CHAPTER 30 — HELPLESS. USELESS.

LENNOX’S POV

It had been five hours since anyone last saw or heard from Verity. Five hours since I last had my shit together.

"U-Uh... Mr. Wilder, sir... We went to...file a m-missing persons' report at the...the station. The police...said to wait forty-eight hours before–"

Something knocked on my skull. I whipped out my phone immediately and dialed the number. The captain of the South Barton Groove police department answered immediately.

"Mr. Wilder!" His happy baritone belted in my ears. "Good to hear from you! I must commend you on the heavy donation you made the last time we talked. What can I help you with, sir?"

"My girlfriend is missing," I said with barely restrained rage. "My people went to file a report and were told by the head of the branch to wait forty-eight hours. Tell you what, Eugene, am I the type of man to be told to wait?"

I heard him swallow audibly. "N-No, sir. B...But, it's just due protocol. I don't think he knew it was you filing the report. I will see to it that the person is properly reprimanded for this."

"That won't be necessary anymore." I waved it off immediately. "I need every available police man in this city to get off their assess and find a woman. Verity Brooks. That's her name. Tall, blonde, blue eyes, in her mid-twenties. Scour the entire city if you have to. Use your new found resources to good use. Nobody rests until she has been found and brought back to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir! Absolutely, sir."

I hung up immediately, anxiety licking down my spine. My entire nerves were frozen with dread for what could have happened to Verity.

"S...Sir. We were able to track her cell phone all the way to the hospital, but nobody saw her after visiting the Cove–"

"Mateo." I snapped.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you fancy your job as the captain of my security team?"

"Y...Yes, sir."

"Then don't come back to deliver useless information to me. Only come back when you have leads that are tangible enough to be followed."

"Of course, sir." He bowed and left.

Small arms suddenly wrapped around my hips as my daughter sobbed into my shirt. "W...Will we find her? Will we find V?"

My heart melted into a puddle at the heartbreak in her voice. I bent to her level and ruffled her hair, plastering on a smile for her. "Yes, of course we'll find her, Shaye."

She hiccupped, sniffed, another fat tear slipped from her eyes. "I'm scared. What if something happens to her?"

"Nothing will happen–"

I was cut short by my phone burping a text.

I reached for my pocket, immediately standing up to check the message, my chest, soaring with hope that something positive had come from the police investigations.

I unlocked my phone and swiped my screen but the number that just sent the message made me stop dead in my tracks.

King.

Rage clawed what was left of my consciousness, but curiosity made me open the message. My entire body froze over at the picture he had sent...

A picture of Verity bloodied and beaten with bruises and cuts all over her body.

My heart dropped to my feet. Something was clawing up my throat. For the first time in forever, I was petrified with fear. Was she alive? Was she dead?

She was lying on the ground in a dark room surrounded with saddle bags and bags of sand, probably an abandoned warehouse that manufactured cement.

Asshole!

My hand began shaking with rage. Wrath curdled in my veins.

My phone started vibrating in my hand and when I looked, I realized that the devil himself was calling me.

I answered the video call immediately and this man I used to call my father was grinning maniacally at me. "Well, hello, son!" He said, breezily, aching hate in his eyes. "Such a splendid day we're having today, no?"

"Where did you take her!" I practically roared at him. Anger was pulsing in my veins. My knuckles had clenched into fists now, my fingers dug into my palms, drawing blood.

"Oh, V. Such a lovely, lovely girl. She's right here with me, see?" The camera shifted so that I saw Verity sitting up now, her clothes ripped, her golden blonde hair was ashy now, matted with blood and her head had lulled to the side.

Panic seized my lungs, dousing the anger. "W...What do you want from her? Your fight is with me, keep her the fuck out of this!"

"Oh, but I can't now, can I? She managed to have her hands wrapped around your head, little as it might be." He scoffed. "And that's going to be very beneficial for me now, don't you think, son?"

"I am NOT your son!" I growled, anger pulsing in my veins.

"I bet you'll be saying that while I carve out her heart and chop off her fingers now, won't you?"

Something cold and heavy settled in my stomach.

"Or…" His eyes brightened suddenly. "I have a better idea! I can break off those pretty little fingers of hers and mail them to you. One by one. One for each day you refuse to give me what I ask. And when there are no fingers or toes left to wrap up for you, I'll carve out her organs, her skin, her bones; one by one, every day of your miserable life. That way, you can always have pieces of your pretty little slut now, eh? Sounds like a swell idea."

"Y...You're sick, King!" I bit out, my voice trembling, my eyes wide with fear.

"One of my less fine qualities." He grinned wide and hard. "I'm also known to be quite resourceful. I get what I want, Lennox. I take what I want, by hook or by crook." He was still smiling but the hatred in his eyes gave away the wicked man behind that smile.

"King. Stop what you're doing." A plea was at the tip of my tongue, my resolve was crumbling. "You can't hurt her. The police are searching for you as we speak."

"Oh, I'll be done with her before then and it will be all your fault."

My resolve dropped to pieces and fell at my feet.

"Don't hurt her. What do you want? I...I'll give it to you. Just please, don't hurt her." There was an inferno burning in my chest, burning coals lodged in my throat.

His eyes brightened up. "That's my boy! You know what I've always wanted."

"The company? It's yours. Just... Just let her go." Please.

"Ah, but that's not the way to do business now, is it?" I didn't think it was possible, but he grinned even wider. "Get your lawyers, I'll get mine. Draw up a contract, I'll tell you the time and place to meet, you'll sign the papers passing ownership of the company back to me and I'll sign the papers proving that I accept ownership. First thing I'm going to do is destroy those cursed De Antonios," he muttered dreamily. "But not so fast now." He chided himself, laughing and shaking his head. "I'll give you a time and place by tomorrow latest, but before then..." He whipped out a sharp wicked looking knife, grinning at me. "A parting gift."

All the blood drained out of me. I stood there motionless, helpless, useless as he walked over to Verity slumped against a wall.

"I promised I wouldn't hurt her." He looked at her almost remorsefully. Almost grieving what he was about to do. "But getting the police involved was a dick move, Lennox. You know how much I hate to involve those uniformed pea brains in the shit I do. You made a grave mistake, and V here will bear the consequences until we have to meet tomorrow. Tata!"

That was all the warning I got before he buried the knife deep in her left thigh. My stomach lurched at the sound of her letting out an ear-splitting scream.

And then, he hung up.