Page 92 of Because I Need You
“Get up,” the man said. My eyes popped open. I stood.
My grandmother yanked my arm, pulling me back toward her bed. “Let her go. She’s a ch—”
Before she could finish her sentence, he shifted the gun from my forehead to her and heard the sound of air whooshing past my ear. Her hand instantly dropped from my arm, going limp beside me. I opened my mouth and screamed. It was the only thing I could do. That was when the real panic kicked in. He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me toward the door as I looked over my shoulder. The only thing I could see was blood. I screamed again, and again. I wasn’t sure if anyone could hear me, or if they were just hiding out because they were scared, but I screamed regardless. I looked around for Petra. God, where was Petra? She could help me. We were almost at the elevator when I saw her, lying in a pool of blood. A shuddering sob raked through me as I screamed again. Please no. Please, please, no. I felt something jab me and suddenly, everything went black.
38
GIO
I looked at my watch again. I knew Isabel would be late, but she should’ve been here by now. The nightclub was in full swing, women dancing on stages on the first floor, the dance floor overflowing, and the VIP area on the second floor completely full. All of it was technically perfect, but she wasn’t here. Normally, I’d have drinks with the VIPs or stand around watching everyone dancing beneath me. Normally, I’d be thrilled over this turn-out. Tonight, it all felt stupid, empty, boring. I looked at the time again. She couldn’t possibly still be at the nursing home. I knew I should’ve gone earlier. The moment she called me, the moment I heard her broken words as she asked me all of those questions, I should’ve left this place, but she’d asked for space, and I was trying to give it to her. Now, I was beginning to worry she’d changed her mind about me, and I was starting to panic a little. I started making my way back to the office, where I’d left my phone charging. Tony turned around with me.
“Have you heard from Petra or Joey?” I asked him.
“Was I supposed to?” He took his phone out of his pocket.
“Call them. I want to know where they are,” I said, forcing a smile for the tables I walked by on my way out.
“They’re calling you back over,” Tony said. I stopped walking. He nodded back. “The women at that table.”
I looked over my shoulder to see if I recognized anyone. I didn’t. I kept walking forward. I’d play nice and stop for regulars, friends, family, and VIP, but I wasn’t going to waste my time on thirsty women. I only had eyes for one, and seeing as she wasn’t here, I knew there was a high chance she was in my apartment sulking and overthinking this entire thing. Fuck. I was going to have to leave my own grand opening, and I didn’t even fucking care. At all. As far as I was concerned, this was just another club. Isabel, though? Was irreplaceable. If I had to beg her to stay with me, I would.
“They’re not answering,” Tony said.
I stopped walking again, looking over at him. “Neither of them?”
“I tried both twice.”
The fear that trickled into my veins was slow, but once it was settled, it overrode every other emotion I might have been feeling. I ran to my office, barging in both doors. John stood quickly, and looked up, falling in step behind us when I ran past him. I practically threw myself onto my desk, where my phone was, and picked it up. No calls. No texts. Nothing. Oh, fuck. I picked it up and dialed Isabel. No answer. I dialed again. No answer. I dialed Petra, no answer. Joey, no answer. I gripped it in my hand and tried to calm down, but I was shaking, my sight blinding as I staggered into my chair. Something was horribly wrong.
“Boss?” John said, snapping my attention to his face, waiting for me to give an order.
“Go down to the nursing home. Tony will give you the address. Your sister, Joey, and Isabel were there, they were supposed to have left, but…” I didn’t want to finish that thought or sentence. I shook my head. I looked at Tony. “Go to my house.”
“What if you need to go somewhere?”
I shot him a look. “Just go and call me when you’re there.”
They both got the hell out of my office, Tony with his phone to his ear, assumingly talking to Nadia.
I picked up my phone and called Catalina. She answered quickly.
“I’m almost there. Geez.”
“Did you see Isabel today?”
