“Any progress?” He barked, then immediately shot his hand up to grab his head.
“Yes, actually,” I replied, standing up to greet him. “I found a small bit of video that I believe shows the princess in the passenger seat of a van. I’d like you to take a look at it.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, which I’d uploaded the video to earlier. I hit play and handed it to him. His eyes squinted as he watched and he nodded.
“Play it again?” he asked.
I hit play again and he watched once more.
“That’s her!” he shouted. “I’m certain of it!”
“I thought so, too,” I said. “That van passed by the butcher’s shop the morning she went missing.”
“So, what now?”
“I compiled a list of vans that matched the description of that one and we’ll visit the address each one is registered to. I wasn’t able to see the license plate.”
“I’m going with you,” he insisted.
I hesitated, not wanting to upset him further.
“Actually, Joe, I think it’s important you don’t come. Even if we disguised you, yours is the most recognizable face on the entire island. If you don’t want this to get out, you’ll need to stay here.”
He was just about to protest when Eva ran in the room.
“Look!” she shouted, holding up a cell phone. “Look what I found!”
“A cell phone?” I asked, taking it from her. “Where did you find it?”
“It was in the powder room in the guest house! As I was going to sleep last night, I remembered that I’d found Willa in the guest house near the pool last week and at the time, I just figured she was wandering around, so I didn’t think anything of it. But this morning, it was still bothering me, so I went there this morning and found this phone taped to the bottom of one of the shelves in the bathroom closet.”
“Wow, Eva, good work,” I said.
“My god,” Clara spoke up. I turned and saw she was standing up now, her face white as a sheet. “That’s my phone! I lost it a few weeks ago. I thought I lost it in the city!”
“Looks like maybe someone else found it,” I replied.
I turned it on and waited, Joe standing beside me. Finally, it started it up and I began to look through the text messages.
“Oh, wow,” I said, reading through them.
“What is it?” Joe demanded.
“Okay, okay,” I said, scanning them. “This is something. It appears Willa had your phone and was exchanging text messages with someone else. Do we know anyone named Dragon?”
“Dragon!” Joe roared. “What kind of name is that?”
Clara and Eva shook their heads simultaneously and Clara sank down into her seat, tears springing to her eyes. “I can’t believe this.”
“What do the text messages say?” Joe asked, his voice seething with anger.
“Well, lots of normal conversation, but clearly they set up a time to meet the morning she disappeared. He sounds like a teenager himself, but it’s possible he’s pretending.”
“Unbelievable! I really don’t believe Willa did this on her own!”
“Well, clearly, she didn’t, Sir,” I replied. “She was coerced. By whoever this Dragon person is. I know this seems terrible, but it’s really a great thing that we found this. And if she left on her own, then the possibility of her being safe and alive has increased.”
Joe’s eyes shot over to Clara, his gaze shooting silent daggers at her.
“I am so sorry,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. “I really thought I lost it, Sir, I would never —.”
He turned on his heel and left the room, his footsteps echoing through the hallway. Clara sobbed into her hands and I felt terrible for her. Eva ran over to her and hugged her.
“Clara, you didn’t know. You didn’t do it on purpose. Who even knew that Willa knew how to use a phone like that?”
Clara nodded, trying to compose herself, but it was clear she was devastated.
Me, on the other hand? I was ecstatic. This was just the break we needed to find Willa. She’d be back behind the castle walls in no time.
The sound of glass breaking in the distance echoed through the castle and Clara cringed.
“He breaks things all the time,” Eva said, doing her best to comfort Clara. “Don’t take it personally.”
Chapter 16
STRYKER
Nothing in the world makes me more uncomfortable than witnessing a woman crying.
Watching Clara cry made me want to punch Joe. Since I couldn’t do that, I tried to figure out how I could comfort her instead.
She and Eva walked out to the garden to get some fresh air. After Riot and Wreck went to investigate the text messages, and Diana and Slade went to try to talk to Joe, I wandered out to them.
As I approached, I overheard their conversation.
“Eva, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m sorry about getting so upset. But you need to go eat breakfast, okay? You haven’t been eating since Willa disappeared and I’m getting worried about you.”
My heart melted at her words. It was obvious she was extremely upset and she was pushing that all aside to make sure Eva was taken care of.
“You’re right. And I’m starving, actually,” Eva replied.
“Go, silly goose! There’s an insane amount of food left on the table and you know Addy will make you anything you ask for.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going,” Eva said, flashing me a smile as she walked past me and back into the palace.
“Hey,” I said to Clara. “You okay?”
She sniffed and shook her head. “No, not really,” she replied, sadly.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” I said. “You didn’t know anything like this would happen.”
“She’s never shown any interest in my phone,” she said, shaking her head again. “I don’t understand what happened.”
“They’re getting older. They’re teenagers. Teenagers go through a lot of changes and get really fucking weird.”
She laughed at my words and the sight of her smile made my heart swell.
“You’re right, I guess,” she said.
“Didn’t you go through some weird changes when you were a teen?” I asked. I figured if she was talking, then it would be hard to cry. And all I wanted to do was make those tears disappear.
She stared up at me, her blue eyes bright and shining. I wanted to wipe the tears from her face, but the thought of doing that seemed so intimate and inappropriate. A whole bunch of other inappropriate things popped into my head that I wanted to do, as well, but I pushed them away.
“I suppose so,” she answered. “What about you?”
“Me? As a teen? Oh, I was a disaster. A walking hot mess of testosterone and angst.”
She laughed again, and her smile cut right through me. The urge to gather her in my arms and hug her tightly washed over me. Instead, I took a step back away from her and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Where did you grow up?” she asked.
“On a farm. Northern California.”
“Ah, a corn fed boy, huh? No wonder you’re so…,” she paused, her gaze raking over my body pointedly, “large.”
It was my turn to laugh.
“Yeah, I guess that explains my size. It also explains my angst, because despite what you may have heard, growing up on a farm is not very interesting.”
“It’s not?”
“Well, not unless you consider piles of manure and hard labor interesting.”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, which was so fucking cute, it made me want to kiss her right on that wrinkled up nose of hers.
I took another step back.
“I guess not,” she said.
“I’m telling you that to remind you that being a kid is hard. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be royalty. And to be locked up in a place like this? Sounds kind of hellish to me, to be honest, as beautiful as it is.”
“The girls have had a very hard life,” she admitted. “I’ve done my best to provide them with enriching experiences, but it’s difficult when we aren’t allowed to leave the premises.”
“Sounds like it,” I agreed, running a hand through my hair. I took a deep breath, and despite my best efforts, my eyes drank in her curves. She wore a long, flowing yellow sundress, with little white flowers on it, her long blonde hair flowing over her shoulders in waves. The sunlight lit up her hair and I could have sworn it was sparkling. She was like a butterfly or a fairy standing there surrounded by pink roses that lined the edge of the garden, the castle looming behind her and I had to bite my lip to remind myself this was all real and not a magazine shoot for some couture designer.
“Who’s that?” I asked, gesturing to the towering statue behind her.
“Poppy,” she replied. “Joe’s late wife. The twin’s mother.”
“It’s a beautiful piece of art,” I said. The woman was beautiful, holding a basket of flowers with a serene look on her face.
“Yes,” she agreed. “Sadly, she was never allowed to step foot on the property, rejected by the royal family as a commoner. Joe had this erected in her honor after she died.”
We stared up at it, a wistful look on Clara’s face.
“Do you believe in love like that? Never-ending, all-consuming?”
“Sure,” I said. “When you find the right one, I think you just know.”
“Joe never found anyone else,” she said.
“Because he knew, probably. I can’t imagine anyone else would have held up to her memory,” I said, my eyes raking over her as she looked up at Poppy.
“No, you’re right,” she smiled shyly at me, turning and catching me looking her over.
I took a step forward, lowering my voice.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I said, reaching out and gently touching her elbow. I knew I should pull away, but I did so slowly, allowing my fingers to slide across her skin boldly as I leaned into her. She gasped, almost inaudibly, at my touch, my closeness, turning her head to the side to gaze into my eyes.
The tension between us was electric and I quickly tried to decipher it was real or imagined. She was achingly beautiful. What man wouldn’t be attracted to a woman like her? But was she feeling the same?
The answer was glaringly obvious, when I took a second to think about it.
Absolutely, without a doubt, she was not!
What the hell was I thinking?
I took three quick steps back, leaving at least a dozen feet between us.
“I’m okay, thank you,” she whispered, her eyes wide and curious.
I wanted to kick myself. Why had I touched her? Invaded her space?
I opened my mouth to apologize, but Slade walked up, saving me with a curious smile.
“Hey, dude. Riot got a hit on the phone number Willa was texting to. Time to roll.”
“Oh, okay,” I said.
He looked over at Clara and nodded. “You alright?”
“I’m okay, Slade, thanks,” she said.
“Right on. Diana’s going to stay here with you and Eva.”
“I’ll go find them,” she said.
He nodded, then looked back at me, his eyes squinting slightly before turning and walking away.
I followed them both out of the garden, the feel of Clara’s skin still on my fingertips.
Chapter 17
CLARA
Diana, Eva and I stood on Eva’s terrace, watching the Gods load up and drive away below. My eyes followed the SUV until it disappeared.
“Maybe they’ll come back with Willa,” Eva said, her voice full of hope.
“Maybe,” I agreed. “I sure hope so.”
“I know you don’t know them,” Diana said. “But they do amazing work, they really do. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if that happened.”
I hated knowing Eva was so upset. I wanted to make her feel better, and I was so thankful that Diana was here with us. It made the conversation a little easier and helped me push the guilt away, if only slightly.
Eva turned to me and threw her arms around me.
“I don’t want you to feel badly,” she said.
“Oh, honey!” I said, hugging her back. “I don’t want you to worry about me.”
“I know my father is upset, but I hope you know he’s not really upset with you.”
“I can handle it, Eva,” I said.
“If Willa took your phone, then she’s the one he should be upset with.”
“Hey,” Diana interrupted, “how about we hold off on putting blame on anyone until we know what happened? This may not be Willa’s fault either.”
“I think she’s safe,” Eva said, with a firm nod. “I can feel it.”
“That’s good, Eva,” I said.
“I’m going to the kitchen,” she said. “Maybe Addy will make me a hot chocolate.”
“Okay, ask her to make three and we’ll be right there to join you,” I nodded, watching her go. I sighed as I turned back to Diana. Her reassuring smile was comforting.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Everyone keeps asking me that.”
“Who else asked?” She laughed.
“Stryker, actually. And Slade, too,” I said. “Stryker and I were talking in the garden and Slade came to get him.”
“Well, that’s good,” Diana said.
“Slade seems like a really good guy,” I said. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Thank you,” she said. “They’re all really great guys.”
“You mean the Gods?” I asked, and she nodded. “I gotta admit, I was a little surprised to see you hook up with a bunch of bikers, Diana, but somehow it works.”
“They do a lot of good in the world,” she replied. “You’d never know it by looking at them, but they risk their lives day after day. As far as I’m concerned, they’re right up there with firemen on the ‘good guy’ scale.”
“High praise,” I said.
“And well-earned,” she replied.
“So, what do you know about Stryker?” I asked, my elbow still hot from his touch earlier. She lifted a brow and smirked.
“Uh oh,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re smitten!”
“I am not!” I protested.
“I’ve seen that look before, Clara! Several times, in fact, although admittedly not lately.”
“He seems like a nice guy, that’s all I’m saying.”
“What else?”
“What else what?”
“What else is he? Handsome? Hot? Sexyyyy?” She asked, drawing the word out and laughing.
I couldn’t help but laugh with her. She had me.
“Sexy as fuck,” I said, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“There it is,” she said.
“Well, I’m not blind, Diana!”
“And you’re not dead,” she said. “Good to know you still have feelings, despite being locked up here with no life for the last what? Ten years?”
“About that, yes,” I said.
“That’s way too long to not have sex.”
“Hey!” I cried. “I’ve had sex!”
“Oh, my god. With that waiter? That doesn’t even count. You didn’t even enjoy it, you told me so yourself.”
“That’s not the only one.”
She lifted that brow again and widened her eyes. “You’ve been holding out on me!”
“There’s been a few, actually. Nothing serious. Just a few quick flings. Once someone figures out how little free time I have, it fizzles out quickly.”
“Hmmm,” she said. “I knew this job wasn’t going to be good for you.”
“It’s a wonderful job, the girls are really sweet.”
“You’re basically the mother to two girls you didn’t give birth to,” she said.
“And that’s okay with me,” I said.
“Tell that to your libido,” she said, winking.
“Touché,” I said.
“I know you well, Clara,” she reminded me. “That’s why I know I’m right about your interest in Stryker. Your eyes are sparkling.”
“If you say so,” I said. “None of this matters, though, and you know it. We have something else that’s much more important to focus on.”
“Well, that’s true,” she agreed. “That doesn’t mean there’s no time for exploring those feelings. Hell, Slade rocked my world for a few hours last night. Nobody missed us. And it was a much better use of our time than sitting around worrying.”
“Oh, go on, Diana, please regale me with more tales of your amazing sex life, I’m all ears,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
“Okay, okay,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m just saying — where there’s a will, there’s a way. And the one thing I do know about Stryker, since you asked — is that he is very single. And available. And a really great guy that you can trust.”
“Duly noted,” I said, laughing and shaking my head. Her words did nothing but increase the thoughts swimming in my head and by the time we made it downstairs to find Eva, my entire body was yearning for him to touch me again.
Chapter 18
STRYKER
Clara’s smile haunted me as we drove off the premises. I thought of what her life must be like, spending most of her days behind those gates, raising two girls on her own.
I couldn’t help but wonder about her. I wanted to know everything about her. Slade sat beside me, with Riot and Wreck in front. There was a thread of tension in the air, but that was to be expected. None of us knew what we were getting into. Anything could be waiting for us. Most of the time, our size and appearance went a long way in getting what we wanted out of a situation, but there was always the possibility of things turning violent or dangerous.
We had to be ready for anything. And we were.
Riot had borrowed some guns from Andrew and Sullivan, the king’s guards. After tracking down the name and address of the owner of the phone that was texting Willa, Riot made sure we were prepared as best he could to pay a visit to this person.
BLOOD PRINCESS: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK 17) Page 6