Chase Me

Chapter Twelve: Landed

Amo

6:00 PM:

I slammed my hand against the counter of my desk. "Goddamn it!"

My flight was to take off in less than an hour but I knew, for some strange reason, I knew that there was something else in that videotape that I could use to find Bellona. But that wasn't the reason I was mad. I was looking at The Times website and the first bloody thing I see is:

LOCAL GROCERY STORE BLOWN UP

TEN INJURED

STORE OWNER FOUND DEAD WITH DAFFODIL STUCK TO HIS FOREHEAD

Fuck. I switched tabs to the videotape to direct my attention elsewhere, otherwise, I was going to flip this desk over in frustration. I rested my chin in my hand and began flipping through the different camera angles and watching Bellona enter and then exit. Enter then exit. Enter then exit. Her hair was brown, and I could see the lighter tint in her eyes. It looked off. It looked... familiar. She looked like Maria. From the pictures and rumours I had heard of her, this was what fit the image. And it was unsettling to see how similar they looked. Bellona had inherited her mother's dark hair and her father's dark eyes. Maria inherited the opposite. But it wasn't just that; there was something else there that I just couldn't point out.

I scratched my head and winced when I accidentally poked my stitches. Nasty scar they were going to leave. A couple of months ago, I injured myself on a mission and ended up getting a bad concussion and a month in the hospital. The Doctor said I should stay longer, but I decided to get up and just get started. My eyes and head were beginning to hurt so I turned off the monitor and rubbed my temples slowly. Then I got up, grabbed my jacket and my phone and headed for the door.

I stopped.

I turned and grabbed the USB from the monitor containing Bellona's bank visit, then headed out my office door. Nex was seated on a bench, smirking as he talked into the phone held to his ear. When he saw me, he quickly hung up and came over.

"Who was that?" I asked.

Nex shrugged. "I was just speaking to the owner of one of our Clubs for the weekly report."

I faced him and raised a brow. "I already got the report."

He rolled his eyes. "What do you think I was doing?"

I cringed. "I don't want to know."

He laughed, following me to the door. "Want me to come with you?"

I pulled an arm through the sleeve of my jacket. "No. I want my Right-Hand here while I'm gone."

"I meant the airport." He smiled. "You trust me that much?"

I zipped up my jacket and turned the handle of the front door."Who else is going to bring the car back."

We arrived at the airport and I exited the car and took my bags out of the trunk. Nex poked his head out of the driver's seat window. "You trust me that much to hold down the fort while you're gone?" A smile was on his face.

I slammed the trunk door shut and held back my smile as I headed in the direction of the airport. "Lucus is busy," I called back to him.

"Jerk!" Nex yelled then laughed, before driving away and leaving me to a task to complete.

. . .

I boarded the plane and soon was seated in my seat and feeling the rumble of the aircraft as it sped across the runway, then lifted off. I put on my headphones since my earbuds hurt too much. I've never told anybody that. The Heir to New York can't stand plastic in his ears? I wouldn't hear the end of it.