Page 54 of Ruthless Commander
“I can’t just do nothing.” I shook my head, the need to dosomethinghowling inside me. “I need to…”
Beep.
I looked down.
Finley: Fuck standing around, we’re searching buildings, you in?
“Fuck, yes,” I barked, punched in a reply, and strode toward my room.
“Where the hell are you going?” Rhys demanded.
“Searching buildings with the others,”I snapped as I stepped into my closet and opened my safe. I yanked on my shoulder holsters, then drew out my two Barettas and slipped them into place.
“Likehell you are,”Rhys growled from the doorway.
I pushed past him. “Like hell I’m not. I’m not some fucking princess, Rhys. So you’re either with me, or against me. Either way, this is happening.”
“Xael…for fuck's sake!”he snarled behind me.
It wasn’t the first time he’d said those words…and I doubted it would be the last. Still, I headed for the elevator and stopped before pressing the button to look over my shoulder. “Are you coming?”
His lips curled, then moved as he muttered, cursing me out. But Rhys was loyal to the core, so along with him and my new babysitter, I made my way to Kat’s building.
There was a small crowd by the time we got there and night was closing in, making it hard to search. Lights flickered and danced above us as I stepped into the foyer and met Fin’s gaze.
Anna was there, her cheeks shining with fresh tears. He had one arm around her, holding her close as the foyer filled with others from the island, guards and heirs, cooks and rich fucks who'd put everything else aside to find one of our own. Our determination and savage desperation howled like the cyclone bearing down on us.
I strode through the doors to Lazarus’s building as he strode through the foyer headed my way. “Take buildings one through five, I’ll take six through eleven.”
“Laz, no,” his bodyguard, Freddy, protested behind him. “This could be a fucking setup. You can’t go on your own.”
I strode forward, meeting Lazarus’s gaze, and answered. “He won’t be on his own.”
Behind him, Mateo lifted his head, those savage, brooding eyes fixed on me. My breath caught as a charge of power tore through me and in that moment, I didn’t know if I should be turned on or terrified…because I was a little of both.
“We search together,” Bruno muttered as he followed me into the foyer. “That okay with you?”
“Yeah,” I responded. Logan glanced at my holsters and his eyes glittered with stark appreciation. They'd forgotten who I was…maybe it was time to remind them.
“Okay then.” I met Lazarus’s glare and motioned toward the stairwell door. “When you’re ready, sweetheart.”
“I’ll take the stairs,” Lazarus commanded. “You take the elevator.”
I shook my head…men,and headed for the stairwell door.
“I told you—” Lazarus started.
I stopped in an instant and glanced over my shoulder, my gaze finding Mateo’s intense stare before I snapped at Lazarus. “Let’s get one thing straight, Rossi. Be worried all you want, but don’t be a dick, ‘kay? We’re not Freddy or Logan. We don’t take orders from you.”
With my heart in the back of my throat, I pushed past him and climbed the stairs. By the time I reached the top, I was frantic.“Kat!”I screamed.“Kat, can you hear me?”
She had to be here. Probably knocked out somewhere…somewhere they'd left her. All we had to do to find her was search every goddamn room and every goddamn building. We’d search until we found her, it was as simple as that.“KAT!”I screamed.
Bruno came with me and we strode to the far end of the empty apartment and started searching. I pulled out a gun and stepped into the darkness. But I left nothing to chance, flicking on every light as I searched bathrooms, closets, and living rooms before turning around to find Bruno.
“Let’s go.” He gave a jerk of his head. We had a lot of ground to cover, and it was almost dark. Lazarus and Logan searched the other apartment on that floor before yanking open the stairwell door.
I followed Bruno down to the next floor, with Rhys close behind, and searched all over again. Every room that came up empty made the desperation inside me grow.
