Page 24 of Air of Seduction
Ronan shakes his head slowly. “I don’t know. I can’t remember seeing him act like that before. He always does his best to help people, but he tends to act like it doesn’t matter much to him. He’s aloof most of the time. To the point of irritation for the rest of us. But that’s just how he is and always has been.”
Ronan’s phone vibrates, and he looks down at the screen. “We’ve got a location. A house at the southern end of Navarino Road, a little to the east of Horton Road. Callum did it again.”
My heart rate shoots up as hope flares in my chest.Please, let us find her this time.I don’t believe in any god, but that doesn’t prevent me from praying. It might not help, but it can’t hurt either.
Chapter 14
Ronan
Finally.Our odds at finding Olivia just increased exponentially, provided they haven’t left the phone behind. But I’m going with the assumption that they’re still in the house.
“We’ll approach from the south. I’ll get someone else to move in from the north and from the back of the house. And someone should stay outside to keep an eye on the nearby houses just in case.” Erica clearly likes the coordinating role, and she’s good at it too.
“Sounds good.” I glance at Payton, who has her gaze fixed straight ahead. “Not long now. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
She opens her mouth, like she’s going to say something, but then she closes it and nods. Her fingers are digging into her thighs, and I just know her heart is racing, and she’s silently praying for Olivia to still be there.
Reaching out, I put my hand on top of hers. I wish I could reduce her anxiety, but I don’t believe there’s anything I can say or do at this moment to calm her. What I can do, though, is to make sure we save Olivia.
We pull into Navarino Road, and Lucas parks by the curb. The sun has gone down, but it isn’t fully dark yet.
After we exit the vehicle, we follow the sidewalk on the right side of the road until we reach the house we want. I can see Aidan, Ingrid, and Noah approaching from the north, which probably means Markus and Lyn are covering the back of the property.
I take Payton’s hand in mine when we turn into the small front yard and move toward the main entrance. Lucas and Erica are in front of us like last time, to give Lucas the opportunity to melt the metal lock and open the door for us.
There’s a basement entrance as well, and Aidan, Ingrid, and Noah will stay on the sidewalk to keep an eye on it as well as the windows. If anyone tries to leave, they will be caught.
When the main door swings open, we move silently into the hallway.
Much like we did last time, we work our way systematically through the first floor, room by room. The house was recently refurbished, and it’s evident that someone with money is living here. From what we know about him, that’s not Barry.
I hate to think what’s happened to the owners, or if they’re just out of town at the moment and don’t know that someone has spent the day at their house. There’s always the possibility the owners are vampires, but I doubt it since none of the downstairs windows have blinds to keep the sun out.
When we’re done with the first floor, I open the door to the basement. I’m well aware it’s the most likely place for a vampire to spend the day, but as was proven earlier today, there are no guarantees.
I turn on the light at the top of the stairs before moving down with measured steps. If Barry is still here, there’s no way he hasn’t heard us already. Houses creak no matter how careful you are, and a vampire’s hearing is sharper than a human’s.
The room we arrive in is empty, but there are three doors leading off it.
I’ve just opened the first door about an inch when there’s a crash from inside, and I immediately swing it open. A chair flies at my head, but I raise my arm fast enough to deflect it.
The high window to the front yard explodes in a rain of glass, and Noah rolls once on the floor before jumping to his feet.
Barry’s gaze darts between me and Noah, before he throws himself directly at my fellow enforcer, probably hoping to take him off guard.
The stupid fuck obviously doesn’t know who we are, and I don’t think he realizes the mistake he’s made before he’s crumpling to ash on the floor.
I quickly scan the room, and that’s when I see Olivia. She’s curled into a ball in the corner, on top of the remains of what I think used to be a small table. Her arms are covering her head, but I can see enough of her profile to recognize her from her picture.
I take a step in her direction, but Noah is already there with her, gathering her into his arms.
Her eyes go wide, and she lets out a startled scream as she tries to push out of his arms, but he tightens his grip on her, keeping her locked against his body.
“I’ve got you, my little water nymph. I’ve got you.” His voice is soft and soothing, so unlike him that all I can do is stare.
“Olivia.” Payton pushes me out of the way in her haste to get to her friend. “Let go of her, you asshole!”
Her command hits me like a potent drug, making me shudder with sudden desire.