Rowan…
He was the only one who could help her. If there was anyone who could pull strings and gather information in the blink of an eye, it was Rowan…!!
Her pulse quickened as the idea settled.
Without thinking any further, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number.
The line rang once.. then twice…
Four times. Six times.
Each unanswered ring was a stab to her nerves.
And then the line disconnected automatically…
Panic set in, and she hit redial.
The same rhythmic beeping of the unanswered call echoed in her ear. Her fingers trembled as she dialed again.
Her desperation mounted with each failed attempt.
“Pick up the damn phone, Rowan,” she muttered under her breath. “Where the hell are you when I need you the most?”
She dialed his number once more, but again, it went unanswered.
She slammed the phone onto her lap, gripping it tightly, her chest heaving with a mixture of fear and anger.
Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Please, Rowan… pick up.”
Lucas, sitting beside her in the driver’s seat, had been silently observing the scene unfold.
He watched her frantically calling the same number again and again, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Rowan’s name on the caller ID.
He sighed, knowing exactly why she was calling him, and inwardly agreeing.
If anyone had the connections and power to find Vaughn quickly, it was Rowan.
Even if he was enemy, he had never harmed Amara or Vaughn.. but was even gentle with them.
As Amara went to dial Rowan’s number once more, Lucas spoke up, his voice calm but firm. “Miss, why don’t you try calling Harvey?”
Amara looked up at him, her eyes wide and clouded with panic.
She hadn’t thought of Harvey, but Lucas had a point.
Harvey was Rowan’s younger brother, and if anyone could reach Rowan faster, it would be him.
Her fingers scrolled to Harvey’s number, and she dialed his number, holding her breath.
The seconds felt like hours.
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
But just like Rowan, Harvey didn’t pick up.
Her heart sank further into despair.
Her hands went slack, and the phone slipped from her grip, resting on her lap.
She stared at the road ahead with a blank expression, her thoughts spiraling into a pit of dread.
Lucas cast a quick glance at her but said nothing, sensing the weight of her hopelessness.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and drove in silence.
Two hours later..
A private jet touched down on a secluded runway in Las Vegas. The night was thick, the stars overhead hidden by a blanket of clouds.
The first to step out of the jet was Rowan, followed closely by Harvey, his assistant Kyle, and his long-time business partner and friend, Axel Stone.
Axel looked at Rowan as they descended the stairs. “I’m leaving now,” he said, his voice was casual.
Without waiting for a reply, Axel walked towards a sleek black car that was already waiting for him.
Rowan barely acknowledged him. His focus was solely on the phone he had just turned on.
As soon as the screen lit up, it buzzed with notifications.. message after message, missed calls flashing urgently.
All of them from Amara.
His brows furrowed as he scrolled through the list of missed calls.
There was no way she would have called him so many times unless… unless something terrible had happened.
His breath hitched.
He immediately dialed her number, his heart pounding with a sense of urgency that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
The call barely rang twice before Amara answered, her voice sharp and raw with distress.
“Rowan, where are you?” she demanded, her voice trembling, almost breaking.
“I’m at the airport. What’s wrong? Is everything alright?” Rowan’s voice was steady, but there was a tension in his words, a sense of dread creeping into his bones.
Amara’s response was hoarse, as though she had been crying. “Vaughn… he’s… he’s been…”
Rowan’s heart stopped for a moment. His hand tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white. “What?” His voice dropped, dark and dangerous. “What happened to Vaughn?”
Amara’s words came out in a rush, her voice cracking under the weight of the fear that had been building up inside her. “I don’t know… I… I don’t know. Vaughn was coming back with Nick from school.. but then some people kidnapped him.. I… Rowan, I need you. I don’t know what to do.”
Rowan’s jaw clenched. “Send me your location. I’m coming right now.”
Amara glanced around at her surroundings, her hands trembling as she spoke. “I’m in front of your house. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Stay there. I’ll be there in few minutes,” Rowan replied before hanging up
Rowan’s pulse raced as he gave out an order to Kyle. “Drive. Fast.”
Kyle nodded, already stepping on the gas pedal. He exchanged a look with Harvey, who had overheard the conversation.
“What’s going on?” Harvey asked, his face a mask of confusion and concern.
Rowan didn’t spare him a glance. His gaze was fixed ahead, his voice cold and clipped. “Vaughn’s been kidnapped.”
Harvey’s eyes widened, a sharp intake of breath the only sound he made as he processed the news. “What?” The disbelief in his voice was palpable, but there was no time to react.
Kyle’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he pushed the car to its limits.
The speedometer shot past one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour, but it wasn’t fast enough. He pressed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring as the car hurtled down the highway.
Rowan sat in the backseat, his jaw set, his mind racing with dark thoughts.
His protective instincts were in overdrive. Vaughn wasn’t just any child to him.. He liked him.. And Amara… she was more important than she probably even realized.
His world revolved around keeping them safe, and now, someone had shattered that world.
The night outside blurred into streaks of light as the car sped through the city streets.
Rowan’s mind raced, scenarios flashing before him in the dark corners of his mind. Who could have taken Vaughn? Why? And more importantly, what did they want?
He cursed under his breath, his eyes narrowing with a burning rage.
Whoever had dared to lay a hand on Vaughn would pay. He would make sure of it.
His thoughts were consumed by vengeance, by the need to crush whoever was behind this.
Kyle’s voice broke the tense silence. “We’re almost there.”
Rowan’s phone buzzed again. It was another message from Raven about some deal..
But his mind was elsewhere.
On Amara..
He could picture her waiting outside his private house, alone, vulnerable, and scared out of her mind.
His heart clenched. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.. Or Vaughn.. Not while he was still breathing.
The car screeched to a halt in front of Rowan’s private residence.
The street was eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of the engine as Kyle killed the ignition.
Rowan was out of the car in an instant, his long strides carrying him towards Amara, who was sitting in her car, eyes wide and red-rimmed from crying.
She looked up as he approached, her face etched with fear, relief flooding her expression the moment she saw him.
He opened her car door, his voice low and controlled. “I’m here. We’ll find him.”
Amara nodded, though her hands shook.
Rowan placed a firm hand on her shoulder, grounding her. “We’ll find Vaughn,” he repeated, his voice dark and unwavering. “And whoever took him will regret the day they crossed me.”