Chapter Thirty-Six

Vince Is, Like, So Mean to Holt

Vince

I got a little nervous when Crossbody never texted me back with his address. Maybe he’d suddenly changed his mind and didn’t want me at his place.

Maybe my asking had freaked him out. Made him think I was getting too… serious or something. Which I wasn’t. I definitely wasn’t.

I got a little more nervous when he still hadn’t shown up for work by late afternoon, but I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t that weird. He wasn’t performing today, so technically, he didn’t need to come in. But it wasn’t normal for him. He usually came in even when he didn’t have a match, to work out or practise moves, like the rest of us.

At 9.30 p.m., just before the show started, I texted him, You not coming in tonight?

He hadn’t replied.

When he didn’t show up again the next day, I tried calling him. It just went to voicemail. I texted him again asking if he was okay and got no response.

After Saturday night’s show ended, I waited in the hallway so I could stop Holt before he went into the main room to give his nightly speech to the wrestlers. I was worn out and coated in drying sweat after my match against Susan.

“Has Crossbody called in sick?” I asked as Holt and Taylor approached, hand in hand.

Holt’s brows twitched. “No. He’s not here?”

I shook my head stiffly. “He didn’t come in yesterday either.”

The pair stopped in front of me, Taylor casting Holt a worried glance. After a few seconds, Holt waved his hand, but he looked mildly concerned.

“He has no more matches this weekend, so he’s probably just relaxing after the big one with the Ghastly Boys.”

“Maybe,” I said tightly. “So he hasn’t contacted you?”

“No, but that’s not necessarily unusual. Crossbody does what he wants, but he’s always here when I need him to be, so…” Holt shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll be in tomorrow. Or on Monday.”

“It’s nice that you’re concerned, Vince.” Taylor offered me a hesitant smile. “The therapy with Corey must be going well, huh? Are you starting to get along?”

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Yeah, we… we’re fine now. We’re good. I’ve just never known him to not come in for a couple days at a time like this. He’s always here.”

It felt weirdly empty without him. No constant pounding of his feet on the treadmill in the background, which I was only now realising I’d found kind of comforting. No sight of him and his big wings sweeping arrogantly into the room. No sound of his low, smooth voice.

“He’ll be in on Monday at the latest,” Holt assured me with a confidence I didn’t feel myself. “Like I said, he’s probably just decompressing. The last month has been pretty full-on for you both, huh? The matches together, the therapy sessions, the new talent starting…”

“Yeah,” I said absently, trying not to get too worried that he hadn’t even contacted Holt to say he wouldn’t be coming in.

And even if that was all true, he still would’ve told the boss, right?

When Taylor and Holt continued on into the main room, I didn’t follow. I hadn’t performed my best tonight, because I’d been distracted, so I wasn’t particularly in the mood to hear Holt’s ‘good job’ speech when I hadn’t done a good job. Instead, I went into my dressing room and tried to call Crossbody again. There was no answer.

Shoving a hand through my hair, I fired off another text.

Sorry if I’m bugging you, but just want to make sure you’re ok because you haven’t come in.

I saw the text get delivered, and I stared down at my phone screen, hoping to see the three dots appear to tell me he was typing back. They never did.

If he’d still been coming to work but ignoring me, I would’ve just figured he was ghosting me, but this—the sudden, total silence—wasn’t right. I knew it wasn’t.

Something was wrong.

My stomach jittery, I went back into the hallway and waited for Holt and Taylor to reappear.

“It feels weird,” I blurted the moment they stepped through the doors. “Crossbody doesn’t do this, right? He’s always here.”

“That doesn’t mean he has to be, though,” Holt said patiently. “Seriously, Vince, don’t worry. I think you’re a little stressed too, and you’ve performed twice this weekend, so you must be tired. Just go home and get some sleep.”

“Maybe I could go check on him,” I hurried out, heat creeping up my neck when Holt’s brows rose.

“I mean… sure. I can’t stop you. But I don’t think you need to worry.”

“I need his address,” I said stiffly, the flush reaching my cheeks as Holt and Taylor exchanged a quick look.

“I can’t give out my employees’ addresses, Vince.”

“It’s not just some random employee,” I grated. “It’s Crossbody. We’ve worked together for five years.”

“And you’ve been very open about your dislike of him for all five of those years,” Holt countered, brow arching again.

I spluttered in disbelief. “Come on, Holt, what the fuck do you think I’m going to do? I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

Holt tugged on Taylor’s hand to get them moving again, making my pulse leap with panic.

“I’m not giving you Crossbody’s address, Vince,” he said. “That’s a massive confidentiality breach. If you’re so worried, I’ll call him in the morning. First thing. Alright? Go home.”

“But he’s not answering the phone,” I said, a hint of desperation tingeing my voice.

Holt glanced back. “It’s late, that’s why. Can you stop? You’re making me all nervous. He’s fine, Vince. It’s been, what, two days? We all work too much anyway. Let the man enjoy his weekend.”

My face prickled with heat, hands clenching into fists.

“You’re being an asshole and a shitty boss,” I heard myself snap. “Just give me his fucking address.”

Holt gasped in offence and whirled around. “What the fuck, Vince? That was so mean.”

“You’re just brushing this off like it’s nothing.” I was too worked up to care that I was almost yelling at my boss. “Something could be wrong and you’re acting like it’s no big deal.”

“Uh, no, you’re just massively overreacting to the colleague you don’t even really like having a weekend off, which is seriously fucking weird.”

I scowled at him, my face hot. “Then just give me his address and I’ll shut up.”

Holt spluttered in exasperation. “I can’t give you his fucking address, Vince! Would you want me to give anyone yours ?”

“Okay.” Taylor stepped forward, holding up his hands, his brow creased with worry. “I think we’re all tired and a little stressed. This isn’t helping anything.”

“He started it,” Holt said petulantly.

“Holt will call Crossbody first thing in the morning to make sure he’s alright. Okay, Vince?”

“I just told you he’s not answering,” I gritted out through clenched teeth.

“Maybe he’s not answering because it’s you, ” Holt muttered sulkily, inspecting his fingernails.

That made tendrils of insecurity creep into my gut, which made me even angrier.

“Holt,” Taylor said sternly. “Vince just told us their relationship has improved. And we can see it for ourselves, if Vince is this… concerned.” He offered me a wary smile.

“Make sure you fucking call him, Holt,” I said tersely. “First thing. He’s been loyal to you for six years. Show some fucking loyalty back.”

Holt gasped. “What the fuck?! I am loyal! I’m so loyal to all of you. How the hell is letting him take the weekend off without a fuss not being loyal? It makes me a great boss!”

“No, making sure he’s okay and that there’s nothing wrong would make you a great boss,” I gritted out. “Right now you’re just being an asshole.”

“I’m, like, ninety percent sure you definitely shouldn’t speak to your boss that way,” Holt said doubtfully, then looked at Taylor. “Right?”

Taylor made a strangled sound. “It’s… inadvisable. But I think Vince is just concerned about his… colleague, and we’re all tired, and it’s already been a long weekend, so let’s just cool off and revisit this in the morning. We’ll call Crossbody first thing and let you know how it goes. Okay?”

“And if he doesn’t answer, then what?” I shot back immediately.

Holt groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Vince, you are such a stubborn little shithead.”

“Don’t call your employees shitheads, honey,” Taylor said quietly.

“ If he doesn’t show up tomorrow or answer the phone,” Holt said, giving me a stern look, “then I’ll… I don’t know, send Seb to check on him. Okay?”

“If Seb can know his address, why can’t I?”

“Oh my god.” Holt groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Vince, seriously.”

“It just seems like you’re not giving it to me out of spite.” My face was hot and my breathing too fast.

Holt stared at me incredulously. “No, it’s because it’s private fucking information, and if Crossbody wanted you to have his address, he would’ve given it to you himself.”

I snapped my mouth shut with a scowl, breathing hard, because I couldn’t really argue with that.

He’d specifically not answered my text asking for it.

“We’ll call him,” Taylor told me in an overly soothing voice. “And Seb will go check on him, if need be. You should go home and get some sleep, Vince.”

I knew I was going to struggle to sleep, but I also knew that I was getting nowhere right now. Holt always got grouchy when he was tired, and I’d already riled him up.

Shit. I’d called my boss an asshole. Twice.

“Sorry for calling you an asshole and a shitty boss,” I forced myself to mutter. “You’re not.”

Holt sniffed and shrugged, sulkily inspecting his fingernails again. “S’okay. Sorry for calling you a stubborn little shithead.”

“There we go,” Taylor said cheerfully, taking Holt’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

I licked my dry lips and croaked, “Holt, seriously. It just feels like something is wrong. Please call him first thing.”

“I will.” Holt was looking at me like he’d finally realised I wasn’t just being a hothead. I was genuinely worried. He winced, expression growing a little guilty. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to brush you off, Vince. It just… It really hasn’t been that long, and it’s not like he’s missed any matches. I really think he’s just taking the weekend off.”

“Then just call him to confirm that,” I said huskily, feeling ill when I added, “Maybe you’re right—maybe he’s not answering because it’s me.”

Holt winced again. “Sorry. That was a dick thing to say.”

“It’s fine.”

Had this happened a couple of weeks earlier, I would’ve agreed with him. And there was no way I would’ve cared if Crossbody hadn’t shown up for work for a couple of days.

I probably would’ve been glad.

Now, that made a horrible sense of guilt churn in my gut. I’d been such an asshole to him for so long. And he was so…

Sweet. Gentle. Affectionate and warm. Full of insecurities, just like anyone else. With problems and sore spots like the rest of us. Nothing like I’d assumed for years.

And I missed him. It had been two fucking days, and I missed him.

—

“Have you tried calling him yet?” I asked Holt the moment he stepped into his office on Sunday morning, where I was impatiently waiting. I was pretty sure I’d been the first one in the building.

He jumped, clutching his chest and almost spilling his takeout cup over his front. “Jesus, Vince.”

“I tried calling him three more times and he didn’t answer. He hasn’t answered any of my texts either.”

I hadn’t slept at all. I had no idea if I was massively overreacting, like Holt had said last night, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

He would’ve texted me back otherwise, if nothing else. The fact that he’d gone AWOL from work was seriously out of character.

“I tried twice the moment I woke up,” Holt assured me, rounding his desk to sit down. He finally looked worried about it. “Then twice more on the way in. He didn’t answer. That’s weird, right?”

“Yes, it’s fucking weird,” I gritted out. “So what are you going to do?”

“I already texted Seb. He’s on his way there.”

I was still furious that for some stupid fucking reason, Seb could have his address but I couldn’t. “How long will it take him to get there?”

Holt raised a brow at me. “Not too long. I’ll come and find you when I hear from him.”

I stubbornly sat in the chair in front of his desk. “I’ll wait here.”

Holt spluttered. “I have work to do!”

“Like what?”

His cheeks turned a darker grey as he set his cup down and shuffled a few papers around on his desk. “Like… paperwork and so on. Schmoozing. I don’t fucking know. Managerial things.”

“I won’t get in your way.” I sat back and tried to appear relaxed, but my knee was bouncing wildly.

Holt squirmed a little in his seat and turned on his computer, then clicked aimlessly a few times before opening his desk drawer for no reason and closing it a second later. He pulled his notebook closer and opened it, tapping his fluffy pink pen on the desk as he stared down at it and nodded to himself, trying to look thoughtful.

“Alright, fine,” he finally blurted, dropping the pen and flopping back in his seat. “I was going to do a face mask, okay? But it’s really fucking awkward with you just sitting there.”

“Where’s your phone?” I asked with a frown. “Maybe Seb’s called you.”

He huffed and pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the screen. “He hasn’t.”

“It’s not on silent, right?”

“No, it’s not on silent!” Holt groaned and stood up. “I’ll go make you a coffee. You’re making me all… tense and anxious. And you look like you need it.”

When he left the room, I immediately tried calling Crossbody again. This time, it went straight to voicemail, which made my whole body tense with weird, desperate panic.

“I think his phone’s off now,” I blurted the moment Holt reappeared a few minutes later.

“Oh. Shit.” He set a cup in front of me and quickly rounded the desk to sit down and check his phone. “Seb hasn’t called me yet.”

“Call him,” I said tightly.

He nodded and tapped on the screen before raising the phone to his ear, gazing at me worriedly and nibbling his lower lip. “What do you think that means?”

“He’s turned it off or it’s gone flat.” Fear streaked through me. That second option was worrying. Was he hurt? Unable to reach his phone?

“Seb?” Holt said a second later, then quickly turned on speakerphone and set his phone on the desk. “Vince is here with me. Did you see Crossbody?”

The quiet werewolf’s deep voice came through the phone. “I’m still sitting on his drive. Knocked several times and there was no answer.”

Panic had me leaning forward and gripping the edge of the desk. “Does it look like he’s home?”

“Yeah,” Seb said. “His car’s on the drive, and there are a few lights on. The TV is on in the living room too. And when I looked through the window, there was a cat who doesn’t seem to have missed any meals.”

“But he didn’t answer the door?” Holt asked worriedly.

“No, boss. I called out to let him know it was me, but he still didn’t answer.”

“I told you.” My voice was husky with anxiety. “Something’s wrong.”

“Did you hear anything?” Holt asked Seb. “Like maybe him calling for help?”

“No, boss.”

“Knock again,” I blurted. “Just kick the door down if he doesn’t answer, Seb.”

“No, don’t do that,” Holt rushed out in horror. “He’ll sue my ass off. Are we sure he’s not just having the weekend to himself? I mean, it’s Crossbody. It’s not like it’s out of character for him to ignore everyone.”

“Holt,” I gritted out.

“I’m just saying,” he said hurriedly. “Seb, does anything seem… wrong? Weird?”

“Not really, boss,” the werewolf answered. “He’s just not answering the door.”

“Give me his address,” I blurted. “Seb, give me his address.”

“Uh…”

“Vince, please.” Holt rubbed his face anxiously. “Just let me think. Maybe… maybe we should call Bryce and Heather to do a welfare check,” he said, referring to two supernatural cops who were Goliaths regulars.

“How will that help if he won’t answer the fucking door?” I gritted out. “Holt, just give me his address. Let me go over there.”

“How will that help?” Holt was growing flustered.

“Because we…” I clenched my jaw and stood, leaning on the desk. My voice was hoarse when I said, “Holt, please. I need to make sure he’s okay. Please .”

Holt was staring up at me, his hot pink eyes wide. His anxious gaze darted to his phone when Seb’s low voice came over the speaker.

“What do you want me to do, boss?”

After a few tense seconds, he scrubbed his hands over his face. “Fuck. Fine. I’ll give you his address.”

I sagged. “Thank you.”

“Vince is going to check on him, Seb,” Holt said as he quickly opened something on his computer and typed. “You can come to the office.”

“Alright. See you soon.”

The call ended, and I waited anxiously as Holt scribbled an address on the corner of a notebook page, periodically glancing at his monitor.

“If you’d just told me you were a thing—which I know we can’t get into right now, but what the fuck— I would’ve given you his address sooner,” he muttered tersely.

“We’re not a…” I automatically started to say, but stopped myself because it felt wrong. Awful. “I’m just worried about him.”

“No, really? You’ve managed to age me ten fucking years in the space of fifteen minutes, you shithead.” He shot me a quick look. “Don’t tell Taylor I called you a shithead again.”

He tore the corner of the page free, and I couldn’t stop myself from snatching it impatiently when he held it out.

“Thank you,” I remembered to say, already turning for the door.

“If you see him, tell him we’re worried about him,” Holt said anxiously, rising from the desk to follow me. “And let me know, okay?”

“Yep.” I nodded at Larkin as I left Holt’s office. He was sitting behind his desk, fiddling with his phone and looking a little freaked out.

“What’s going on?”

I didn’t stick around to fill him in, already striding out of the room and down the corridor with determination.

If Crossbody didn’t answer the door, I was kicking it down.