"I've already started. I called a meeting. There's a ceremony organized. Bridge and Middleton can fight it out. When someone feels wronged, we can handle things that way. But this is a time sensitive situation. Darcy’s life is in danger.”
I stared at him. “What?" My stomach cramped. "You have a ceremony like that?"
He shrugged. "No one's used it in nearly a hundred years because matters almost always get handled privately. Except Middleton isn't playing that way."
I shook my head. "You said proof. How does one prove anything?"
"Well, Middleton probably wouldn’t have taken her to his residence. But Telly, can you check his security cameras and see if there’s anything there?"
"Yeah, I'm on it."
"The problem is, we don't have proof that he took Darcy. We just know, given that he threatened you in front of Bridge, that it’s the most likely answer."
"You're talking to me about proof. But we know it's him. Can't we just—"
"Murder him?" Drew offered helpfully.
Nyla and Amelia immediately perked up, with Amelia shaking her head. "No, no you can't. We have to draw the line at murder. Come on."
Drew shrugged and then mumbled under his breath. "Well, it seemed like a viable option."
Amelia just rolled her eyes. "Look, what are the chances that the Austrian authorities might find her?"
The glare Bridge gave her was so hard it could have cut a diamond.
But Amelia was cool under pressure. "While the authorities work to find her, obviously, we're going to be riding their backs. Our main focus right now is we've got Alex and Liam and Ollie working with PIs to home in on their location. So far, it doesn’t appear Middleton has brought her home to London or taken her to the villa in Barcelona. But we're looking. I'm going to call the Interpol detective I know in Austria. Maybe he can give us some insight into the case and what they're looking at, find out if they've got any leads."
Bridge just nodded. "Thank you."
When his gaze locked on me, I could feel the terror in his soul in one look. He was worried for her. Phone in hand, I went out front, waving at the security at the tower. As I walked the pathway surrounded by gardens, I turned on my phone to pull up DI Strickland's phone number when I realized I had a text message.
Unknown: He won't like it, but you know what you have to do.
Holy shit. My breath swooshed out of me. The mysterious letter writer. Fucking hell. How did he know that Darcy had been taken? My brain ran it through. All the guys had found out what we found out. I'd made the call to bring everyone in while Bridge had been shouting commands to security to prep the helicopter. Everyone was here. When was the text sent?
Ten minutes ago.
Fucking hell. The dumb phone had been off because I didn't want interruptions, but that was clearly a mistake. The little voice came back to my mind, tried to follow logic. Who else could know?
Unless it was someone who was watching Middleton all the time. His security? Bridge’s father? If it was his father, then why hadn't he said anything? None of it made sense. There was no rhyme or reason, and I couldn't sort it out. Who was my mysterious note sender? Why were they so invested? And what exactly did they want from me?
Forty-Five
Emma
This was a risk. I knew it was a risk. Everybody was so focused on coming up with a plan. I opted to go with security to take Bridge's mum back to the restaurant, because regardless of our crisis, she had to open.
Belinda patted my hand. "Sweetheart, I see that look on your face. I feel like I know that look well. I understand you want to do something to help him, but he and the lads will figure it out. I don't like it when they talk about dangerous things, but they are already planning to go to Middleton's, and it has to be done immediately."
"I know what they're planning. I just don’t like that someone is going to get hurt because of my failures."
"I know. But it’s Middleton who’s going to get hurt. You don't know Bridge. He's not going to let anyone hurt his sister."
"I know. I'm so sorry this happened."
She patted my arm and leaned into me as we pulled up to the restaurant. "Sweetheart, you know this is not your fault."
I nodded then looked her in the eye. “I still can't help feeling responsible though. Darcy is just a kid. She didn't ask for any of this."
"But neither did you. All you did was exist. His fixation on you is the problem, and that has nothing to do with you. All of this is about him."
"I know I'm supposed to believe that, but I can't let it go. I know I didn't do anything. I know I don't deserve this. Still though, it's difficult seeing Bridge like this. Watching him in pain."
"Yeah, I know. Hell of a morning, sweetheart. Come on, let’s use the restroom."
Zayne and Sam exchanged glances. No doubt they'd already heard from Daniel what happened the last time I slipped security. Belinda shrugged. "Lads, she's just going to the loo. Relax."
I thanked her. And again, I felt moderately bad that her kindness was not going to be rewarded. And I knew what I was going to do would make her son really angry.
I did go to the loo and then thanked her. But instead of walking out the front door, I went out the side, down the alley, and into the far busier street around the back of the restaurant. And then I found the nearest taxi and hopped in. "Can you take me to Middleton Communications?"
He nodded. "Sure, miss."
I was going to get Darcy back.
Forty-Six
Bridge
I checked my watch, assuming the team was back, and then I went looking for Emma. I'd been so worried about Darcy I hadn't checked in with her. I knew that she was going to try and find some way to assume responsibility for what this twat had done, and I didn't want her doing that. But Emma was going to be Emma. As I headed for the stairs to check on her, Ben clapped a hand on my shoulder before I could head up.
“Is she back? Did you see her, Ben?”
He shook his head. “No, but don't do that thing where you tell her what to do and you don't listen to what she needs from you. It won’t go over well."
I shoved him off. "Mate, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to do this."
"I know mate. I know. Look, she's your sister, and we will figure it out. We just need a little recon from Alex and the lads at the Middleton estate, and then we will go in and get her."
"I don't like the plan. It's not well thought out, and we don’t even know for sure that he’s taken her there."
Ben shrugged. "Sometimes we have to act without all the information we want, right?"
"What am I going to do? It's my job to protect Darcy."
"Yes, it is. And we'll get her back. We’ve never let each other down."
"Fuck, why can’t we beat him? This should have been over by now. The longer this drags out, the more people get hurt. We need to take him off the board."