Page 278 of By His Vow

“Ah, you shouldn’t have.”

“Just a small treat to let you know we care,” Miles explains before we take off again. “I need to grab a few things,” he says, ducking into his office, leaving me to make my way down to my new one alone.

I step inside and take a deep breath as I walk toward the windows and stare out over Chicago.

I pull my cell from my pocket, but there is still nothing from Tatum.

My concern continues to grow. Miles is still trying to convince me that she’s with her team, enjoying herself. But I don’t believe it.

Something is wrong.

A couple of minutes pass before the door swings open behind me, crashing back against the wall.

I spin around, and the look on Miles’s face sends dread shooting through my veins.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask in a rush.

He holds a piece of paper between us with a trembling hand, his face white and his eyes wide.

“She’s gone.”

“W-what?” I ask, not comprehending the words.

But then my eyes drop to the letter.

Only, it’s not just a letter.

It’s a resignation.

Tatum’s resignation.

Effective immediately.

70

KINGSTON

“TATUM,” I bellow as I race into the apartment.

Coldness engulfs me, letting me know that she isn’t here. But it’s not enough. I need to see it with my own eyes.

The ground floor is empty, so I make a beeline for the stairs, leaving Miles to loiter behind me with concern twisting up his face.

“TATUM,” I shout again, desperate to hear her soft voice call back.

But she never does.

I crash into the bedroom like a madman and scan the space.

But it’s empty, cold, and when I move into the bathroom, the sight of the clear vanity finally forces me to accept reality.

She’s gone.

Pain rips through my chest as I stand there, feeling like the world is crumbling around me.

I’ve no idea when her presence in my life became such a huge part of it, but the hole she’s just left is bigger than I ever thought possible for one person to leave behind.

I don’t realize Miles has joined me until his deep voice echoes off the walls around me.

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