Page 53 of Ruthless Commander
“Will do.” He hung up, leaving me to answer the one call I didn’t want to.
“Mateo—”
“Where the FUCK are you, Xael?”he roared through the line, sounding like a man possessed.
I flinchedat the outburst. “Heading toward my building.”
“Thank fucking Christ,”he moaned as though he was in pain. “Thank Christ. Get to your building. I have another man on his way now. Get there, and don’t fucking move from there…you understand me, Xael? Don’t. Fucking. Move.”
He sounded like a man obsessed.
A man unhinged.
Why the fuck would he care?
I ran with Rhys as he slammed his card against the scanner and shoved me inside the instant the doors opened. “Elevator!” he shouted, lifting his gun to scan the space, lingering on the stairwell door.
Stunned, I did as he told me, hitting the button and waiting while my heart thundered. Rhys spun, aiming his gun on movement as another guard ran toward us, gun in one hand and his ID in the other.
“Mateo sent him!” I barked as the elevator doors opened behind me.
But Rhys wasn’t lowering his gun as the guard strode through the doors.
“Easy.” The Commander’s man lifted his hand. “I’m here to help.”
“Rhys,” I called, watching as my bodyguard scanned him, then slowly lowered his piece.
“What the fuck is going on?” Rhys snapped as they headed my way, following me into the elevator.
“No one knows. We’re scanning footage of the island, but no one can find Ms. VanHalen.”
“Jesus.” I wrapped my arms around myself as the doors closed and carried us upwards.
But by the time it stopped at our floor, I could hardly walk. Rhys moved in, grabbing my arm and holding me steady as we strode into the apartment. They checked the rooms, finding Evan’s empty, then returned.
Shocked. Stunned. We looked at each other, unable to say a word as the winds howled outside the window. They had to find Kat…theyhadto find her.“She has to be here, right?” My words grew thick and hoarse as tears pricked my eyes. “Shehasto be.”
“Hey.” Rhys strode forward, grabbed my shoulders and pulled me close. “They’ll find her, okay? They’ll find her, and then, as soon as this fucking cyclone is gone, we’re getting the hell off this island.”
I nodded as one lone tear spilled free.
He pulled away after a while, strode to the kitchen, and hit the button for the coffee machine. We waited like that for what seemed like hours. The Commander’s man answered his phone, turning away to mutter, “Yes, sir. She’s here and safe. Yes, sir, I will…I understand.”
Even from where I stood on the other side of the living room, I could hear Mateo’s rage. The guard flinched, then swallowed hard before slowly lifting his gaze to me. I saw it then, saw it in his eyes, saw the moment he narrowed in on me.
“Everything okay?” Rhys asked as he carried a mug of steaming coffee toward me.
“Fine,” the bodyguard answered carefully, never once shifting his gaze from me.
Dark clouds choked out any light outside, and as I drank two cups of coffee and paced a line in the tiles along the living room, desperately waiting for any news, I realized the afternoon was leaving us.
Night would come soon…
And Kat still hadn’t been found.
“Is there any news?” I lifted my gaze to Rhys, who just stared out the window, his gun still in his hand.
“You asked me the same thing five minutes ago.”
