Page 42 of Catching His Runaway

I’m getting hit with deja vu. All those times I was in a rough state, she always sat down and talked to me. Assured me what happened wasn’t my fault. Promised that she held no ill feelings toward me.

Bia’s a kind woman to those she deems deserving. Despite disagreeing with her countless times, she always insisted she knew best.

“She wouldn’t have run away,” she says slowly, giving my head time to process them. “Not with so many reasons to stay.”

She has reasons to stick around? Could I be one of them?

“Think, Thomas. If something happened to her, we have surveillance all over this building. Can’t do anything around here without being noticed.” She pats my hand before letting me go. “Let’s find my son. He’ll be able to figure out what happened.”

My pounding heart calms at the promise in her voice. Makes me wonder how many times she’s had to soothe Leon whenever something went wrong with the family business.

Nodding, I let her lead the way. She has this odd sense of knowing where everyone is. She also knows when to push when it’s necessary.

While I’m ready to shake Santino and demand the footage, she’s assertive when it comes to peeling him away from his kid. She’s one of the very few who he’ll allow to order him around. When she tells him what’s going on, probably to help me save face, we head toward his office once we drop Alle off in the library.

Santino calls for Urzo, making sure he hasn’t seen her. He doesn’t get it. If Valeria were hiding somewhere, I’d know.

I know her favorite spots to roam. I know which spots she likes to soak up the sun. I know which spots she likes to watch the rain.

At this rate, I’m risking a bald spot with how I pull at my hair from the pure frustration I feel as Santino takes his time.

“Please pull up the surveillance,” I beg him. I don’t even care if I have to watch her leave. I just need to see her. Need to make sure she left this place in one piece.

As bad as it sounds, I still want her to be okay. Now that she’s no longer under my watch, she’s no longer safe.Anythingcould happen to her. If she gets even a scratch…

Bia pats my arm reassuringly. Her murmurs are soft, and I’m willing to bet she can see it. I’ve gotten it written all over my face.

This weakness. These feelings.

Thankfully, Santino is blind to it. He’s confident all is well. I’m hoping he’s right, but I know better than to put my faith in the impossible.

“She’s probably just hiding out somewhere,” he insists as he types away at his computer. “Maybe someone took her car thinking it was junk.”

“You’re wrong.” The words come out without thinking, and I don’t regret them. Not even when he flicks his dark gaze in my direction.

Two weeks ago, I would’ve rather bitten my tongue off than tell Santino those words. He normally has a good idea of what’s going on, but not this time. He isn’t the one feeling the unsettling sensation at the pit of his stomach like I am.

He’s no longer my main focus. His sister is. While she’s still breathing, she’s all I care about. Her and her safety.

There are over twenty cameras displayed on his screen. There’s not one pointed directly at my room, but the hall is captured. All he has to do is rewind until he sees her. Once we finally spot her walking backwards toward my door, my chest seizes up.

Even through the lens of the cameras, she’s gorgeous. Still flushed from our night together.

We all watch the feeds, trailing after her. From one camera to the other, she moves casually. Not like one who was trying to plan her escape.

She doesn’t grab anything valuable or try to sneak around to avoid being spotted.

And soon, I realize she’s not alone. Like us, there’s someone else watching her. Someone who was with her. A face I don’t know. The longer I watch as he prowls behind her, the harder it is to swallow the lump forming in the back of my throat.

I don’t need to watch the rest of the feed to know what’s going to happen.

On another camera, the one facing the gardens, I can see Santino on the phone. God knows who he’s talking to, but it’s enough of a distraction for him not to notice.

He’s only a handful of feet away, clueless of the scene unfolding behind him.

We all stare in silence as Valeria is forced to walk away, a gun at her back.

If anyone saw them, they should’ve known something was wrong.Iwasn’t the one with her. They should have fucking known.

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