Page 73 of Queen Rose

My mind races as we thunder down the stairs, calling out for Aria as we go. The more time goes on, the more a sense of panic begins to overwhelm me. “Aria!”

Behind me Xander explodes, “Scarlett!” When I turn around, I notice he’s just as affected as I am. His fingers are shoved in his hair, and I wonder if he’s not reliving some other incident when he grits out, “Not again. Not again.”

I guess they must have heard the commotion because our crew shoves through the crowd, gathering around us.

Beau’s face is grim. “What’s happening?”

Xander roughly says, “Split up. Search the house for Aria.”

The look of shock on everyone’s faces doesn’t last long before they hurry into action. Micah snaps, “Let’s get all these people out of here. Somebody turn off the music.” He, Beau, and Daphne begin the process of corralling the guests out to the patio.

I look wildly at the remainder of my newfound friends who are standing close. In a lower voice, I rasp, “I don’t have to look through this house to know Conner has her.” Eyes wide, Lyla and Scarlett nod and take off like a shot with Griffin and Max heading quickly in the opposite direction. Xander draws in a breath. “We should—” But he never gets to finish that sentence.

A deep, commanding voice rumbles from behind me. “Who the fuck are you to tell people what to do at our home? And what the fuck are you talking about?” I turn around, finally meeting the real Will Warrington face-to-face. He’s well-dressed, I’ll give him that. Shooting me the coldest look known to man, he asks, “Who the fuck are you?”

I give him a steely glare right back. “I’m Nate, your daughter’s boyfriend.”

“Well, Nate? Get the fuck out of here. You don’t belong here, anyway.”

My heart hammers in my chest like it’s trying to come through my ribs. “I don’t care what you think of me, but I won’t leave. You need to listen to me. Your daughter is in danger.”

He sneers, “And why should I listen to you? You’re just some punk kid who mows fucking lawns and picks up trash because he’s a damn thief.”

My lips part in surprise.

“Yeah. I looked your ass up the second you started sniffing around her. Because you’re not good enough for her. Never fucking will be.”

Elle sidles up to him, obviously more than a little drunk. “Who’s ruining our party? Everyone went outside.” She gives a little pout, squinting at me through a haze of booze and who knows what else. “Oh. You again.”

I give a disturbed laugh. “Am I ruining your party? Have you happened to notice that the birthday girl is missing? She went upstairs to change after someone you invited threw a drink on her and never came back down.” I slide my gaze to Aria’s father. “And where is yourpedophile business partner?”

“Shut your fucking mouth, kid. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Conner loves Aria, and if you’re implyi—”

I lunge, but Xander holds me back. “Oh, I’m pretty sure he loves her, all right,” I growl. My eyes bore into his, this man who clearly doesn’t care about his daughter. “Tell me you can’t see with your own eyes the way he looks at her. That she’s been living for years with this. Tell me you didn’t see it. Because the pieces just clicked for me, and it’s too late. Open your fucking eyes. Pay attention to your daughter for once.”

Xander steps in, getting Will’s attention. “Sorry, this is fucking insane. You need to listen. I’m sorry, sir, but wake the fuck up. If Nate says she’s in danger, she is. I’ve watched her struggle with something for years. I think he’s right. It’s gotta be Conner. She wouldn’t tell—” His voice cracks, his misery obvious. “She wouldn’t tell me. But I think this has been all some sick game to your friend.”

“This is bullshit.” Will presses the heel of his hand to his forehead.

“I’m sorry, bullshit? If we’re wrong, I’ll gladly admit it. But if we’re right, what are the odds that what happened to Christina isn’t connected?” I search his eyes for any sign of concern from him. I find none.

Xander rubs his hand over his jaw. “We need to call the police. We aren’t equipped to handle this. Especially not if this is linked to a murder.”

Scarlett and Lyla return from what must have been a sprint around the house doing their search. At hearing Xander’s words, Scarlett goes deathly pale. “She’s not anywhere. Who are you talking about?”

I nod in Will’s direction, my jaw twitching. “His business partner.”

Lyla grits her teeth and hisses out, “Motherfucker.”

Will’s lack of response feels almost like an admission that he knew something was going on, and I want to throttle the hell out of him. If he’s known this the entire time, he’s just as bad. I step closer to him. “It’s your daughter, for Christ’s sake. Where would he take her?”

This asshole simply shakes his head, glaring at me as he growls out a husky, “I don’t know. Fine. Someone call.”

Lyla has her phone out and is dialing within seconds.

Understanding flashes in Elle’s eyes, if only for a moment, before she goes running toward the patio door, crying like a damn lunatic. Will follows. I can’t tell whether he’s angry because he’s missed that something traumatic was happening to his daughter or if I guessed correctly—that he’s a sick fuck, too. Had he let this happen to his own daughter? Fuck, I wonder if this whole shitshow isn’t why Elle Warrington self-medicates. I can’t imagine growing up in this house. And to think when I first saw it, I wondered what kind of perfect life the people who lived here must have. If only I’d known.

You don’t know what it’s like for me, Nate.The memory of her saying that gouges a hole in my heart. I couldn’t have known. But damn, I should have paid more attention. All the what-ifs and should-haves claw at me from the inside. I failed her. That knowledge burns, almost sending me into a spiral. But I can’t lose focus now. Aria needs me.

Griffin and Max turn up a minute later, shaking their heads. Max huffs, “Sorry. She’s nowhere on the property. Daph, Beau, and Micah are monitoring the situation outside. Her mom keeps talking about a minor inconvenience they’re having, all while tears are streaming down her cheeks. I think it’s the pretty little happy pills and the alcohol talking.”

Griffin works his jaw back and forth. “Never have I wanted to shake someone so badly in my entire life.” He licks his lips, exhaling sharply. “And her dad? He’s cool as a cucumber out there, chatting up his guests. It’s disturbing. What do you want to do, Nate?”

Eyeing her parents through the window, I open my mouth, but before I can answer, the wail of police sirens cuts through the night. My brain is near exploding with all of the bits and pieces of things I remember Aria doing and saying, and— Fuck. “Let’s hope the police can help us, because her parents don’t seem to give a single fuck.”

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