Chapter 154 CHAPTER 155

Chapter 154 CHAPTER 155
CHAPTER 155
KNOX
I was in the middle of a team meeting when my phone started ringing. It was Maya. I almost ignored it, but something made me step out of the room and answer.

“Maya, what’s up?” I asked.

Her voice was shaking. “Knox… Yael is missing. She went for a short walk after Taekwondo and she never came back. We can’t find her. Grey took her. He sent a message saying she’s with him.”

The world stopped.

I felt my stomach drop like I had been punched. “What do you mean she’s missing? How long ago?”

“Almost two hours,” Maya cried. “Aaron is already mobilizing his men. We’re all panicking. Knox, you need to come now.”

I didn’t even say goodbye. I hung up and ran.

My heart was hammering so hard I could hear it in my ears. I sprinted across campus, my mind screaming the same words over and over: This is my fault. I should have been with her. I should have protected her better.

When I got to Yael’s dorm, the whole group was already there. Aaron was on the phone shouting orders at his men. Maya was crying. Jordan and Liam looked pale and scared.

Aaron saw me and ended the call. “He took her. We have a lead on a possible location but it’s not confirmed yet. My men are searching every abandoned building within a twenty-mile radius.”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “This is my fault. I should have walked her back. I should have been there. I promised I would never leave her side and I did. I fucking did.”

Aaron grabbed my shoulder. “Stop. Blaming yourself is not going to help her. We need you focused. My men are already moving. We are going to find her.”

I shook my head, my voice breaking. “I should have been there, Aaron. I keep thinking about what he’s doing to her right now. What if he hurts her? What if he—”

Maya stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “Knox, stop. She is strong. She is going to fight. We all know that. But you need to keep it together for her.”

I pulled away and started pacing the room. “I can’t keep it together. She’s been gone for hours. He could be anywhere. He could be hurting her right now and I’m just standing here doing nothing.”

Jordan’s voice was shaky. “We are all scared, Knox. But Aaron’s men are the best. They will find her.”

Liam nodded. “We have people checking cameras, phone signals, everything. We are not giving up.”

I ran my hands through my hair. “I keep seeing her face. The way she smiled at me this morning. I told her I would always protect her. I failed her. I failed her so badly.”

Aaron’s phone rang. He answered it immediately. “Talk to me.”

He listened for a few seconds, his face getting harder. “Keep searching that area. Check every warehouse and abandoned building. I want updates every fifteen minutes.”

He hung up and looked at me. “They found a possible location. We’re moving out in ten minutes. You’re coming with us.”

I nodded, but I could barely stand still. “I should have been with her. If anything happens to her, I will never forgive myself.”

Maya touched my arm. “She loves you, Knox. She is going to fight to come back to you. You have to believe that.”

I paced faster. “I can’t eat. I can’t sit down. I keep thinking about the messages he sent. The things he said he wanted to do to her. What if he’s doing them right now?”

Aaron’s voice was firm. “We are going to find her. My men are good at this. We have leads. We are not stopping until she is back with us.”

I looked at him, my eyes burning. “I need her back, Aaron. I need her safe. I can’t lose her. I can’t.”

Aaron nodded. “I know. I feel the same way. She’s my sister. But we have to stay focused. For her.”

The next few hours were the longest of my life. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I just paced the room while Aaron coordinated with his men over the phone. Every time the phone rang, I jumped.

“Any update?” I asked for the tenth time.

Aaron shook his head. “Not yet. They are checking a new area. We are getting closer.”

I sat down for a second but stood up again immediately. “I should be out there looking for her. I should be doing something.”

Maya brought me a bottle of water. “Drink this. You need to stay strong for when we find her. She is going to need you.”

I took the bottle but didn’t drink. “I keep praying she is still alive. I keep seeing her face when she told me she loved me. What if he hurts her so bad she—”

“Stop,” Aaron said sharply. “Don’t go there. She is alive. She is strong. She is fighting. We are going to bring her home.”

I nodded but the fear would not leave me. The search became more desperate with every passing hour. Aaron was on the phone constantly, his voice getting louder and angrier as time went on.

“Check that warehouse again!” he shouted into the phone. “He could be hiding her there. I want every inch searched!”

Maya tried to calm him. “Aaron, you need to breathe. You are going to burn out.”

He ignored her and kept giving orders. “Send more men to the industrial area. He likes abandoned buildings. That’s where he will be.”

I sat on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. “This is my fault. I should have walked her back from Taekwondo. I got distracted with practice and I let her go alone. I failed her.”

Jordan sat beside me. “You didn’t fail her, Knox. Grey is the one who did this. Not you.”

I shook my head. “I promised I would protect her. I promised I would never let him get close again. And now she is gone. I can’t lose her. I can’t.”

Liam put a hand on my shoulder. “We are all in this together. We are going to find her. You have to believe that.”

The hours dragged on. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I just kept pacing and praying silently th
at Yael was still alive, that she was fighting, that she knew we were coming for her.