Amalgamate

Chapter 78

"We can't find her." Bhaltair knew coming up empty handed would piss Declan off, but there was no sense postponing bad news. It only decreased options.

"You talked with everyone?" Declan had been pacing the floor in his office for what seemed like hours. He had to find Mairin first, and then Rowan would come to him.

"Everyone's been on it for the last twelve hours. It's like she fell off the face of the Earth." They weren't out of options, yet. He knew that.

"Time for a tracker?" Declan hated dealing with them. Even if they had a skill set he didn't possess, they were not his equal. They were simply a means to an end...a stepping stone on the path that led him to what he wanted.

"Well, we know who to contact and where she sifted from, so it should be relatively easy to find her if we go that route." Bhaltair didn't harbor any animosity towards the trackers. They were hard men to bargain with, but they were effective and held themselves accountable for their part of the bargain, which he admired...even if they were greedy bastards. It was the law of supply and demand, and he respected that these folks had a monopoly in the tracking department.

"Find him. I'll do the talking." Declan decided he'd better barter for Cahal's services before someone else did. Trackers were hard to find...all except Cahal. That bastard was a nuisance, and he knew that because he was in one of Declan's clubs every night...whoring it up.

"Let me make some calls. See where he was last night. I'll get him." Bhaltair disappeared, preferring to make his phone calls in the privacy of his own office. Declan was trying to play it cool, but Bhaltair could see the agitation building and he knew he didn't have a lot of time before Declan lost control. Declan was used to being in charge, calling the shots and getting his way....until Rowan came into the picture.

Declan watched him disappear and returned to his thoughts. No matter how many scenarios he played out in his mind, the terms of Cahal's deal would cost him dearly. He didn't give a shit about money. Hell, he could always make more money. Finding profitable investments was easy because he had no scruples when money was involved. Having had centuries in this realm, he had become extremely proficient at navigating the underworld: alcohol, sex, drugs, guns. He did it all. He had more money, homes, and cars than any man in this realm...never imagining that none of that would matter to his bride. Rowan wanted something different. Something even more difficult to give. She wanted the perfect man. Wasn't that just his luck?