CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
BURKE’S POV
Soon, the board meeting was over, and I headed to my room quickly; I needed some time to process what had just happened.
Jack was taken to the torture room, according to my order; although I ordered them not to torture him, there was a fishy play, and I needed to know it.
I got to my room and took a cool shower to clear my head before changing into my daily wear of a back shirt and black pants. When I was done dressing I headed to the torture room to see my best friend.
When I got there, there was a line of people waiting to see their loved ones, but I didn’t have that much time to join the line.
I walked to one of the guards, who bowed to me immediately before everyone else bowed after realizing that I was the Alpha of the pack.
“Where is Jack? I demand his presence now,” I ordered one of the guards who was in charge of guarding the torture room.
The guard gave me a slight bow before going to fetch Jack; I entered the waiting room and sat on the empty chair there; the waiting room was surrounded by fifteen guards.
The waiting room was guarded that way to prevent the culprit from killing the visitor, but I don’t think I would need that. Jack had been my best friend since childhood; if he wanted to kill me, he would have done that since there was plenty of chance he had to end my life.
“I want you all out,” I ordered loudly, they obeyed my command without me having to repeat myself.
Soon, the guard brought Jack with a handcuff in Jack’s hand.
The guard looked around and found out that none of his colleagues were there; fear flashed quickly in his eyes; probably, he was thinking Jack and I wanted to murder him.
“Don’t be afraid; I sent them away. I want to talk with my best friend alone,” I said, and he nodded in response.
Jack walked to where I was and sat on the empty chair that was opposite me.
“Take the handcuff off,” I ordered the guard, and he looked at me in shock; he was reluctant to take my order.
“I won’t want to repeat myself,” I warned, and he took the handcuff off immediately before leaving Jack and me alone in the waiting room.
“What the fuck man? Do you think I killed your father? You think I killed Ethan,” Jack said almost in a yell; the bitterness in his voice could be heard, and it broke my heart to hear my best friend sound like that.
“Of course, I don’t believe you killed him, but someone did, and I think the counselor is among the murderers,” I said, and the relief that flashed in Jack’s eyes was satisfying.
“So what’s your plan?” Jack asked, massaging his wrist where the handcuff was.
“I want you to remain here for a while; I’ll explain everything to your wife,” I explained, but Jack looked at me in anger mixed with confusion.
“Why the hell do I have to stay in a torture room?” He asked, Confused.
“Because they framed you to be the murderer, that is to say, they want you dead, framing you as the murderer would mean you are going to die, imagine you leave without dying, they will come harder on you and I don’t want to lose my best friend, ” I explained and Jack nodded his head in approval.
“Then I’ll meet Catherine to come up with a plan, she is a smartass,” I said, remembering that I had not seen Catherine since I got back from the board meeting.
“That’s reasonable, but please ensure you tell my wife everything that’s happening,” He said, resting his back on the chair.
“Of course, you know I will,” I said, nodding my head.
“Thank you, thank you for not believing them,” He said, with a bit of pain in his voice.
I returned his gratitude with a smile before he was dismissed back into a special room in the torture house.
I instructed the guards not to torture him till I permitted them; I also made sure that Jack would be provided with everything he needed before I went back to my mansion.
Getting back to my mansion, I was so impatient to see Catherine. I don’t know why, probably because I hadn’t seen her in hours; it was past noon already.
“I just hope she hasn’t gone back to Chicago,” I said to myself, because her job in the pack was done already, and Catherine would be gone in a day or two; I can feel it.
Soon, I was at Catherine’s doorstep. I knocked at her door several, but there was no reply.
“I’m coming in,” I yelled as I pushed the door open.
I gazed around Catherine’s room, and it was empty; I would have thought she was taking a shower, but there was no sound coming from the bathroom.
“She is in the garden there,” I said to myself, Those were the only two places Catherine visited every day.
I left her room and headed to the garden, and I saw Susan, Catherine’s maid, looking for something or someone.
“Catherine would be here,” I said aloud, walking towards Susan.
“Good day, I’m sorry for not being there immediately after she called me; I thought you guys were still meeting at the garden,” Susan said, and I stared at her, confused.
“What are you talking about? I came here to see Catherine” I said, and Susan just stared at me, like she was reading my thoughts or something.
“Wait, you didn’t give her a bouquet today with a note, inviting her to the garden?” Susan asked, and I shook my head in response.
“I have been at the board meeting, hope it’s not what I’m thinking?” I asked as fear gripped me.
“It’s what you are thinking, Master; she had been kidnapped,” Susan said, and my heart stopped beating.