I blow out a breath of frustration. Sebastian is my brother and partner, which leaves me little room to protest. “Fine, but be careful and maintain a good distance.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” he retorts smugly.
Knowing we’re running out of time, I stand from my chair and say, “Download the PDF and send it to Stevie. Tell her to look for any more locations. If he has one in escrow, he might have more.”
“Okay?” he says, confused by me involving Lux’s sister. “Should I tell her about Lux?”
I nod. “Yes, but reassure her everything is going to be okay.” Then I turn and race out of the office and back down the hall, before tossing over my shoulder, “Oh, and keep her here.”
“River, wait!” Sebastian chases me out the door. “We need to come up with a plan first.”
“The plan is I get back my woman and kill Andrew in the process.”
Sebastian’s boots hit the tiled floor behind me, mirroring the weight of my steps. “This isn’t like you.” His voice sounds sour and frustrated the farther away from him I get.
“Do you guys know where Lux is?” Stevie asks softly in the background.
Lux’s sister’s concern stops me in my tracks. I take in a painful breath, slowly turning to face her. As my posture straightens, my eyes burn with revenge. “I’m going to get her right now.”
Sebastian is suddenly at my side, and his expression is firm as tensions run high between us. “River will handle it, Stevie.”
“What does that mean?” Her voice shakes with fear. “Does someone have her?”
Sebastian steps forward, cupping her elbow. “Andrew took her. He’s the guy whose group we’ve been hunting.”
I need to set her mind at ease. Searching for the more human side of me with my eyes locked on hers. “There is no place on this fucking earth Lux can go that I will not find her.”
Stevie’s eyes are misty with worry as she nods. “Okay, River.”
“Sebastian has a job for you. It’ll help us find her,” I say in a tender tone. “Do you think you can handle it?”
She cocks her hip to the side, irritation flashes across her face. “Of course I can handle it.”
Sebastian chuckles at Stevie’s response, but his focus is on me. “I’ll be right behind you.”
“I figured you would.” I turn away from them, head into the elevator and down to the garage.
In no time, I’m speeding down the hill. My breath becomes shallow and steady as I pull onto the highway. A light drizzle and clouds rolling in at dusk, makes for a dreary evening not unlike the many summer rainsthat have come before it. I am the most collected, controlled on days like these, and with nightfall creeping in I’m coming alive.
A threat hangs over a life more precious than any other, changing the energy this time, and I will never forgive myself if I cannot get her back. Lux represents the closest thing to love I’ve ever experienced. She pulses through my veins and I don’t know how I’d survive this world without her.
The highway opens for me, clearing a path into the bright lights of the city and directly to the dated hotel downtown.
A quick glance in the mirror proves Sebastian has already caught up with me. Despite believing that I can handle this on my own, I need him more than I’d like to admit.
I reach The Henderson in record time and look at the deserted hotel. As I drive up, my eyes dart to each floor, examining the dark windows until I find one with a dull yellow glow.
I doubt Andrew would be this obvious, but maybe there’s a hidden room somewhere. A basement, perhaps?
My head falls in frustration with how this doesn’t fit and lacks sense to be the correct location. I pull my car to the curb, parking in front of the desolate entrance, because I need to clear the hotel anyway, just in case.
I yank the door open and climb out. With a brisk walk into the lobby, I am met with a view of fabric couches littered with holes and covered in stains.
“Hello.” An older man with a beard stands behind a check-in desk.
“I’m looking to have some company tonight.” I smirk. And with a subtle gesture at the women standing on the corner outside the entrance with ripped fishnets stockings that have seen some action in recent days. They must still be able to operate from the previous owners.
He grins mischievously, showing yellowed teeth with one missing on the top left. “Say no more,” he says. “The Henderson is the perfect location for your nighttime activities as we pride ourselves on being a discreet hotel.”
