54. Camille

Chapter 54

Camille

L ater that day, we were all sitting at the kitchen table listening to Dante’s plan to get the information we wanted from the university president. We’d been by the president’s house beforehand and had confirmed that the pattern of trees on his gates was identical to one of the symbols on the banner I’d photographed at Silas’s dad’s house. The president’s ties to Crimsonvale made it likely that he was probably a high-ranking participant in whatever the hell was happening on campus with the missing kids.

“You’re serious? You want to kidnap him?” I asked.

“Yes. If Drew went missing the way the other kids did, we need to act fast. Only we need backup. I can ask my friends at the MC if they’d be willing to help.”

“Why would your friends do that?” Kage asked with a frown.

“I’m not sure they will, but I can ask. And if they say no, then I’ll do it alone.”

“Why you?” asked Ty.

“Because I’m the oldest,” Dante explained. “I have the least to lose. I have no family. I have no burning need for revenge either. I’m the most expendable and the most likely to get off with a warning or something if I get caught.”

“You’re not expendable to me,” I said fiercely.

Ty shook his head. “I should be the one to do it. My family is directly linked to all this bullshit. Plus, I already have a record.”

“Which just means if you get caught, they’ll lock you up for good,” I said. “It’s way too risky. I bet even Bianca agrees with me. Let me text her again.”

I’d already texted her three times, but she hadn’t responded. One hour and ten texts later, I started freaking out. I made phone calls, but everyone said the same thing: no one had talked to or seen her since last night.

Twenty minutes later, I pounded on Bianca’s dorm room door. Kage stood next to me, his arms crossed, looking up and down the empty hallway. It was the middle of the day, so most people were in class.

“Bianca?” I called out. When there was no answer, I used my spare key. “Bianca, are you in here?” I said as I slowly pushed the door open.

“It’s been ransacked,” Kage said, his voice grim as we stepped inside.

“No, it’s always like this.”

My sister was the messiest person I’d ever met. Clothes, make-up, and other random items were strewn everywhere.

“How does anyone live like this?” Kage muttered, shaking his head. “Are you sure it’s always this messy?”

“Trust me, I lived with her,” I said. “If she fought someone off, though, I think I’d be able to tell.”

“We’ll keep looking until we find her. Leave her a note just in case she comes back.”

I looked around for some paper and a pen and that’s when I saw it. A note stuck to the fridge. I walked over and took it off, frowning as I read it. It was definitely her handwriting.

Cami,

Ben, the guy I met in California, and I sorted things out. I’ve decided to give him another chance and go back with him. I hope you can understand that I need to follow my heart. I would’ve told you in person, but I was afraid you’d judge me. I’ll reach out when I can.

I love you and make sure those boys take care of you.

Love, Bianca xx

Chills went up my spine. “No,” I whispered. “Someone made her write this note. There was never any guy in California. She told me that.”

Tears welled in my eyes. Bianca was gone and I just knew it was connected to all the other missing kids. Someone had taken her to shut her—and us—up, but it wasn’t going to work. If anything, it made me more motivated to find whoever was doing this. And I knew just the person to start with.

“I need to speak with the conciliantis ,” I whispered.

Only when we went looking for her, we were told she wasn’t available.

She’d left on indefinite leave.

And no one knew when she would be back.

Dante, Kage and Ty were out looking for Bianca, and I was calling everyone that knew her. When I still had no luck tracking her down, I decided to finally call my dad. He’d know that Bianca would never leave everything behind—least of all me and Elise—for any boy. But then again, he was probably still pissed she’d gotten demoted to Tier Three, and Bianca had likely ensured that he had bought her story about throwing her ranking away for some random guy in California.

I left a message on his cell phone and with his secretary to call me, then finally tried the house phone. My sister Elise answered. She said he was off on a business trip and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. When I asked if she’d heard from Bianca, she said no, but she didn’t seem to know anything about Bianca running away, and I didn’t tell her any differently. I was about to tell her I’d check in with her later when she said, “Camille. I—I need you.”

Her voice was low and hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure whether she should be asking for my help or not.

“What is it, Elise?”

“Dad… dad’s trying to set me up to be married. I heard him talking to someone, someone he said had been interested in you, but he knew you wouldn’t agree, so he told me yesterday he was setting up a meeting between the two of us.”

Fury at my father filled me. He hadn’t bothered to call or see me in weeks, he obviously didn’t even know Bianca was missing, and now he was planning to marry off my sweet sixteen-year-old sister?

“I don’t want to get married, Camille,” Elise cried, her panic obvious.

“I won’t let him do that to you,” I said.

“But you don’t know what it’s been like here. He’s changed, Cami. I’m—I’m scared.”

My chest tightened. “What do you mean? What are you scared of?”

“He’s been so pissed. At you. And Bianca. He and Bianca got into a terrible fight.”

“When was this?”

“Two days ago. When Bianca left?—”

“Wait. Bianca went home?”

“Yes,” Elise said. “And when she left, dad was furious. And now he’s talking about marrying me off. Can you come get me? Please?”

God, the anguish in my sister’s voice. I hated it. I also couldn’t get it out of my head that my dad had argued with Bianca just two days ago and now Bianca was gone, with some bullshit excuse about her running away with some guy as a cover.

This was something I needed to deal with immediately. I’d pick up Elise, get her someplace safe. Maybe I could even walk the neighborhood, see if Bianca had happened to check in any of her old friends there.

“I’m on my way, Elise.”

I texted the guys and told them where I was going. A short while later, I was standing in front of the house I grew up in. I hadn’t been back here in a while, and I felt guilty about that. It had been so easy to get lost in my own world at college and forget my little sister was still here living with Dad. There were so many memories made in this house, and while most of them were happy, they were hard to think about because it made me miss Mom so much.

Drawing in a deep, unsteady breath, I walked up the front yard path and unlocked the front door. I’d only just gotten it open when Elise rushed over to give me a hug. “You came!”

“Of course I came, sweetheart.” It was so quiet. I knew Dad wasn’t there, but I thought at least Elena, our housekeeper, would be here. “Are you here alone?”

Elise nodded. “Elena took the day off.”

I was glad it was just the two of us. “Okay. Let’s go over what you told me again.”

Elise shook her head. “Later. Let’s leave now. Please.”

The anxiety on my sister’s face made me wonder what the hell she’d been dealing with lately. I reached out and squeezed Elise’s hand, feeling like the world’s worst sister. “It’s been bad for you, living here alone with him, hasn’t it?” I said gently.

“I mean, it could be worse. He’s not here half the time.”

“But when he is here?” I pressed.

She suddenly looked a lot older than her sixteen years. “He’s usually in a mood. Or he holes himself up in his office and pretends I don’t exist. Or he invites one of his bimbos over.”

“What a second,” I said, confused. “What bimbos?”

“I don’t know. I see him with different women. And last week…ugh… I caught him....with one of them here.” She crinkled up her nose. “God, I saw his ass, Cami. His ass. It was all white and pasty. He even has a tattoo that I never even knew about.” She shuddered, like she’d been scarred for life.

My heart froze. I tried to keep my voice calm, not wanting to give away anything. It could be nothing.

“Hold up, what kind of tattoo?”

“A tree. I don’t know what kind.”

I sucked in a breath, my blood chilling.

No, he couldn’t be involved. Not my own father…

“Elise, did you ever hear Dad talk about my friend Ava?”

“Just once. When that guy you and Ava had over here this past summer came to visit. His name was…Silas, I think?”

“Silas? He was here? When?”

Elise frowned. “I’m not sure exactly, but yeah, he was here. Maybe a couple of months ago. He?—”

Elise’s mouth clamped shut as her gaze shifted from me to something behind me. I turned around to see my father standing there, taking off his coat. His bodyguard, Angus, was with him.

“Camille. What a surprise seeing you,” Dad said calmly.

“Hey,” I greeted Dad, plastering a smile on my face. I did my best to act like nothing was wrong while Elise ducked behind me like she was terrified of what he might do. “I just thought I’d come down to see Elise and also check that Bianca hadn’t been here to get some of her things.”

“You mean pack up her things so she could run off with her boyfriend in California,” Dad said. “I was just informed by the university what happened. Not surprised. After she was demoted to Tier Three, I told her what a fucking disappointment she was to me. Apparently disappointing me is something all my daughters have in common.” He pinned Elise with a glare. “Now, what’s this about you listening in on my private conversations?”

“Elise, go upstairs,” I told her. “I need to talk to Dad in private.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Dad told Elise. “Anything you need to say to me can be said in front of your sister. She’s not a child.”

“She is a child,” I bit out. “She’s sixteen years old. She’s certainly not ready to be married.”

“Ah, so she told you. It’s none of your business, Camille. You clearly have no intention of taking responsibility for this family but the man who was interested in you now wants Elise.”

“That’s because he must be a fucking pedophile,” I snapped. I grabbed Elise’s hand and started inching around my dad until we were closer to the front door. “Stay where you are. I’m going to take Elisa and?—”

“You’re not going anywhere, Camille.”