Chapter 10

The cabin is too quiet, and too clean. It’s how I know something isn’t quite right the moment we step into it. We are all frustrated and angry, the job we were sent on was child”s play, something a scared initiate could have done. We aren’t initiates and it’s been a long time since we were sent to do something so amateur.

It makes me wonder why our boss, Owen, sent us and not one of the lower teams.

But for now, I feel an itch to get back to my angel.

The others go searching for her ahead of me, but my feet slow to a stop. My senses are on high alert. There is a distinct lack of her in the air. The air just feels wrong.

I don’t even need to see Rayth walk out of the bedroom with a worried frown, I already know. “She’s not there,” he says.

They both look through the cabin as I stand still in the center of the living area. Damon strides out from another room, frustration etched deep into his features. ”There”s no sign of her anywhere,” he confirms, his tone terse.

Rayth tilts his head at something in the kitchen, his long strides eating up the space in seconds before his hand pulls something off the refrigerator. A note. “Thanks for the holiday,” he snarls, he crushes the piece of paper in his fist before throwing it to the floor.

I take a step toward it but stop myself, my mind racing with possibilities. ”This doesn”t make sense, it”s too vague,” I mutter, repeating the words in my mind. ”And it doesn’t sound like her.”

Rayth scoffs as he paces the length of the room, his gaze scanning every corner as if searching for answers in the shadows. “Well, we don’t really know her, do we?”

As Rayth”s frustration boils over, I can feel the tension in the air thickening. ”We know enough, and something”s off about all of this,” I say, my voice low with concern. ”Everly wouldn”t just leave us a note like that and disappear.”

Damon”s jaw tightens even more, his eyes flickering with a mix of anger and worry. ”We need to figure out what”s going on and fast,” he says, his tone clipped.

My instincts tell me that Everly didn”t leave willingly, but I can”t shake the feeling that something more sinister is at play here. ”We need to search the area,” I declare, determination hardening my tone.

As the three of us step out of the cabin once again, the sinking feeling in my gut intensifies. We split up, each heading in a different direction, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Everly. But the forest offers no clues, just melting snow and silent trees.

My mind races as I envision Everly out there alone, potentially in danger. We didn”t find the gun in the cabin, so at least she had that with her, but it”s little help in silencing my racing thoughts.

As the sun begins its descent, casting long shadows through the trees, we reluctantly return to the cabin, knowing that searching in the dark would be futile. Damon slumps into a chair near the kitchen, exhaustion evident in every line of his body.

Something catches my attention and I tilt my head, studying the floor beneath the chair Damon occupies. Without hesitation, I reach out and yank him up, ignoring his brief protest as I crouch down to inspect the spot.

There, barely noticeable, is a small patch of red staining the floor. My heart clenches as I reach out to touch it, confirming that it”s dry. But what catches my attention next rings even more alarm bells—flecks of red on the chair leg.

”What is it?” Rayth”s voice breaks through my thoughts, his concern palpable.

”Blood,” I reply simply, my voice barely above a whisper. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut, confirming my thoughts. Everly”s disappearance wasn”t voluntary, and whatever happened here, someone bled to make it happen.

I had already seen too many bruises and cuts on my angel’s skin that we didn’t inflict. Whoever did this will be dying a slow and painful death. I am going to tear them limb from limb if she has been hurt.

Standing I pull out my phone and hit dial on one of the contacts. It doesn’t take long before a hesitant male voice answers.

“Hello?” I can hear the nerves and fear in his voice, but I will give it to the boy, he’s never really let it show. I respect that, so I don’t point it out.

“Tavish, we need a favor,” I say without preamble.

“A favor?” He repeats, his tone curious now. I don’t blame him, we never ask for anything normally.

“We need you to do something but it’s just for our eyes only, can you do that?” The question is redundant, I know he can but it’s the first time I’ve made it clear I know he can get around the prying eyes of our leader.

He’s silent for a moment and I know he is weighing the odds on if he can trust me. Again, I don’t blame him.

He scoffs, and I know he’s about to resort to the facade he always hides behind. “Potentially. How about you tell me what you need first and then I’ll tell you if I can,” he says and I can hear his fingers moving on his keyboard.

“We need you to locate someone,” I start.

“That doesn’t sound all that top secret, Killian, or much of a challenge,” he quips.

“We don’t have that many details about her,” I admit, regretting not even getting Everly’s last name.

“Ummm, are you stalking someone, Killian? Does she even know you?” He asks and I try not to growl at his interruption or assumptions.

“Tavish,” I snap and I can almost hear an audible gulp through the phone as he shuts up.

“She was with us only this morning, but we think something has happened and she didn’t leave here willingly, there is blood spray. Her name is Everly. We don’t know much else except she was pre-med before she was pulled from college by her step father. Her mother died a year ago. She has white blonde hair, ice blue eyes,” I tell him.

There is a pause and I know he is waiting for more information but I don’t have any. “That’s it? That’s not fucking much to go on Killian.”

Tavish”s exasperation is evident even through the phone. ”I understand it”s not much, but it”s all we have,” I reply. ”We need you to work your magic and find her. We don”t care what it takes, just get it done.”

”Aren”t you due back tomorrow?” Tavish asks.

”We are going to stay in the area for another day now,” I respond firmly, my focus solely on finding Everly. I hear rustling on the other end of the line before Tavish starts to eat something, another nervous habit of his.

”Boss isn”t going to like that,” he remarks between bites.

His words don”t concern me at all, and currently, neither does any of the bullshit that Owen can dish out, so I just hum to acknowledge his statement.

There”s a moment of silence, and I can almost hear the gears turning in Tavish”s mind before he then shifts back to business. ”Alright, I”ll see what I can do,” he finally concedes, his tone more serious now. ”But this is going to take some time. Don”t expect results right away.”

I exhale slowly, at least Tavish is willing to help despite the vague information we”ve provided. ”Thank you, Tavish,” I say. ”Keep us updated on any progress.”

With that, I end the call and turn to face Rayth and Damon, who are both watching me expectantly. ”Tavish is on it,” I inform them. ”We just have to wait.”

Damon nods grimly, his expression darkening with worry. ”Let”s hope he comes through for us,” he mutters, rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off an impending headache.

Rayth”s anger is palpable as he clenches his fists. ”This has to be her stepfather, right?” he seethes, his eyes flashing with rage.

”I wish I had gotten that dead man”s name from her lips,” I declare.

”But she was scared, though. You couldn”t push her any more than you did,” Damon interjects, his gaze shifting between Rayth and me. ”She is a strong woman, we just have to hope that she stays strong until we find her.”

”When Tavish finds her, and he better fucking find her, I”m going to hunt down that asshole and break every bone in his body before I skin him alive,” I vow.

Everly belongs with us, from the moment I found her in that snow she was mine, ours. We will get her back and whoever took her will be wishing for death by the time we are done. No one touches what’s ours.