Page 125 of Theirs to Rule

“I need to speak with theconciliantis,” I whispered.

Only when we went looking for her, we were told she wasn’t available.

She’d left on indefinite leave.

And no one knew when she would be back.

Dante, Kage and Ty were out looking for Bianca, and I was calling everyone that knew her. When I still had no luck tracking her down, I decided to finally call my dad. He’d know that Bianca would never leave everything behind—least of all me and Elise—for any boy. But then again, he was probably still pissed she’d gotten demoted to Tier Three, and Bianca had likely ensuredthat he had bought her story about throwing her ranking away for some random guy in California.

I left a message on his cell phone and with his secretary to call me, then finally tried the house phone. My sister Elise answered. She said he was off on a business trip and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. When I asked if she’d heard from Bianca, she said no, but she didn’t seem to know anything about Bianca running away, and I didn’t tell her any differently. I was about to tell her I’d check in with her later when she said, “Camille. I—I need you.”

Her voice was low and hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure whether she should be asking for my help or not.

“What is it, Elise?”

“Dad… dad’s trying to set me up to be married. I heard him talking to someone, someone he said had been interested in you, but he knew you wouldn’t agree, so he told me yesterday he was setting up a meeting between the two of us.”

Fury at my father filled me. He hadn’t bothered to call or see me in weeks, he obviously didn’t even know Bianca was missing, and now he was planning to marry off my sweet sixteen-year-old sister?

“I don’t want to get married, Camille,” Elise cried, her panic obvious.

“I won’t let him do that to you,” I said.

“But you don’t know what it’s been like here. He’s changed, Cami. I’m—I’m scared.”

My chest tightened. “What do you mean? What are you scared of?”

“He’s been so pissed. At you. And Bianca. He and Bianca got into a terrible fight.”

“When was this?”

“Two days ago. When Bianca left?—”

“Wait. Bianca went home?”

“Yes,” Elise said. “And when she left, dad was furious. And now he’s talking about marrying me off. Can you come get me? Please?”

God, the anguish in my sister’s voice. I hated it. I also couldn’t get it out of my head that my dad had argued with Bianca just two days ago and now Bianca was gone, with some bullshit excuse about her running away with some guy as a cover.

This was something I needed to deal with immediately. I’d pick up Elise, get her someplace safe. Maybe I could even walk the neighborhood, see if Bianca had happened to check in any of her old friends there.

“I’m on my way, Elise.”

I texted the guys and told them where I was going. A short while later, I was standing in front of the house I grew up in. I hadn’t been back here in a while, and I felt guilty about that. It had been so easy to get lost in my own world at college and forget my little sister was still here living with Dad. There were so many memories made in this house, and while most of them were happy, they were hard to think about because it made me miss Mom so much.

Drawing in a deep, unsteady breath, I walked up the front yard path and unlocked the front door. I’d only just gotten it open when Elise rushed over to give me a hug. “You came!”

“Of course I came, sweetheart.” It was so quiet. I knew Dad wasn’t there, but I thought at least Elena, our housekeeper, would be here. “Are you here alone?”

Elise nodded. “Elena took the day off.”

I was glad it was just the two of us. “Okay. Let’s go over what you told me again.”

Elise shook her head. “Later. Let’s leave now. Please.”

The anxiety on my sister’s face made me wonder what the hell she’d been dealing with lately. I reached out and squeezedElise’s hand, feeling like the world’s worst sister. “It’s been bad for you, living here alone with him, hasn’t it?” I said gently.

“I mean, it could be worse. He’s not here half the time.”

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