Unpolished

Falling Hard

Chapter Seventeen

Falling Hard

(Playlist – 143 by Johnny Rain)

Owen's POV:

"When looking over the video feeds, he was nowhere to be found. We exhausted every avenue at our disposal from the time your call came in. He simply was not there. At least not that we could find." I sat back in the high back chair in the formal living room at Jade's estate. The girls were upstairs. Jade hadn't said much of anything. Sang was trying to talk and get Jade to open up. I was very proud of Sang. She was making bigger strides than I thought capable.

Vance sat forward, pressing his hands together in a steeple. "There is a lot of information I need to give to everyone, please listen carefully." All of my boys straightened up and zoned in on Vance and each boy standing at either side of him.

"I am going to ask that you please listen to everything I have to say before you interrupt." Vance stared hard at the boys. Apparently this was going to be some sensitive information. "First, Sang, she understands to keep Jade completely occupied during this meeting, correct?"

"If it would make you feel better, I will send North or Gabriel upstairs as a precaution." I offer.

"Gratzi."

"Oy, I'm going up there, North."

"You got to go up there last time and have fun with Sang baby. It's my fucking turn ass-hat."

Well this was an amusing turn of events.

"You can playing fucking rock, paper, scissors then. I am going to beat your pansy ass, North."

I leaned over to Kota as the boys began their game. "Who would have thought a week ago that those two would be fighting to spend time together with Sang and Jade?"

"I agree. Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. Although, I believe it is more on the part of spending time with Sang, not Jade."

"Touché, Kota." I sat back and continued watching the boys as I thought about my brother and closest friend. I missed him so much. The others had been great at keeping me company, but it just was not the same as Sean being there. I slightly jumped as a winner was declared, bringing me back to the present.

"In your face Gabe!" North jumped up and started pounding his chest, hooting like a gorilla, and took off up the stairs. Somedays I think I need to worry about him more.

"Right then, continue, Vance." I gesture towards him as he clears his throat.

"Again, I ask that everyone please remain silent until I finish saying what needs to be said. There is a lot of information, and some of it is going to be hard for me to say. As you all know, McCoy was at the school today. From what I gather, Jade..." Isaac smacked him over the back of his head. They shared a silent conversation with their eyes as Vance rubbed the spot he was hit.

Well, well, well. Very interesting. Vance was going to withhold something very important. I put my hand on my chin and sat back a bit more. This was about to get very interesting.

"Right then. Jade was in the office with Hendricks. She mouthed off and apparently McCoy was already in there. McCoy accused Jade of having a new dealer because a pound of cocaine was found in her locker during the week she was out. This was found during the weekly locker checks. Jade had no idea this happened because she didn't place it there. When she said so, McCoy backhanded her. She was then expelled. I got her at the lockers where, of course everything was on the hallway floor. So not only do we have McCoy and Hendricks, and Jay and Rocky, we also have the pound of cocaine. Then Sean is still missing, and I have even more information that she is completely unaware of. I have learned that her parents are either dead or missing. I am unsure as to how this has not made it back here to the states yet, other than they are just being touted as tourist missing in the Krubera-Voronja Cave system in Abkhazia. They have all but given up."

Kota raised his hand next to me. "How long have they been missing?"

"Six months. I hate to sound crass, but the kids have been raising themselves since they were seven. It is no loss to them. They hardly know their parents. I have already been in contact with their accountant, and our lawyers."

The three of them sat down, which opened the floor to questioning. I stood. "First, our video feed was able to capture both Hendricks and McCoy. However, they were both gone by the time we reached the office. Second, we rounded up the teachers that we were aware of working with Hendricks. Once they saw the video, they opened their disgusting mouths and spilled everything in which they'd been involved in hoped they would not be implicated. Mr. Gerald gave us the information we were really seeking, the location of Sean." Vance, Marco, and Isaac all looked so relieved. I continued. He was picked up from a house not too far from the school and taken to the hospital."

Marco was the first to ask "What kind of condition was he in?"

"He was a little weak from dehydration, and had been roughed up a bit, but all in all, quite well. As for Jay and Rocky? They didn't fare so well in the boxing round with him. Sean will be staying at the hospital tonight, as will I once this meeting ends. Now continue, Vance. There is more you have yet to say I believe."

Vance's POV:

I looked up at the ceiling of the cavernous room, not wanting to look at anyone. "I am sure you looked through all of the footage to try and find who planted the drugs in her locker."

Victor was the first to speak up. "I couldn't find anything. There was no point in time that the locker was approached by anyone, except for the locker inspection. I even went back to the previous inspection. Absolutely nothing."

"There is a reason for that. We wanted to get Jade out of that school and away from McCoy and Hendricks. A surefire way to get her away from them for good and hopefully get Hendricks and McCoy for you guys as well, which it did. The drugs and the money trail were all but opened up to you by the staff."

"I am not liking where this is going, Vance, but I do thank you in regards for helping my team finish their task with Ashley Waters. However, we will be finishing the school year in order to stay with Sang."

"As I was saying, we wanted to get Jade out of there for good. So we had the drugs planted, then the video feed tampered with as well." There was an uproar by everyone about how stupid we were and that there were better ways to have gotten Jade out of the school. "Quiet please! Listen!" Finally everyone realized I was talking, or yelling at least. "It was necessary. Jade is never to find out from any of you. It was our decision, and will be our story to tell."

"Oh my god. Vance, are you falling for her?" Nathan asked.

I deflected quickly. "What about Jay and Rocky? You didn't say whether they were found with Sean."

"They were not found with Sean. Their whereabouts are unknown at this time. I suggest the alarm codes be changed again, and the gates code be changed as well. I need to leave to go to the hospital. Victor, take care of the alarms. Nathan and Silas, you will remain here with North and Sang tonight. Clothing has already been brought. The only job we have besides school will be helping Vance's team. Understood." Owen, I could kiss you right now. I wouldn't, but even through my faults he was coming to my rescue.

"Thank you, Owen. We will talk more tomorrow after you return from school." I waved everyone away and went to check on North, Sang, and Jade. I had to say I was quite jealous. They were all asleep in her bed.

Jade was curled up on one side of the bed alone with the exception of Sang holding her hand. Then on the other side of the bed was North, completely wrapped around Sang. I wanted that kind of relationship. I always had. My heart tugged at all of the thoughts of what Jade had been through in the small amount of time I had known her. The fact that I had more bad news to give her just made it all so much worse. I just needed to touch her, to make sure she was okay. I walked over the large expanse of the suite and crouched down next to her. She had goose-bumps all over her skin. I got back up and grabbed the comforter that was folded neatly on the trunk at the bottom of her bed and flung it out over all three of them. Then I placed a kiss on her cheek. Yes, I was sure my heart was falling for her, and it was falling hard.