Page 18 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

I should have stuck with the pack long enough to get Haven out of the hospital and safe, but I’m a stubborn asshole who jumped first, without thinking of the consequences, and now those consequences are staring me right in my fucking face.

“Miss Bell isn’t accepting visitors at this time,” the hard voice says from the other end of the line.

God, I want to take that tiny stupid little speaker between my hands and crush it to dust. “When will she be taking visitors?” I grit out, already knowing the answer. Never. She’ll never be taking visitors when that visitor is me.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not at liberty to say.”

I nod, the steering wheel in my grip groaning under the strain. “Right.”

Without another word, I back out of the driveway and pull down the street, parking so I can monitor the gates, just in case my girl does leave the estate. She hasn’t yet, but I can’t stop myself from hoping.

Without a pack, I’m limited in what I can do. Harassing the guards of the bell estate is about the extent of my capabilities. I don’t have Jude’s ability to hack security systems or Tic’s skill with manufacturing drugs that can undoubtedly be used as a bargaining chip with Frederick Bell. I don’t even have Hale’s clout and recognition. Sure, I was a member of the Calloway pack, but I was never very front facing, never a people person, always the muscle, the strength in the pack.

So this is what I can do right now. Sit in my car and watch the house that is a prison for my girl.

I’ve never felt so goddamn ineffectual in my life.

My phone buzzes in my pocket three times in quick succession, and I can’t stop the swell of hope that its Haven reaching out. I know it’s not, doesn’t stop my heart from hoping, though.

I growl when I see the name on my screen. Jude. Fuck. I almost just delete the messages without reading them—it’s probably just more demanding that I release the commands I put on them—but when I see he sent a photograph, I can’t bring myself to.

God, with any luck, it’s a picture of Haven. If anyone was going to break into the Bell security system, it would be Jude. I tap on the first message and anger hits hard and fast. It’s not Haven. It’s a fucking invitation to the Calloway pack to celebrate the engagement of Haven Elizabeth Bell and Brian Joshua Coogan.

In two fucking days.

The second message is a link to a video, and when I click on that, my rage gets mixed with relief and confusion. It’s my girl, my baby, sitting on her bed primly, hands on her thighs, staring straight ahead. She looks unharmed, but the longer the video goes, the more and more concerned I get. I check the length of the clip and see it’s an hour. Fast forwarding through it, she doesn’t fucking move, just sits like a statue.

What the fuck?

What the actual fuck?

Jude’s third message is straight and to the point, the type of message I had been expecting from him.

Jude:

Release the commands so we can get her out.

I’m a stubborn asshole, but faced with this, the reality of my girl going catatonic again? Nah, fuck that. I’ll let my pride go and work with the assholes that hurt her until we can get her out. And then I’ll reinstate the commands to keep her away from them.

Me:

Done.

Jude:

Thank fuck. Come to the pack house so we can plan.

Ren is coming too.

I should hold on just a little longer, make them sweat, but glancing at the screen with Haven still just fucking sitting there, I let it go. Release my grip on the commands and when I do, some of my tension eases too. Not all of it. That won’t happen until Haven is tucked in my arms, curled against my chest, until I can feel her sweet little body pressed to mine, and feel her breathing. Until I know she’s healthy and safe.

I glance at the gate one more time. She’s in there, behind that wall, less than a football field away from me, but I can’t fucking get to her. Not alone.

With one more lingering look, I put my car in drive and pull away from the curb, leaving my girl behind.

An hour later, I think my time would have been better used sitting outside Haven’s house. Nothing has been decided on. No solid plan is in place.

Ren told us she hasn’t seen Haven since Frederick Bell took her to the hospital. No one has seen Haven since then. Jude has been going over the security footage from the last few days, and it’s always the same.

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