Keeping Claire

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

Cody’s POV-

                The meeting was pointless. I had to leave my girlfriend and get out in the rain just to celebrate having a better income this month than last month. I honestly didn’t care. I mean, I love helping people. But the meetings were pointless.

                Oh well. In a matter of minutes, I would have my beautiful girlfriend in my arms and safe from the world. She was exactly what I needed to cheer me up.

                I parked the car then ran across the way and unlocked the apartment. After taking off my damp coat and hanging it on the coat rack. OneRepublic was blaring from the disc player in the living room. Yep, she was definitely here.

                I walked into the kitchen, expecting to see her either at the sink, on the counter, or sitting at the table. She wasn’t there. I checked all throughout the apartment. There was no sign of her anywhere. The only trace of her presence was her cell phone. Luckily, she didn’t have a lock on it.

                If she were to leave, she would have left a note or texted me. So she obviously didn’t leave out of free will. The thought of someone kidnapping her made me sick. She wasn’t intimidating at all. She had no knowledge of self-defense. Dammit, I should have taught her some different moves. She was missing with basically no way of protecting herself. I was her protection. And I failed her.

I went through her messages. The most recent one was from an unknown number. It said:

                I told you to stay away, but you couldn’t quite accomplish that, now could you? It’s okay, though. I’ve got a surprise for you. Watch your back, Claire.

                                                                                                                                XOXO

I thought for a minute. Who was the only person that ever warned her to stay away from something? Who was vindictive enough to pay someone to kidnap her so that she was out of the way?

I ran out of the apartment and to my car. She was gonna pay, and so was the person that took Claire away from me.