Page 7 of Hold You Close
She also doesn’t play games.
Fuck.
I look at my watch and blow a deep breath through my nose. It’ll take me at least thirty minutes to get there. This is seriously a shitty night. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Just . . . hurry,” London says and hangs up.
Dread pulls at my stomach, telling me there’s something going on. I don’t know what, but I know I need to get there.
“Get rid of the line, no more get in,” I tell the bouncer, and then head inside.
Drea is at the bar, and my anxiety is starting to grow. London needs me there, why? What happened? Did someone break into her house? Mine? Maybe it has to do with an ex, if she even has one, or it could be nothing like that. Regardless, her voice was shaky and I can’t waste time wondering.
“I have to go,” I tell Drea.
Her eyes widen. “Go? Go where? It’s a packed house.”
“I’m aware of that, but something came up. I need you to handle things tonight.” I turn to Toby. “Stay until Drea is done closing and I want you to escort her to her car at the end of the night.”
He nods.
I never let her walk out of here alone. Even if I have someone coming home with me, Drea’s not going to be unescorted. Too many men get the wrong impression because she’s nice to them. Over my dead body will she be hurt as a result of working at my club.
After I get in the car, my mind is racing. I drive faster than I should, telling myself that London is just being dramatic.
And then I remember . . . she has my nephew and nieces at her house.
My foot pushes down on the pedal of my Jaguar, making the engine howl with each mile. I turn into the development where we both live, pass my house, and head to hers. I still hate that our backyards touch. Every damn day I see her sitting out on her deck, reading her books, looking down at me with her disapproving attitude.
When I get there, the flashing lights of a police car brighten the road. I don’t think. I don’t know if I even put the car in park before I’m out of the vehicle.
“London!” I yell as I rush through the door. “Christopher? Morgan? Ruby?” I call out for the kids, praying it’s not one of them.
When I get to the living room, I release a heavy sigh—they’re all there, not hurt.
Then I see the tears streaming down Morgan’s face. London gets to her feet. Her eyes are red, puffy, and black mascara runs down her cheeks. “Ian.” She chokes on my name.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
The girls start to cry again, and my nephew pulls them into his arms.
London moves toward me, placing her hand on my chest. “They’re gone.”
“Who?” I ask, confused.
“Sabrina and David,” she whispers.
Yeah, they went on a trip. Why the hell are they crying? “This is what you called me for? They’ll be home in a few days. Why are you crying too?” I ask.
Her green eyes meet mine and her lips part. “No.” She shakes her head. “They won’t.”
I look over at the kids again, and then to the muted television. My feet move closer, because I have to be sure the words flashing across the screen say what I think they say. “Flight 1184 crashes off the coast of Hawaii. Three hundred missing and presumed dead.”
My sister was going to Hawaii.
My sister is gone.
I sink to my knees in front of the kids, unsure what to say. They just lost their parents, and my heart is breaking. My sister was my best friend. She was the one who pushed me to open Veil and do what I wanted. I’ve always had her support, and now she’s gone.
