Chapter 131 The Hunt Begins
DAVID
The moment I slid into the driver’s seat, frustration bubbled over. My fists slammed into the steering wheel, and I let out a guttural scream that echoed in the enclosed space. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t the plan. Everything was crumbling, and Bella God, what would I tell Bella?
The car door creaked as Janet leaned forward from the back seat, her touch soft but questioning.
“What happened? Where is Mrs. Williams?” Her voice trembled with urgency.
I clenched the wheel tighter, the leather groaning under my grip. The memory of the scene played over in my mind like a haunting reel. If only I had forced Mrs. Williams into the car earlier made her stay with Janet this wouldn’t have happened.
“Western took her,” I finally spat out, each word like venom on my tongue.
“What?” Her voice cracked, her face paling as her eyes searched mine for answers. “How is that even possible?”
“There’s no time for explanations,” I said, my voice sharper than intended. “I need a solution, Janet. I can’t go home like this. What am I supposed to tell Bella? That I let her mother get kidnapped?”
Janet paused for a moment, her lips pursed in thought. Then, with startling resolve, she said, “If that’s the case, we’re taking Elowen with us.”
I whipped my head around, disbelief etched across my face. “Why the hell would we do that?”
“Her father took Mrs. Williams,” Janet said, her tone steady. “If anyone knows how he thinks, it’s her. We need her to find him.”
She wasn’t wrong, but it felt like a desperate gamble. My gaze flicked to Elowen, standing just outside the car, her posture stiff, her eyes darting between us nervously.
“Care to join us?” I called, my voice void of emotion.
She nodded silently and climbed in. The drive to the mansion was heavy with unspoken tension. I gripped the wheel like it was the only thing tethering me to reality, my mind racing with scenarios and solutions. None of them ended well.
When we finally pulled up to the mansion, I lingered in the car for a moment, taking a deep breath. Every step inside felt heavier than the last. Bella’s figure appeared at the top of the staircase, and she practically flew down, her face lighting up briefly until she noticed the empty space behind me.
“Where’s my mother?” she asked, her voice tinged with confusion and fear.
I froze, my throat tightening. “Bella, I promise….”
“Where is she?” Her voice cracked, her eyes now brimming with tears.
“Western took her,” I said, bracing myself for her reaction.
“What?” The word came out as a sharp gasp, her hand flying to her stomach as if to steady herself. “How could you let this happen?”
I reached for her, but she stepped back, shaking her head, disbelief clouding her features.
“I’ll get her back. I swear,” I said, trying to hold her gaze, but she looked through me as if I didn’t exist.
Without another word, she turned and fled up the stairs, her sobs echoing through the house. I took a step to follow her but stopped myself. Not now. I couldn’t face her not until I had a plan.
Janet and Elowen hovered nearby, their expressions grim. I turned to them, my jaw clenched.
“No time for pity. We need to find Western’s location. Now.”
In my office, I turned to Elowen. “Do you know anywhere your father might go? Somewhere he’d consider safe?”
She hesitated, her brow furrowing. “No, not off the top of my head.” Then, as if struck by a memory, she added, “But... didn’t you give us trackers when we went to his mansion?”
She was right. I moved to my desk, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I pulled up the tracking system. The screen flickered, but instead of Mrs. Williams’ location, there was only static.
“Damn it!” I hissed under my breath. Western had anticipated this. Of course he had.
The sharp trill of my phone broke the silence. I snatched it up, my heart pounding.
“David,” came Western’s voice, smug and dripping with malice. “How kind of you to bring my lover to my doorstep. You’ve made this all too easy.”
“Don’t you dare touch her,” I growled, my knuckles whitening around the phone.
He laughed a deep, guttural sound that made my skin crawl. “Touch her? Oh, David, she’s already mine. But I should thank you for your generosity. Now we can finally have the family we always dreamed of.”
My vision blurred with rage. “If you harm her…”
“Save the threats,” he cut in smoothly. “You and I both know you can’t touch me. But tell me, how did you convince my daughter to betray her own father?”
I glanced at Elowen, who had gone pale, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “She chose to betray you because she knows you’re no father. You’re a monster,” I spat.
Western chuckled again. “Blood is thicker than water, David. You’ll see. She’ll choose me in the end.”
“You’re wrong,” I said, my voice low but steady. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, Western. And I’ll prove it.”
His tone darkened. “The game is over before it begins, David. I’ll send you a little video. Maybe it’ll remind you of the stakes.”
The line went dead. Seconds later, my phone buzzed. A video.
Mrs. Williams appeared on the screen, her face pale but composed. “David,” she said, her voice trembling slightly, “promise me you’ll protect my daughter. Tell her I’ll always love her.”
The screen went black.
Elowen leaned over my shoulder, her eyes scanning the frozen image. “Wait... I know that place,” she said suddenly.
Janet and I turned to her in unison.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice sharp with urgency.
“Yes. My dad used to take me there as a child. It’s one of our family’s hidden houses. It’s in Stirchley, a few hours from here.”
My heart leaped. “You’re certain?”
She pointed at the screen. “See that picture on the wall? I drew it when I was little.”
I studied the grainy image, spotting the crude drawing of three stick figures.
I straightened, a grim smile tugging at my lips. “Western, you won’t see me coming.”