Page 69 of Jump on Three

I latched on to his thick forearm, pressing into his ropey skin with the tips of my fingers. “Where’s the girl?”

If Evelyn had come here tonight…if Marco had her…Christ, I didn’t know what I’d do, but panic constricted my chest over what Marco might do. He didn’t take the sanctity of this club lightly.

I needed Jay to say Marco had sent her home. Or it wasn’t my girl, but some random chick.

“Yeah, so Marco’s got her in his office. Last I heard, he was getting ready to question her.”

That was all I needed to hear. There was a chance—a big one—Evelyn wasn’t the one who’d snuck in. I could not let my brain wander to what ends Marco might go to question her. Evelyn would not take well to him yelling. Marco didn’t hurt women, but he had a temper. I wouldn’t put it past him to raise his voice at her, and I didn’t think I’d handle that very well.

The crowd was even denser inside. Moving through them slowed me down immensely. It didn’t help that I was unwilling to use brute force. Jay would have carved the Grand Canyon through the jumping, dancing, writhing bodies.

At the VIP stairs, the bouncers guarding the bottom gave me head nods. I jerked my chin as I flew past, taking the steps two at a time. My heart thundered like a herd of wild horses beating against my breastbone.

Marco’s office was ahead, windows overlooking the dance floor below. He normally kept them clear so he could watch his kingdom, but he’d frosted them tonight, making it impossible to see inside.

My blood surged through my veins like ice, cold with dread and panic. I told her not to come back. If Marco had her, if she’d defied me, she was going to hear exactly how mad I was at her—right after I ensured she was unharmed.

Too much time had gone by. Decades passed before I reached Marco’s office. Once I was there, everything sped up. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, my mouth locked and loaded, ready to tell him to let Evelyn go.

The scene I walked in on knocked me back on my heels.

Marco crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth hitching into a crooked grin. “Ah, Ivan’s here. Nice of you to come by, man. We’ve been waiting for you.”

My gaze swung to Evelyn, who was seated on the couch opposite Marco’s desk. Her shoes were arranged neatly on the ground. A blanket covered her legs, which were tucked on the couch with her. On her lap was a half-eaten pile of french fries, and around her neck was a pair of pink headphones.

Black spots appeared in my vision when she lifted a hand and waved, her smile big and shiny.

What. The. Fuck?

“Hi, Ivan,” she cooed sweetly.

I swung to Marco. “What is she doing in your office?”

Evelyn spoke for him. “Did you know Marco went to Savage U with Mrs. Umbra? He’s best friends with her husband. Obviously, I’m not in band, but everyone knows Mrs. Umbra is wonderful.”

My jaw tightened. “I did not know this.”

“It’s true. She helped last semester, after Charles…” she trailed off, but there was no need for her to complete her sentence. I’d been there when her psychopath ex had been expelled from school due to his unsavory proclivities. Mrs. Umbra had helped gather the evidence leading to his removal.

So yeah, I knew who Mrs. Umbra was. I liked her.

But I had no fucking desire to talk about Mrs. Umbra right now.

“What is she doing in your office, Marco?” I bit out.

His half smile melted away, and he straightened from his relaxed pose, his body taut like a panther poised to take down its prey. Deep, watchful eyes hardened, boring into me. “Watch how you talk to me, kid.”

“I’m asking you a question.”

“Nah.” He circled his desk to take a seat in his chair, which could have doubled as a throne. “You barged into my office, throwing out questions that are more like accusations, demanding answers when you haven’t shown me the respect to get them. Let’s back up and try again.”

Being spoken to this way set me on edge. It reminded me too much of my father, who viewed everyone as his employees, including his children.

My goal, however, was to get Evelyn out of here without upsetting her. Fighting with Marco would not achieve that goal. So, I tucked away my ego and tamped down my anger. Besides, Evelyn was unharmed. There was no reason for me to be angry at Marco.

“All right.” My hands flexed at my sides. “Can either of you explain how Evelyn ended up in your office?”

“Sure,” Marco replied, his entire demeanor switching in a blink. Leaning back in his chair, he slung an arm on the surface of his desk. “I saw this little creature slipping in the back door on the security monitors. Naturally, I was curious, so I went down to see what she was up to. Caught her about to follow some girls into the main club. Brought her up here to question her.”