Finding Isla

Finding Isla
Damian’s POV

Her scream cut through the phone like a blade, followed by the daunting silence that came next. I froze, the phone pressed to my ear still processing Isla’s scream for help.

For a second, I couldn’t move or think. Just the echo of her words—“Damian! It’s Isla! Help me!”—playing on repeat in my head.

Something inside me snapped as my hand clenched the phone tightly, until the glass cracked beneath my grip; the phone shattered into pieces, spilling between my fingers. 

The next thing that followed was the blood which ran down my palm, warm and sticky, but I didn’t care. The pain was nothing compared to the one inside my chest right now just from imagining that they touched her.

They fucking touched her.

I slammed my fist against the table, sending papers flying, “Cassian!” My voice thundered across the room. “Get in here. Now.”

Within seconds, the door burst open and Cassian stepped inside, confusion flickering on his face for a while before he saw the blood dripping from my hand. “Boss….what happened?”

“Someone fucking kidnapped her,” I said, the words coming out hollow, “Who would dare mess with me by taking her?”

Cassian froze. “What do you mean—?”

“She called me,” I cut him off before he could finish, “Sh..she screamed my name to come save her before the line went dead. I want to know the location where this call was made. Now dammit!!”

Without hesitation, he nodded and ran out not saying another word. The silence returned, heavy and suffocating as I stood there just staring at the broken phone on the floor. 

I’d promised her that I would keep her safe no matter what and now she’s gone, my hands were shaking but I forced them still and took a shaky breath through my teeth. 

I needed to control my rage or it would take hold of me and I wouldn’t be able to think clearly, but it was slipping fast, buried under the rage clawing up from my gut.

Before I knew it my legs carried me towards the window, staring out into the dark city. Isla was being held somewhere out there, she was being held by men who thought they could use her to get to me.

They didn’t know what they’d just done, taken the only thing that still kept me human. “I’ve been able to trace the location, Boss,” Cassian's voice drifted me off my thoughts as he came back, “Tell me you have something,” I growled. 

Cassian’s voice came fast, “I traced her last signal to an old industrial area near the docks. Warehouse 19, but it looks like the signal was cut off seconds after she screamed.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Boss…wait. We don’t know what’s waiting there—”

But I was already moving and didn’t pay attention to him as I grabbed my keys and stormed out. My men in the hall stopped when they saw me, no one dared to say a word when they saw the look on my face.

The elevator doors closed behind me and the reflection staring back at me in the steel walls—blood on my knuckles, jaw tight, and my eyes which were red with fury.

Every second she was out there, she was in danger, every second wasted that I didn’t find Isla caused more pain to me. I pressed my fist to the wall until I felt the sting of broken glass pieces into my skin, it kept me from losing control completely.

She was alive….she had to be because I refused to believe otherwise. By the time I stormed into the garage, Cassian was already there trying to catch up, “I’m coming with you, Boss. We’ll find her.”

I didn’t have the time to argue with her about whether to come or not so I just accepted what he said, no more words. The engine roared to life as I began to drive through the streets, my grip so tight that my knuckles turned white.

Cassian glanced at the blood dripping down my arm but he said nothing. He didn’t have to, because whatever waited for us at that warehouse it was only going to be that bastard that dared kidnap Isla who wasn’t walking out alive.

I could feel the heat building in my chest, “Just hold on, Isla.” I muttered more to myself than Cassian, every second that went by tightened the coil inside me.

The closer we got to the warehouse where Isla’s last location was traced, the darker the city became. “Warehouse 19’s up ahead,” Cassian said as he checked his gun to make sure it was fully loaded.

I nodded once and increased the speed of the car, it finally screeched to a stop after what felt like forever. The warehouse towered over us as I stepped out, my boots crunching against gravel. 

“Boss,” Cassian said quietly, “We should wait for the rest of the men.” I turned to him, nothing funny about the expression on my face as I parted my lips to speak. “If she’s in there, every second we wait could be her last. I’m going in with or without you.”

I pulled my gun from my jacket and stormed towards the warehouse, only one single thought burning through the noise as I stepped closer—They took her from me and now I’ll take everything from them.

The door loomed ahead like a shadow of darkness waiting to swallow me whole as I stepped inside.