Page 202 of I See You

The only time he went home was to shower and change, and even that felt like betrayal. He couldn’t enjoy the warmth of clean water or fresh clothes knowing Sevyn might still be wearing the same outfit they kidnapped her in.

He sat there in the quiet, the city moving around him, but inside that car—inside his chest—was stillness. Fury. Pain.

And a vow that wouldn’t break. He was going to get his baby back. Or die trying.

The longer he sat there staring at Sevyn’s penthouse window, the harder it became to pretend she was still up there. The lie no longer brought him peace—it only fueled his rage. He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t fucking breathe knowing Sevyn wasn’t inside. His jaw clenched as he pulled up the address Von sent of Ariel’s house. Four in the morning, sky black and cold, matching the storm inside him. He couldn’t sit on his ass another minute. If Ariel had anything to do with Sevyn’s disappearance, he was getting answers tonight.

Just as he threw the Ferrari in drive, his door yanked open. Dorianslidin,hereyesalreadydaringhimtosaysomething.

“Dorian, what the fuck are you doing? How the hell you get outthe house?” Hassan barked, ready to chew Von and Bully out for slipping.

“Took a fucking Uber.”

“You brought a stranger to my property?” His voice dropped, sharp with fury.

“No. Walked down the block. Drugged everybody at the house with melatonin. They sleep like babies.” She buckled her seatbelt like she belonged in that seat. “Told you I wasn’t waiting in some housewhilemycousin’ssomewherehurtandalone.Sodrive, nigga.”

Hassan stared at her, trying to figure out how she even knew where he was. But the fire in her eyes matched his own. He saw himself in her. Cold. Hurt. Ruthless. There wasn’t a single threat he could make that would scare her off.

“Aight,” he muttered, pulling off toward Ariel’s.

“You been to Ariel’s place before?” he asked as they hit the highway.

“Yeah. Collierville. House. Why?” Her voice was flat, venom rising beneath every word.

“She’s involved.”

Dorian’s entire body tensed. “Good. Let me kill that bitch after you get what you need.”

Hassan let out a low, dark chuckle. She really was him. No wonder Sevyn understood him—she grew up with the female version of him.

“I gotchu.”

“You need to know anything about her place?” she asked.

“Any security?”

“Just gate guards. They know me. We good.”

He nodded. Maybe it was a blessing she showed up. He didn’t know how he was gonna get inside without her—but he damn sure would’ve tried.

“Wait.Ain’tyoutheonewhobeatherassatherdaddy’sbank? You probably banned,” Hassan smirked, glancing over.

“Yeah,wehadalittlefamilysit-downafterthat.Theythink it’s squashed now. I still go to the bank. Just haven’t laid hands on her… yet.”

Hassan shook his head, remembering the day Sevyn told him ArielwaspregnantbyBraxton.Theragehefeltthendidn’thold a candle to the inferno burning in him now. He was seconds away from unleashing hell.

And Ariel Caldwell was about to open her front door to the devil. OncetheygotclosetoAriel’sgate,Hassanpulledoverand parkedagooddistanceback,killingtheenginesoDoriancould slideintothedriver’sseat.Thedarknessoutsideandthedeeptint of Hassan’s Ferrari would keep him hidden in the passenger side. “Don’tscratchmyshit,Dori,”hemuttered,eyesontheroad ahead.

“Boy, hush.” She waved him off, already adjusting the mirror as she pulled off toward the gate.

Sure enough, the so-called security guard was slumped inside thebooth,half-asleepandcompletelyuseless.Doriansquinted at him, disgusted. “Sorry ass,” she mumbled. The flash of Hassan’s headlights jolted him awake, and the second he saw her face, he hit the button without hesitation.

“Damn, that easy?” Dorian smirked, shaking her head. She figured she’d need to spin a whole story, the way her and Harper had with Celine’s security—but clearly, Henry wasn’t paying his people enough for real protection.

She cut the lights and coasted silently up the long driveway, easing the car behind Ariel’s white Jeep. The house, modern and cold with sharp edges and soft-glow lighting, looked too damn peaceful for the snake that lived inside.

“I’ll knock on the front like I’m here to talk. Her gullible ass’ll fall for it, she scared of me and dying to get back in Sevyn’s good graces,” Dorian said, already plotting like she’d rehearsed this in her head. “Once I’m inside, I’ll unlock the back for you.”