

"What other motives? The kid's jobless and he took advantage of it. Chris has him under his thumb, but now that Chris stepped out of the game he's lost. Toby can't find a way out of this mess."

"I didn't want to say anything but last time I went back I found out he was gambling. Large sums of money, I'm pretty sure thats why he's freaking out. He's trying to pay it back." Derek said, at that moment I decided to walk in and pretend I didn't hear anything. This was between them two, and I certainly didn't need anything more in my plate. At least meddling wasn't in my mind.

"Here's your coffee boys. Watcha talking about?" I asked curiously taking place where I was before.

"Nothing." Both replied in unison. If they didn't want to tell me then that was their problem.

"Alright well, I think I'm gonna go home now, before Katie gets there. Besides you're free to go tomorrow. I'll have the boys move all your stuff to our home by tonight."

Logan smiled nodding. "Sounds like a plan."

***

I knocked on the guest room that Katie was staying in, walking in seconds after. I found her pacing back and forth biting her nails and just sobbing. I hurried over to her and hugged her tightly, "It's okay, just breath in, breath out and spill it out."

I walked her over to the edge of the bed and whilst I still had my arms around her we swayed back and forth. "Jackie I found out something."

I froze. "What?"

"I arrived at Toby house, after I told them he was missing they began to panic -like any parent would- they called the authorities and now they're dying to track him." she sobbed, I smiled weakly, at least trying to give some hope.

"That's good, no? Because now that the police know they'll find him."

"That's what I thought too, but as soon as I started thanking them for the loan they looked confused. His mom said that they only sold his apartment for him, never did they loan him a large sum of money." She said while wiping her tears. "They showed me all the transaction papers all the paperwork of selling the place. What Toby received from the apartment was only one-third of the entire deposit that was made."

It was all crystal clear now, but I just couldn't say anything to Katie this time. Derek and Logan had been right, and more overly Chris.

"Lets just say he's been a great use for me, but to bad he such a warm hearted person. He melts at the first sight of emotion, that's weakness, something I can not work with."

Those words rang in my head coming from Chris, I felt horrible for doubting Derek and him being the one who was working for him, when in reality it was my own best friend. The guy who had been my first kiss at the age of thirteen at a party when we played spin-the-bottle. The boy who was in love with me and bent at my every desire and will.

All along it was Toby.

***

I was now more determine than ever to find Toby, I wasn't going to let Chris have the satisfaction of knowing he had ruined one of my best friends.

Because of me.

Instead I did something that I hadn't done in such a long time. After everyone had gone asleep, I booted on my laptop. Knowing Toby like I did, I always knew he had me as a secondary contact when it came to username and pin codes.

So of course I knew he's email and password, the next step was so easy I partially blamed myself for not doing this sooner and finding out what he was up to.

Sign in : rokkstartoby@msn.com

Password : Jackiegreene

I laughed at the password, Toby hadn't changed it at all. Either it was because he still liked me or he was to lazy to change it, I opted to go with the second option. A few clicks on my laptop and I got all the information I needed, apparently Chris managed to threaten him by causing an incident at the company. Toby had no option but to oblige to his demands, Chris did it either way.

Son of a bitch.

I found a few more emails from unknown people, one named Don. Apparently Derek was right, Toby -naive- thought that gambling was going to help duplicate his investments, probably gaining twice of what Chris had paid him to keep an eye on us.

He didn't win one single game.

Everything was lost in those games, that's when I found the email pleading his parents to sell his apartment. But no loan was mentioned, that 'loan' was what Chris paid and now it was all gone.

Desperation got to his head, now he was lost and now he needed help. And I knew exactly where to start.

Tomorrow I would begin my search for Toby.

~~~~~

Author's Note: Was that something you suspected would happen?