Chapter Thirty-One
Wayne
I was tired. I had hardly slept for over a month. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep without being awoken by agonizing nightmares about Lillie. "I don't care what we have to do, if that means working with him then so be it," I mutter, my own voice sounding more defeated than I'd like to admit.
Alexander ran a hand over his face. "You've worked your entire life to get this man, and he's finally here," He spoke, lowly. I stared across at him. My gaze didn't falter towards Liam and Adam who was standing beside him.
Francesca and A were stood behind the three men. "We don't have any leads, Wayne," A finally spoke out, interrupting the chaos that was seconds away from breaking out. She had always been the mother of the group.
This is what we do for a living. We find women and children and save them, and now, we couldn't fucking do it. I'd had to take some men from my cousin, Brett, just to help out on the investigation. Ryan - my brother - was hardly around.
I was about to speak, but I was beaten to it. "We do have leads," Adam, the new-by muttered with distaste and confidence. "We have one lead that we all continue to ignore," He continued on. Liam, his friend, stiffened beside him.
I cocked a brow, shifting my attention from Alex to Adam. "And what might that lead be?" I dared. I knew what he was going to say and I hated myself for ignoring the fact.
Adam stood taller for a moment, his eyes holding mine. Most of my men shrunk around me, but my cousin and his closest men were more like family, I liked that. I, however, struggled to trust even myself, never mind anyone else. "We have two leads, if we're being logical here," He didn't back down from my hard gaze.
I cocked a brow, edging him to continue. "We have William, who she danced with at her birthday party. We," He takes a glance towards the younger man beside him," - we did some background checks on him, his story doesn't check," He finishes.
I sat straighter, how was this only just coming out now? "At first when we did the background checks on him, it all checked but when we dug a little deeper, we found that his father is in a lot of fucking debt," Liam took over, also standing tall.
"He doesn't own any of his company, he owes more than what he profits," Adam finishes. "William is taking over a shit-show of a company, he's balls deep in bills and debt and tax, he's way over his head," Liam carries on. These two were quite the pair, weren't they? No wonder my cousin took a liking to them.
Alex sighs beside them. "He's taken her to get to you? Then why hasn't he contacted you, that doesn't make any fucking sense," He muttered to both himself, and me.
Liam shrugs. "Maybe he's spooked, or maybe he's waiting," He decides, glancing between Alex and myself. What exactly would he be waiting for? "He's waiting you out, he's waiting to exhaust you, then he will hit you when you least expect it," Liam continues. "Maybe he has no idea who he's actually messing with," He shrugs.
Adam scoffs beside Liam. "No," He breathes. All eyes turn to Adam. "He doesn't know you, Wayne, he doesn't really know how much you care for her, but he does know her mother... Maybe, he didn't kidnap her to get to you for the money," Adam was talking, but he wasn't talking to anyone in particular.
He was looking at me, but he was talking to himself, talking himself through his theory. "Your fiancées mother is quite wealthy if I do recall?" He questions.
I shake my head, a slow and controlled shake. "She would've said something," I say, but I wasn't certain that it was true.
"Or maybe she doesn't care?" Liam wondered out loud.
The police, the public, this kidnapping was all over the fucking news. I'd seen her being interviewed, crying her bloody eyes out, but it had happened before. Parents faking their love and their care. After all, her mother knew about what her daughter had been through when she was younger. She lacked sympathy for that, never mind this.
Before I decide to pay her a visit. I need to hear him say what he thought the second lead is. "And the second lead?" I stare straight at Adam.
His face falls into something of understanding, a gentle wariness in his eyes. "Ryan," He states, simply. I knew it was coming. My brother had been acting strange lately and I'd told myself that he wouldn't do something like this.
But, now, now I wasn't so sure.
I look toward A and Fran, "You both go with Alex and find my brother, I want to talk to him," I ordered and before I could move onto my next sentence, the three had turned and left my office. "You're coming with me," I rose to my feet.
Liam and Adam exchanged looks. "To the mother?" Adam was the one to ask.
I shook my head. "No," I muttered, glancing down at a picture of Lillie on my desk. My heart ached at the sight. "The father," I concluded.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Wayne
The building was fucking massive, it was a mansion in the middle of nowhere. Chris had lived on an island in the middle of nowhere for over twenty years, but had made his way back to England when hearing about Lillie's kidnapping. I respected him for that, just as much as I hated him for killing my parents.
Two men stood out front of the mansion doors. Hands at their sides. Soldiers. By the age of the pair, they were veterans many years ago, hired by Christopher as protection guards. "Good Evening Gentleman," I spoke to them, loud and clear as we approached the large steps.
One of the men went to their waistband where I knew a gun would be hidden. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Liam purred from beside me, I could hear the smirk in his voice. Brett's men were fucking suicidal. "Adam has a really bad phobia of them, don't you?", Liam glanced across from me toward Adam who was already smirking with amusement when I shot a look his way.
What are these idiots doing?
"He doesn't like guns?" One of the men replied from the top of the stairs, his tone heavy with confusion.
Liam placed a hand on his heart, feigning hurt. "Penis'," He corrects with a serious tone. I choked on a laugh. "Guns? We're fine with guns, aren't we?," Liam looked back towards Adam. I kept my eyes on the two guards, who were equally as confused as I were.
And just as both Adam and Liam reached into their own belts to pull out their guns, I hear a familiar voice. "Back down, boys," Christopher called from behind us. I looked over my shoulder to see that he was on horse back. Adam still had his hand at his waist. Liam had rested his arms at his sides now.
I met his gaze and molten rage sourced it's way through my body. Chris simply offered me a toothy grin, patting his horse's neck from atop his back. The horse bowed at the touch and remained still as we stood staring at him. "Have we just walked into some sort of fantasy novel or something?" Liam muttered, offering me a glance.
Adam chuckled beside me. These two were definitely quite the pair. "You took your time, Williams, my boy," Christopher then turned and dropped from the rather large animal. I scowled at the my boy, but managed to push the rage down into an unknown part of myself.
Lillie - this was for Lillie. "We have an idea on who might've taken her," I spoke out finally. My voice was hoarse and distant, cold and hollow. Chris rose to his full height, his eyes trained on me.
I angled my head at his response. "So do I," He grabbed his horse by it's reigns. A small woman came out of the shadows to our right, took the horse from him, and headed back into the trees. Christopher thanked her with a light nod.
"Oh yeah?" My brow cocked.
Chris offered me a toothy grin. "How is Ry doing these days?" He said, knowing the reaction it would earn him. My body shuddered with rage. The nicknames. The blatant fucking carelessness for what he did to my parents in front of us both. We were children.
"I want your help, I don't fucking need it," I snarl.
Chris chuckled. The sound made me sick to my stomach. "Don't be a fool Wayne, you care for my daughter just as much as I do, I know that... You wouldn't be here if she didn't," He spoke, striding towards us now. His movements slow and controlled.
"That doesn't stop me from killing you the moment we find her," I purr, the sound animalistic.
Chris raised a brow this time. "And how would Lillie feel knowing that she finally got to see her father after all of this time, and then for her lover boy to be the one to kill him just soon after? I'm sure she'd have some feelings about that?" His smirk deepened.
I want to carve his lips from his face. "You wouldn't be missed, Christopher," I stated. "And as much as I'm loving this chat, I'm here to find her, and that is it." I growl.
Christopher nodded, glancing to my left and my right. "Blacks' boys?" He questions. Adam and Liam stiffen beside me. He knew that they worked for my cousin? I shake the questions from my mind.
"William, the guy at her birthday party, you know who I'm talking about because you had someone tailing me that night, he must've seen William too," I force my emotions to remain afar and continue with the task at hand. I had to keep myself in check or we'd never find her.
Chris nodded, seriousness drawing upon his features. "We did the checks on him," He goes to dismiss me.
"We did too, we thought everything was fine at first but, when we looked deeper, he's in a lot of debt," I carried on. "A shit ton of debt, enough to make someone do something fucking stupid," Christopher is watching me as if his life depends on it. I know he cares about his daughter too, he wouldn't have come out of hiding if he didn't.
He shakes his head after a long moment. "I've had no one asking me for money?" He sounds confused.
I nod. "Me either, but we're thinking he hasn't dug that deep, he's just gone to the one person in her life that he knows has a bit of money-"
"Katherine," He breathed.
Bingo. And by the look on his face, it looks as if this theory could be the one. "How long has it been since you saw her?" I questioned, voice strangely soft.
Chris swallowed. "A long fucking time," He muttered.
"Nervous?" I smirked.
He rolled his eyes. "I'll meet you kids there," He ordered.
This was going to be interesting.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lillie
Jade and Elizabeth slept more than I ever could - they were used to doing nothing every single day. I, however, couldn't shut my mind off as easy as they could. I wasn't sure of what time it was, but it felt late.
Elizabeth was sleeping on the mattress tonight. Jade laid beside her, using the mattress as a pillow. I was sitting next to the door, trying to listen for anything. There were sounds of girls crying, some snoring, but that was it.
"I just want some fun," A voice called out from behind the door, slurring. The voice was deep, husky and familiar? It wasn't the man that usually came to take one of us. I tried to pin-point where I'd heard that voice before. "Bro, there are no rules here," He laughs, and I hear the door unlock.
I crawl away from the door quickly, rising to my feet. Facing the door, I wait for them to open it. The man who reveals himself is tall, quite muscular and he's wearing a mask over his face. He looked like he'd just finished robbing a bank. I scowl at him.
I can see his eyes - they're a familiar brown. I know him. I know that I know him, but I can't remember where from. "Come on, princess," He holds his hand out. His voice is strangely soft. I continue to scowl at him anyway. "Don't make me throw you over my damn shoulder, 'cos I fucking will," He uses his pointer finger and his middle finger to make a come here motion.
He's wearing all black, from head to toe, but I don't feel as scared around him. I know him. And with that thought I find myself stepping towards him, reaching for his hand. He holds my hand, our fingers don't intertwine, he holds my hand like a brother would, or a friend.
He closes the door just as I turn to see my two friends watching me from the floor, wide, and confused eyes. He shuts the door with his free hand, and locks it. "Who are you?" I whisper, knowing that a guard would be close by.
"Do ya always talk to the clients?" He sounds harsh, but I don't buy it. He's dragging me down the hall now. Up the stairs. To a different room. He drags me inside and shuts the door. He locks it. I hold myself a few steps into the room, watching him with a careful consideration. He turns on the lights. I squint to keep my eyes on him.
The man turns around. His brown eyes finding mine. He smirks, I can tell from the shape of his eyes. "You smell horrific, Lil," He almost chuckles.
I scowl at him. "Who are you?" I snap.
And then he grabs his mask from the chin and lifts it over his face and off his head. My heart drops and I run to him without a second thought. I fling myself around him, my arms wrapping around the back of his head.
His hands wrap themselves around me, holding me to him.
I cry as he holds me.
"Ryan," I sob.