Chapter 22

Dominick

I watch on the security cameras as Chloe goes back to the bar to take care of the sudden influx of customers. Business picked up in a snap like everyone was waiting to come in at the same time.

I'm glad to hear she has a second interview with the school. I know she was worried about it.

But I can tell Chloe is still on edge. And why wouldn't she be?

I still haven't taken care of Ethan. Cameron was able to find out more, but not enough to get his current location and end this threat once and for all.

I don't like being out of the loop. I don't like being stuck motionless while that asshole is moving around out there in the world.

What can I do, though?

Refocusing on the other screen where I have the info Cam sent over pulled up, I scan over the facts for the millionth time.

"Ethan Noble. Noble Private Security since 2014." I shake my head. "Gotta hand it to him. It's a good front."

He's got a typical big-shot bank account, and there's a separate holdings account listed under Nobility Enterprises, which is no doubt a shell corporation to hide the money from the drug business he's working on the side.

"If only we could trace the funds somewhere. Find the route the money is taking."

I know that aspect of this hunt is the tricky part. He's been laundering funds for about a decade at least, so he's damn good at it by now.

Movement on the other screen catches my attention, and I look over to see a few guys getting rowdy with each other near the bar. Chloe is backed up away from it, looking up where she knows the camera is.

She shakes her head but still gives them a thumbs down. Not Ethan's men, just drunks .

Pulling up the radio, I hit up Sean. "Bounce them."

"On it, boss."

I keep an eye on things as Sean and company kick the guys out, focusing on Chloe. She seems all right enough, but I know this kind of shit triggers her.

I know a lot about her now.

Memories of several nights in front of the TV, followed by torrid tangles in the sheets, bubble to the surface of my mind.

She's been living with me for two weeks now, but it feels like a blink. Time flies, right, Dom?

Because that's the truth, even with all the concerns over Ethan's next attempt, I've still been having fun with Chloe.

Everything about her is sweetener to my black coffee. A summer day to my winter night.

And I couldn't be happier to be right up against that warm sun and soaking up all the rays.

The Midsummer performance is coming up, too, and I am dying to see her reaction. I look at Chloe on the screen again and scoff a little as I laugh at myself.

I never would have guessed this was going to happen, but I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't thrilled about it.

Which is fucking weird. I'm so used to being alone, to keeping everyone aside from my brothers and the guys at arm's length. But Chloe just burrowed her way deep into me like no one else.

I don't know how to feel about it, really. It's been hot and heavy and intense since the moment we met, and even though I've had a bit more time to sit with my feelings, I'm still not ready to name them.

"Thank you, years of emotional damage for that one." I take a sip of the whiskey I've been nursing. "Huh, that was actually pretty insightful of you, Dom."

Back to the details on Noble, I look over the stuff we have about his past.

"Grew up poor, then started a security company just after college. The same college Chloe attended."

I scroll down.

"Picked up steam in the city pretty quick. Probably thanks to more front businesses. But it looks like he has actual clients as well."

I scroll through the images Cam found from a preliminary search, and there are none of Ethan and Chloe together. While I'm personally happy about that, it does strike me as weird.

Most of the time, if you're in the public eye, even a little bit, you have photos with your fiancée or wife. Showing a happy family is part of presenting a good image.

But I've also looked up Chloe.

From her end of the situation, there's also no photographic evidence of them together. I see why she was concerned about proving they were a couple.

It's like her presence dropped off the map when they were together. Her social media goes from regularly posting the typical stuff to being dead in the water for the entire length of time they were together.

She's liked a few things friends have posted since she moved here, but Chole still isn't posting like normal.

It's a stupid thing, but I can tell that it means she isn't relaxed enough to post shit. Even with Ethan nowhere in sight, he's still controlling Chloe's happiness.

And I won't stand for it.

Anger crawls under my skin, and I absently look around my office. Chloe is still so on edge, and it's impossible to not be affected by it.

I grab the walkie again.

"How're things now that the guys are gone?"

"Fine, Dom." I hear shuffling as Sean walks. "Got a clean view of the bar, and I've got the boys circling. It's calm."

"Thanks."

Tossing the thing back down, I sigh. I know stewing in my juices won't do any good, but there's something off about tonight.

I can't put my finger on it. It's just a sixth sense I've developed after years of doing this, and I eye Chloe on the screen.

She's behind the bar, working with no problem.

"Goddamn, you need to relax, Dom."

I go back to respond to a few unanswered emails, deal with requests and follow-ups on upcoming projects, and send updated reports to Jay.

I've been wrong about trouble only a handful of times, but it looks like now is one of them.

But when I look up at the screen after about fifteen minutes or so, Chloe isn't behind the bar.

I snag the radio, my heart hammering behind my ribs, ready to get Sean moving on a full-blown search.

"Dom?"

I look up, radio in hand, as Chloe comes through my door and toward my desk.

"Hey, I was just about to radio. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but—" Chloe's brows are pinched down over her eyes, and she's sporting a frown "—I, um, I haven't seen Yasmin in a minute."

It's not at all what I expected, and I stand up from behind the desk and cross the room toward her.

"What?"

"I'm sure it's nothing. Just me being worried, but do you think…could you have security look around?"

Dread wafts off Chloe like a tangible scent, and I can see she's really upset. Instincts, right, Dom?

"Of course. It's not stupid. Trusting your gut is smart."

I go grab the walkie from my desk. "Hey, Sean, can you have everyone do a sweep for Yasmin. Chloe hasn't seen her."

"On it. I'll message in two."

The minutes are thick with tension as we wait for Sean's response. Chloe looks up at me, and I can see her get more and more worried as the seconds drag on.

"Dom—" she swallows hard "—if something happened to her because of me?—"

"Let's not think like that. We've got security looking, and I'm?—"

The walkie clicks on, and I hold the thing between Chloe and me.

"Not good, boss. We can't find her inside. It's unlikely she went to her car because it's under a street lamp, and we can't see anything inside from the back door."

Chloe's eyes flare with fear as her mouth drops open. I shake my head. Fuck .

"I'm coming down. Keep looking. Don't stop till Yasmin is found."

I hang the radio back up on the charger and walk Chloe over to my desk.

"Dom, I have to go with you." Chloe pushes against my hold.

"No, it's not safe. I'm not letting something happen to you while we're focused somewhere else."

"Dom!"

"Listen to me, Chloe. I can't take care of you and find Yasmin. Please." I guide her into the chair, jiggling the mouse to wake up the monitor. "Keep an eye on the feeds. Radio if you notice anything."

"You want me to look?"

"I trust your instincts. You could tell something was up. Follow that." I lean down and kiss her, grounding myself in the feel of her lips. "I won't lose you or let anything happen to Yasmin."

Chloe is freaking out. I can see it all over her face, but I also know that having a task to focus on will help to direct the frantic energy.

"Dom, this is my fau?—"

"Do not blame yourself for Ethan's actions." I stare at her hard. "You never asked for this. You do not have ownership of what someone else chooses to do."

She sucks back the makings of a sob and nods her head.

"Just watch here, okay?"

"Okay."

I kiss her again and then head for the stairs. Jogging down, I meet one of the other guys from security at the foot of the stairs.

"Jason, status."

He nods at me, pulling up alongside me as we walk around behind the bar, where there's a dark, secluded area of the club.

It's the perfect place for one-on-one time with a "friend" or doing drugs, and we've kicked out a lot of people who tried to take advantage of that.

"Still no eyes on her. Ben checked her car up close. No luck."

As we swing into the shadowy corner, Jason scans the area with his flashlight, and we just find a couple making out.

They are understandably startled. "Sorry, guys. Trying to find someone. You see a tall bartender, real pretty? Yasmin?"

"No, sorry." They shake their heads.

We leave the area, and I follow Jason to the locker rooms for the next leg of the sweep. As we get inside, I open the stall doors to make sure she's not in there, but again, no luck.

"Did we search the second floor?"

"Sean is up there now." Jason holds up his radio, anticipating my need to contact him.

"Sean, status on the second floor."

"Nothing. I'm closing it off so no one can go up if they're trying to maneuver opposite us."

"Good, get back down to the first floor when it's done."

"Right."

I leave the locker room with Jason on my tail, and as we circle through the dance floor and the bathrooms one more time, Sean meets us at the back door.

"Who's checked outside?"

Sean pulls up his walkie. "Just a sec."

As he radios the entire team, he holds out the thing so I can speak, too.

"Craig, you looked outside, anything?"

There's a pause where we wait to hear anything from him. But there's no response.

"Well, I don't like that." I clench my jaw.

"Dom!"

Chloe comes running over and pulls to an abrupt stop in front of me. "There was something. Just past the camera view. A tussle? I can't tell, but it…something's wrong, Dom."

"Why didn't you radio?"

"Yasmin is my friend. I can't just sit up there and do noth?—"

A high-pitched scream rings from outside the building, and all of our eyes go wide. Without another word, we run out the back door and into the employee parking lot.

I can't see anything, and looking around at Sean and Jason, they don't, either.

"Fuck. Where was that?"

I turn to tell Chloe to go back inside, but she's already running off toward the neighboring lot, having not stopped to listen.

"Chloe!"

She doesn't pause, scurrying up the small slope to the building next door's separate parking area. Dammit. I'm so dumb. Didn't even tell them to check up there.

Another yell rings out, and I beat feet over there with Jason and Sean tight on my heels.

"Chloe's going to get herself killed."

I grumble to myself as I cross the distance as fast as I can. If Yasmin or Chloe are hurt, it'll be on me, not her.