SEBASTIAN’S POV
This time, it was one of my contacts in law enforcement-a man who owed me more favors than I could count.
“Sebastian,” he answered on the first ring.
“I need your help,” I said without preamble.
“Sasha’s been kidnapped. I need every lead, every resource you can spare. I don’t care what it takes.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before he responded. “Understood. I’ll get my team on it immediately.”
I ended the call and turned back to Mr. Cole. “We’ll find her,” I said again, my voice firm. “And when we do, whoever’s behind this will regret the day they crossed me.”
He nodded, but the worry in his eyes hadn’t lessened. “She’s strong,” he said, almost to himself. “She’ll hold on until we get to her.”
I wanted to believe him, but the thought of Sasha alone, scared, and in the hands of strangers was almost too much to bear. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. There was no room for doubt, no time for fear.
Sasha needed me, and I would stop at nothing to bring her back.
As we left her house, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. The clock was ticking, but I wouldn’t rest until she was safe in my arms again.
Whoever had taken her had made the gravest mistake of their lives, and they would pay for it in full.
The car pulled up to Mr. Cole’s driveway under the veil of night, the moonlight casting a cold, silver sheen over the sprawling estate.
I stepped out of the car, my boots crunching against the gravel. The air was crisp, almost biting, and carried the faint scent of damp earth.
Mr. Cole followed closely behind me, his demeanor nervous as usual. I didn’t blame him, most men in his position would have felt the same in my presence.
He was a businessman, not a man accustomed to the underbelly of my world. But tonight, he was useful, and that was all that mattered.
“I trust no one else has been here since your last visit,” I said, my voice cutting through the stillness.
“No, Mr. Salvatore,” he answered quickly, his voice trembling slightly.
“I’ve made sure no one stepped foot inside after… after what happened.”
I nodded but didn’t respond. Words weren’t necessary. I had already made it clear that I wouldn’t tolerate incompetence, and Cole was wise enough to know what would happen if I felt he was holding something back.
The house loomed before us, its windows dark and empty, like the hollowed-out eyes of a corpse.
There was an unsettling quiet as we entered, the faint creak of the door echoing in the vast emptiness. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by the faint beam of my flashlight.
“Stay here,” I instructed Cole. “I’ll take it from here.”
He hesitated for a moment but nodded, stepping back toward the door. I moved deeper into the house, the beam of my flashlight sweeping across the room.
The place was a mess-furniture overturned, papers scattered across the floor, and a faint metallic scent lingering in the air. Blood.
This was no random robbery. This was deliberate, calculated. Someone had been here searching for something, and they didn’t care about being discreet.
My jaw tightened as I moved through the house, every step deliberate, my senses on high alert.
I scanned the living room, then the study, my eyes flicking over every detail, every corner, every shadow. Nothing seemed out of place in the study, but something about the living room caught my attention.
It was subtle, almost easy to miss, but years of living in my world had trained me to notice the smallest inconsistencies.
On the floor, near the edge of the coffee table, something glinted under the weak beam of my flashlight. I crouched down, my gloved fingers brushing against the object. A watch.
I picked it up, the cold metal smooth against my fingers. It wasn’t an ordinary wristwatch,
it was high-end, custom-made, the kind of piece only a select few could afford. My mind raced as I turned it over in my hands, examining the engraving on the back.
The design was familiar, but the memory of where I’d seen it was just out of reach, teasing me like a shadow in my peripheral vision.
I stood, the watch still in my hand, and pocketed it. There was no point in overthinking it now. I’d have it analyzed and find out who it belonged to.
I continued my search, moving through the rest of the house. Upstairs, the bedrooms were in a similar state, drawers pulled out, belongings tossed carelessly across the floor.
Whoever had done this was thorough, but they weren’t careful. They wanted something, and they were willing to leave a trail of chaos to get it.
But what were they looking for?
By the time I finished my sweep of the house, it was clear I wasn’t going to find anything else. The wristwatch was the only clue, the only thread that could lead me to whoever was behind this.
I returned to the front door, where Mr. Cole was waiting, his face pale and drawn.
“Anything?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
I held up the watch. “This.”
His eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. The fear in his expression told me everything I needed to know,
This watch was important, even if he didn’t recognize it.
Without another word, I stepped past him and out into the night. My men were waiting outside, their silhouettes barely visible in the darkness.
“Take this,” I said, handing the watch to one of them.
“Run a scan. I want to know who this belongs to and everything about them. If they bought a cup of coffee in the last twenty-four hours, I want to know.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, taking the watch and heading toward the car.
I turned back to Mr. Cole, who was still lingering in the doorway, his hands wringing nervously.
“Lock the house down,” I told him. “No one goes in or out until I say so.”
He nodded quickly, his relief almost palpable. “Of course, Mr. Salvatore. I’ll make sure of it.”
I didn’t wait for a response. I climbed into the backseat of the car, the door closing with a heavy thud behind me.