Page 86 of Set In Stone

Ring. Pleasering.

Feeling desperate, I decided to call Matteo. Perhaps he might have been in touch with Alexander. I snatched up the phone and pulled up his contact information. I waited impatiently for him to answer. After the fourth ring, he finally pickedup.

“Hi, Matt. It’sKrystina.”

“Hello, my dear! I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon. What can I do foryou?”

“Actually, I’m trying to locate Alex. Have you heard from him at alltoday?”

“No, I haven’t heard from him since we left the club last night. Is everythingalright?”

“Actually, it’s not. I’m worried, Matt,” I said, trying hard to control the anguish from showing in myvoice.

“I’m assuming you tried hiscell?”

“I did. It’s off. He’s not answering at the office either,” I toldhim.

“What about Hale? He’s almost always withAlex.”

“Hale is with me. He can’t track Alex either. He turned off the location services for hisphone.”

“Oh, that’s really strange. It’s unlike him to go off the grid like that. The only other time he did that was when…” Matteo trailed off and hesitated before speaking again. “What happened,Krystina?”

I blew out a frustrated breath. I didn’t know how to explain it to Matteo without telling him everything. Alexander might not likeit.

Oh, fuckit.

Finding him was more important, not to mention the fact that everything would be all public knowledge soon enough. I quickly gave Matteo a brief rundown of what was going on. It was hard to explain it all without skipping too many important details, but I managed to get the gist of it to him in under fiveminutes.

“Shit. This isn’t good,” Matteo said when Ifinished.

“Don’t you think I know that? That’s why I have to find him. Do you have any idea where he might havegone?”

Matteo blew out a breath and was quiet for a moment, like he was trying tothink.

“Actually, I think I have a pretty goodidea.”

I clutched the phone in my hand, desperate to hear hissuggestion.

“Where?” I asked in arush.

“Have you looked at ClubO?”

My stomachdropped.

“No, I haven’t looked there. Alex isn’t a member there anymore,” I replied, trying to keep the shakiness out of myvoice.

“Go there, Krystina. I think you’ll find what you’re lookingfor.”

Surely Alexander would not have gonethere.

Or wouldhe?

The panic I was feeling multiplied tenfold. It was suffocating and I almost couldn’t breathe. Tears threatened and I forced myself to blink themback.

“I’ll try, Matt.Thanks.”

I ended the call and looked toHale.

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