Page 1

Chapter 1
Where Is She?
HUNTER
Ipace the length of our penthouse, my mind racing as fast as my steps. It's been hours since Megan left the apartment to clear her head after our argument, and something feels off. The air is thick with unease, and my gut twists tighter with each passing minute. I glance at my Rolex again, cursing under my breath.
Where the fuck is she?
"I'm just going for a walk," she had said. But regardless of the circumstances, Megan never takes this long for a walk. I've called her phone repeatedly, each time greeted by the mocking drone of her voicemail. My calls to Parker, waiting downstairs, go unanswered, too.
Dread envelops me.
But I try to reassure myself. Maybe she just needs time to cool off, to process the whirlwind of changes I basically threw at her without warning. It’s my fault. I did the thing I always do. For God’s sake, why would I buy her house without letting herpick it out? And while that’s a good reason for her to shut me out, deep down, I know something isn't right.
This isn't like her.
Not Megan.
I stride over to the window, peering down at the street below, hoping to catch a glimpse of her returning. But the street is just a flow of anonymous faces, none of them Megan's. The city seems to have swallowed her whole.
The unease I feel morphs into a sharp spike of fear. Megan is pregnant and vulnerable. The memories of everything we’ve just been through over the last few months send a cold shiver down my spine. I thought it was finally over, but has someone targeted her again because of me?
My jaw clenches at the thought.
My pacing quickens. I reach for my phone again, dialing Lars. As usual, he answers on the first ring. I should have called him an hour ago.
“Boss.”
“Have you spoken to Parker?”
“I thought he was with you.”
“I can’t reach him.”
“What’s going on, Hunter? You don’t sound right.”
"It's Megan. She hasn't come back. I can't find her or Parker."
“Do you know for sure that they’re together?”
“I don’t know anything for sure.”
There's a beat of silence, then Lars' voice, tense, says, "I'm on it. I'll check the security feeds, and see if I can spot her. She can’t be far.”
I end the call and start to pace again, my mind a torrent of worst-case scenarios. If someone has taken her...
My phone buzzes. It's Lars. I answer immediately.
"Hunter, you need to see this." His voice is grim.
My stomach drops.
"What is it?"
"Just come down to the security room."
I'm out the door in seconds, taking the stairs two at a time, my heart pounding in my chest. As I burst into the security room, Lars is in front of a bank of monitors, his expression dark.