Page 69 of Beautiful Chaos

“Here miss?” he questioned with raised eyebrows.

“Thanks. I’ll leave you five stars. Have a good night.” I shouted as I leaped out of the car, accidentally slamming the door harder than I meant to.

I was out in the open on a desolate service road but somehow, I felt safer than I was in that car with the potential of being tracked. When I got out of the car, I turned my phone off. Then thought better of it and threw it across the road into a wooded area.

I glanced down at my body which was still clothed in the deep purple fabric that glistened in the moonlight and there was no way my feet were letting me forget the six-inch heels I had been walking in.

My attention was drawn to what seemed to be a Salvation Army donation box, situated at the edge of an empty parking lot beside a grocery store. Normally, these things are locked up, but there was an open cardboard box sitting close by.

Approaching the box, I could tell it was filled with household goods and several pieces of clothing. Grasping a piece of fabric that seemed thick, I lifted it towards the faint light trickling from a nearby streetlamp. The sweatshirt was way too big for me, but given the circumstances, I had to make do with what I could find.

I threw the sweater on over my head. The shirt came past my knees and the neck was stretched so far that it barely stayed on my shoulders.

It didn’t take me long to walk the two-and-a-half miles to the bookstore once I finally ditched the heels. I reached into my purse, grabbed the keys, and clenched them tightly as I walked the last two blocks of my awful journey to safety. The street was deserted, which wasn’t unexpected considering the neighborhood and the late hour.

I let out a breathy sigh and raised my leg to cross the street, just a few feet from my sanctuary. A strange whistle sounded from behind me, and as I turned to look, my world plunged into darkness.

Chapter 48

JASPER

Darting out of the revolving doors and nearly running over two of my biggest guys. Both standing there with stupid fucking looks on their faces.

“Where did she go?!” I screamed out of frustration. Frantically, I searched the street and tossed my head back and forth, hoping to catch a glimpse of her dress or a shadow of her figure.

“That way sir.” one of the idiots pointed down the street. I glared at the two of them. Why would they let her leave on her own?

“I’ll deal with you later,” I snarled, running in the direction they had indicated. I continued running until I came upon an alleyway and paused, contemplating whether to proceed. Considering Harper’s traumatic experience began in an alley, it seemed unwise to assume she would choose to go down one now, particularly tonight after having seen me with her captors.

I took three large steps past it when suddenly, something seized my thoughts. This was Harper we were talking about; she is strong, smart, and doesn’t have a coward bone in her body. I turned on my heels and went straight down that alleyway.

Running down the dark path my phone started buzzing in my pocket. I grabbed it and held it tight.

I need to calm down.

I wouldn’t find Harper before they do if I couldn’t maintain my focus. Halting there, I bent over, hands on my knees, gasping for breath. The sound of footsteps approached from behind. I expected Max to be not far off, so it was no shock when a whistle from him caught my attention.

“Hey brother, what do you want to do here?” Max never used terms of endearment with me; it’s just not in our nature. So, I knew his concern for finding Harper matched my own.

If they were to get their hands on her, there’s no telling if she would make it out alive this time. Bile started to rise from my throat as I recalled the photos from the police report back when she was only a girl.

I shook my head, attempting to clear the fog to devise a strategy. Max put his hand on my shoulder. I looked down at my phone that was still vibrating in my hand and back to Max, Joseph’s name across the screen.

“Joseph, I need men. We have to find Harper before…” I couldn’t say the rest; it just wasn’t an option.

“Sir, I’ve got men at all the places Max mentioned. Harper’s home, the penthouse, the bookstore, the newspaper headquarters. What else can I do for you?” Joseph was good at his job and had covered all his bases.

“Keep me updated.” I snapped before ending the call. Max let out a loud sigh. I glanced over to see him anxiously shifting his weight from foot to foot. I gave him a pointed look before questioning his odd behavior, but he beat me to it.

“Jasper, did Harper wear the diamonds tonight?” I looked at him like he had two eyes and nodded my head.

Where was he going with this?

If he intended to accuse Harper of stealing the diamonds and fleeing, I wasn’t sure I could restrain myself from knocking him on his ass.

“Why?” I snapped with more aggression than I intended.

“I know where Harper is,” Max stated matter of factly.

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