Dacre’s povThe words were harder to come out than I meant, but I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t bluffing. If my mother or Renee were responsible for this, if they’d so much as said a single word telling kidnappers to get her, then they would pay.They’d be sorry.“I should’ve gone with her. I should’ve just called a cab and followed.”“Stop,” I said. “This isn’t your fault. They made that choice. Not you.”She kept nodding, but I could see she didn’t believe me yet.My phone suddenly buzzed. I snatched it out, my heart in my throat.But it wasn’t news. Just a stupid check-in from someone asking if I was “holding up.”I threw my phone on the dashboard and clenched my teeth. I hated waiting. Grace looked at me, her voice shaking. “Mr Dacre… what if she thinks you had something to do with it?”My heart stuttered. I asked quietly. "What?"“She might think— I mean… the family is always fight her.”I shook my head, face twisting. “No. No, she knows me. She knows I’d never—”"You have to find her
Marcus’s povI sighed and looked around.“It was an accident. She attacked one of my men and fled. I caught her and she grabbed a stick and came at me swinging like she knew what she was doing.”“You let her get her hands on a weapon?” she snapped.“I mean, sorry I didn’t walk away from it, right? Sorry that instead of killing her and going to bes I got a thumb up my ass.”‘You better not be lying to me that she is still with you,’ she said.‘I’m not,’ I replied. ‘She’s back in there. Tied up. She’s not going anywhere.’“You sure?”I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Renee. I’m sure.”There was a silence. I could hear her breathing. She was probably pacing, in those high heels she always wore, even when it made no damn sense. The type of person who’d wear a ball gown to a funeral and call it grief.“She cannot get away again,” she said slowly now. Her voice had changed. It had gone cold too. Dead cold. That tone you used when you really did not want to repeat yourself.“She won’t,” I said.“Good.
Katherine’s povI slowly sat as he pointed his gun at me.“Repeat that stunt again and I’ll make it your last time.” I flinched and looked down. My hands were shaking in my lap, so I stuck them up under my legs to hide it.“Why me?” I asked faintly. “What did I do?”“Pretend to be dead and you’ll not get hurt,” he muttered. I jerked my gaze up at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“It means don’t piss me off.”“And what if I do?” I said with a bold tone. “You’ll kill me?”“Push me and you’ll find out.” He nodded to the others. “Watch her. I need to make a call.”Marcus left the room, the door locking behind him.It was quiet for a moment – the only noise was the ticking of that crappy clock against the wall, and shuffling cards. I kept staring at that floor. There were smudges on it, and these big nasty wads of old gum stuck up under the bedframe. I could feel panic moving in my throat.Then finally one of them said: “You got nerve, lady. But being brave won’t save you.”I ignored
Renee’s povI looked away from Grace and tried to focus on my surroundings when I noticed how everyone was acting. All these people were truly acting like Katherine was saint of the fucking century or something. Not even hours ago half of them called her a parasite to her face, whispered about her behind their glasses of champagne, laughed at her and said she didn’t belong.Now it's “oh poor Katherine . . . " “How could this happen to such a good person?” The way people switch up decently kept me entertained. hypocrites.I felt an eye roll coming on with such force, I was pretty sure my eyes would get permanently stuck in the back of my head.I avoided Grace’s look like the plague because, honestly? If anyone were to throw down and fight right now, it would be her. That girl was lethal when she wanted something. And, tonight she wanted something big time. I could practically feel her eyes burrowing into my scalp as I crossed the garden to go to a secluded place.I acted like I was in
Dacre’s povI couldn’t believe what I had heard from my mother. Katherine was missing.That was it. No details or timeline or anything else I felt I deserved: nothing but annoyance in her voice, a pettiness she wore like her turtlenecks and heavy-handed perfume.My keys were on the counter. My heart was thudding so fast against my chest.I immediately called Grace and placed the cold phone to my ears. It rang twice before she picked up.“Sir…”“Where are you?” I barked.She stuttered. “Still at the venue. The police are here. It’s… it’s bad. Katherine has been…”“Send me the address. Now.”I cut the call as almost immediately she sent me the address.I grabbed my coat and keys as I ran out the door and jumped into my car.I didn’t wait as I drove through the slow open gates as the sides of my Lamborghini scratched but I didn’t care. Katherine was more important.While I rode through the streets, my knuckles baring white on the steering, I noticed that I had developed a strange liking
Zelda’s povI stood there, my arms folded, and watched the police officer leave after scribbling something in his notebook. He didn’t say anything really, just nodded and gave one of those courteous half-smiles that meant “we’ll call you” except we both knew he wouldn’t.I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and looked up at the night sky. It's supposed to be a party; it turned into CSI.“Katherine this, Katherine that,” I grumbled beneath my breath. “Always causing drama…”“Zelda,” I heard Renee call me as I turned to see her coming to me.I cocked my head and looked her over. "You alright?"She nodded. “As okay as one can be when someone gets kidnapped from a party.”I squinted my eyes at her a bit. “You are handling all of this a bit too well.”“What do you want me to do, cry then throw myself dramatically into a bush?”I snorted before giving her a slight grin. “Possibly. The level of dramatic would match the atmosphere today.”She wanted to laugh but held herself.I glan