Page 66 of Titan

The banging didn’t stop, but I forced myself to crawl away from the door into my living space, where I’d left my phone on the kitchen counter. I dragged it off and fumbled to unlock it. Then I did the only thing I could do under the circumstances. I rang Gil. He’d only just left, but if anyone could get rid of this guy, it was him.

Please pick up. Please fucking pick up!

When the call went to voicemail, I almost screamed, but I held myself together and decided to leave a message.

“Gil, I need you. Please. They found me. They’ve found me. They’re here. Please come back. Please.”

They were the only words I managed to get out before the phone dropped out of my hand. I curled up in a ball on my kitchen floor, listening to my worst nightmare hammer against my door, dreading he’d break through and take me away from the life I’d worked so hard to build.

Twenty Three

Gilberto

I could have killed Edric right at that second. To say I was frustrated was a fucking understatement. Not only had I not been able to talk to Theia, but now she was probably mad at me for leaving. I’d gone to hers with the intention of telling her the truth about my feelings. Only when I’d seen her did those good intentions fly right out of the window. I’d been so wrapped up in needing to touch her. To give in to my desire to taste every inch of her. And fuck had I. She’d felt so good. Tasted so fucking good. It had been the very best sexual experience I’d ever had. Only then my fucking best friend had gone and made my life difficult.

“Where are you holding them?” I ground out, taking the stairs two by two.

“At the warehouse,” Edric replied.

My phone buzzed in my hand. I drew it away from my face to find Theia was calling me. As much as I wanted to answer, I had to deal with Edric first. Besides, I was relatively sure she was pissed at me. I needed to make this up to her. I would… somehow.

“Okay, and you’re sure they know something?”

“I wouldn’t have texted you otherwise. I know you want to deal with this situation yourself.”

He was right. Anything to do with these fucking missing shipments and my cousins was my personal responsibility. I couldn’t leave it up to my men. I might trust Edric, but this was family. It required my full attention.

“There’s three of them, yes?”

“Mmm, Alvin is the leader. Reckon the other two are just henchmen.”

“Okay, good. Thank you.”

Edric let out a little sound of surprise.

“You’re thanking me? Well, that’s a new development.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Shut the fuck up. I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up before he could reply. That fool needed to stop giving me shit. I always expressed my gratitude to him. Maybe not to others, but Edric meant something to me, even if I never admitted it to him. I wasn’t very good with feelings. He knew that.

I looked down at my phone and found Theia had left me a voicemail. Clicking on it, I put my phone back to my ear. The automated voice went on for too long and finally it played the message.

“Gil, I need you. Please. They found me. They’ve found me. They’re here. Please come back. Please.”

I swear my heart fucking stopped at the panic in her voice. They’d found her. Who the fuck had found her? It took me a minute to reboot my fucking brain. There could only be one “they.” I ran back up the stairs I’d walked down. If those fucks laid a hand on her, I would kill them myself. In fact, I wanted to fucking kill them for what they’d done to her. Rage built inside me, burning so fucking hot it was like a damn furnace. There was concern there too. For my beautiful, strong, resilient girl who had fought her way back from the worst sort of pain.

I’m coming, Theia. I’m fucking coming for you.

The men and Edric could wait. She was in danger right now. And I refused to let her down again. I’d already done it too many times this evening. She deserved so much more from me.

I could have taken the lift downstairs, but I’d needed a minute to gather my thoughts and talk to Edric. I half regretted the decision because if I had taken the lift, I might have caught the fucking guy before he’d got to Theia.

Bursting through the stairwell door as I reached her floor, I could see a man hammering on her door.

“Hey!”

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