Page 164 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
I’m going to uphold my pledge.
“You don’t want to know.”And neither do I.
When I help him off the floor, I stiffen when he mutters, “She could have killed them both.”
My eyes seek his gaze, demanding additional details. What does he mean she could have killed them?
My question is answered in the most sickening way. “We found out today that Jenni ingested an abortion drug. That’s why she bled out during delivery. It made her placenta erupt… or something like that.”
Fury overwhelms me. “Jesus Christ.”
I’m about to demand further information, but Nick shuts down my interrogation by stumbling out of my office. “I have to go, I have to get back to Jenni. Ryan is coming to interview her later today.”
Just before he breaks through my office door, I call his name. It feels like I’ve been sucker-punched when his eyes lock with mine. They’re brimming with unshed tears, but they’re the same pair of eyes that looked up at me in awe when he gave me the gift of life. The same pair of eyes I promised to protect no matter what.
“I’ll take care of this. You don’t have to worry. Megan will never hurt them again.”
The strain tainting Nick’s face eases from my statement. After dipping his chin, he walks out of my office.
I suck in much-needed air before pressing my cell to my ear.
“Boss.”
My palms slick with sweat when I say seven words I never thought I’d speak. “Take her to my warehouse in Hopeton.”
Hunter’s deep timbre is rickety when he replies, “My guy is still en route to the motel. I'll let you know when he gets there.”
“Good.”
I snap my phone shut, not waiting for his response. As my eyes drift to the photo of Isabelle I placed on my desk, I gather my jacket from the coat rack. Once the final button is done up, my cell phone rings. Mercifully, this time around, it’s my sleek black iPhone.
The screen displays it's a call from Hugo, so I answer it promptly. “Yes, Hugo.”
“Hey, are you guys taking the long route home?”
My brows furrow, but I remain quiet, unsure what he means.
He endeavors to soothe the groove scoured between my brows. “It’s nearly five-thirty, and you haven’t shown up yet. I thought maybe you went parking.”
I freeze as sick fear melds through my veins. “I dropped Isabelle off at her apartment over forty-five minutes ago.”
I hear his throat work hard to swallow. “She never arrived at her floor. I’ve been waiting by the elevator.”
A small stint of silence crosses between us as dread overwhelms me. “Find her, Hugo,” I demand. “Find her now!”
My hand shakes when I lower my phone from my ear to dial another number. Hunter answers as quickly as he has the past two weeks. “He's still en route.”
“I need your help on another task. I need you to find Isabelle. I dropped her off at her apartment over forty-five minutes ago, and she hasn’t been seen since.” Nothing but sheer panic resonates in my tone.
“Hold on, I’ll log into the security system of her apartment building.”
When I pick up the framed photo of Isabelle on my desk, my grip is so staunch, it nearly shatters the glass. My stomach is twisted up in knots, my body’s way of advising me something isn’t right.
My attention diverts back to my phone when Hunter asks, “What time did you drop her off?”
“Around a quarter to five.”
He doesn’t respond, but I hear him tapping on a keyboard. “Okay, I have her entering the elevator at the underground garage at 4:43 p.m.” He sucks in a breath, killing me with the delay. “She exited at the lobby a minute later.”
