The Disharmony Effect |Book II|

4|. NOAH: Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom ||pt.4||

FLASHBACK

Hey, it's me. But of course, you already know that. Leave something good.

Bobbi's voice hummed in my ear via voicemail as lightning flashed brightly; illuminating the front door of her and Elijah's townhouse while thunder rumbled competitively with my loud hammering. "Bobbi, open up!"

Thanks to Sarge, I had to be away for a month on a job; promising we'd talk or do a video call everyday which she seemed to be fine with- Until she stopped answering me a week ago and the men I have watching her claim she hasn't recently gone anywhere.

Pouring rain drowned my eyes; fucking up my sight as I get her voicemail a fourth time and sigh with a combination of worry and annoyance.

I knew she'd be down after the break-up, so I've done my best to keep her mind from tipping over the edge, but maybe I left too soon. It's only been a few months since Elijah was leaked out of her life and maybe she was actually upset I had to go.

And me being an idiot, I didn't see past her faked smile well enough.

A string of curse words dropped from under my breath as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and pulled out a bundle of keys.

Bobbi would kill me knowing I made a spare without her knowledge. But I've had a bad feeling about Elijah since he opened his mouth to introduce himself years ago. Something was off about him and having to keep my mouth shut about it proved to be the wrong move since loving him got her nothing but a broken heart.

My hands twitched with anticipation as I unlocked the door and a blanket of nerves hangs on my shoulders at the moment it opened with ease. Stepping into the foyer, I slam the door loudly in hopes she'd hear it. "Bobbi?"

Eerily dim, confusion choked my brain as I turned right and into the poorly lit kitchen where I accidentally kick over a stack of empty pizza boxes upon entry. "Shit."

Trying to stand them back up, the trail of wine bottles slows my efforts as guilt tightened even furthered around my neck. "Christ." I rise to my feet eyeing the conjoined collection of whiskey and rum bottles scattered about the floor and countertop.

It sets in then why Bobbi wouldn't let me come inside in the last few months. I assumed it was just for personal appearances, but- Nothing like this. 

And with her being a bit of a neat freak; seeing her live like this tears my heart up even more.

Worry corroding my throat, my pocket buzzes then and for a moment I wonder if it's Bobbi before recalling it was my burner cell.

Pulling the device from my jeans and to my ear, I answer with a heavy sigh. "What?"

"Found her."

The air holds heavy momentarily. "What are you waiting for, Ace, a fucking parade? Tell me where she is."

"I will," He starts. "But you're not gonna like it."

"Just say it."

The line goes dead for a second.

"She's at the Strawberry Mansion with Lemon." He spits and I could practically hear his grinning. "She's been going there the entire month you were gone and she's been stayin' there for the past week."

"The entire-" My surroundings turn sideways. "Where the fuck were the two guys you recommended that I put on to watch her?" I nearly yell.

"Dismissed and about to have their tongues cut out for the lies on their reports." He sighs. "According to them, Bobbi threatened uh- Strong sexual charges to the police if they touched her."