Jake moves forward, but I take out fifty and throw it at the man. “Talk.”
“Room 204. Elevator’s broken.”
“Roland, you should stay here,” Jake cautions the older man who looks like he’s minutes away from fainting.
But Roland bats his hand away, wheezing, “I need to see she’s safe.”
I ignore him, hurrying up the steps.
Room 204 is locked, and I knock on it.
“Who is it?” comes a sickeningly familiar voice.
I look at Jake, who is a step behind me, and we nod in unison. Moving back, we throw ourselves against the door.
A startled cry from inside, and then on the second try, the door breaks from the hinges. We both go stumbling inside.
Straightening up, I look around, but aside from the woman in front of me, there is no one.
“Where is she?” I demand, grabbing Rose by her upper arms.
The shock fades from her eyes, replaced by a smile. “I knew you’d come for me, Ethan. All these years, I knew you hadn’t forgotten me.”
“Where is Natalie?!” I shake her, snarling.
Her expression distorts. “She’s gone. Why do you care? She wasn’t good enough for you, anyway. Always crying and whining. I never liked the brat.”
“Rose, I swear to God?—”
Her hand lifts, and she caresses my cheek. “You and I—We were always the end game, Ethan. Me and you against the world. No more Lucas or Natalie to block our way.”
“Where the fuck is she, Rose?!”
She just laughs. “Why do you care? You were just with her to make me jealous! Look, I know the truth, Ethan. You came to the fundraiser that day because you wanted to see me. You were trying to get my attention. You got it. I never forgot you. Natalie—She was just a little brat.”
“Natalie is my fiancée!” I roar at her. “What have you done with her?”
Roland chooses that moment to hobble into the room. “Where is she? Where’s Natalie?”
“She’s not here.” Jake is tense, but that is nothing compared to rage building within me. I have never struck a woman, but for the first time, I’m considering it.
“Give me a fucking answer, Rose! Where is she? What have you done with her?”
Rose laughs lightly. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here. You have me. You don’t have to pretend to care about her anymore!”
I hear Jake make a strangled sound just as a voice says, “Oh, get out of the way. You’re not getting any answers from her.”
Megan?
I don’t know where my sister popped up from, but she pulls Rose from my grip and then lifts her fist, slamming it down into Rose’s nose.
Crack.
Rose lets out a scream, going down.
“Where is she, you bitch?” Megan kicks her. “My brother won’t touch you because you’re a woman, but guess what?” She kicks Rose in the face, viciously. “I don’t have that problem. Start talking, or I’m going to leave you in severe need of plastic surgery!”
I’ve never seen my sister be so violent, but I have no intentions of stopping her either.
