Page 85 of Always A Villain

I reach Conrad’s office.

Boom.

The door splinters under my boot.

Empty.

“Motherfucker!”

I snarl, spinning on my heel, and slam my fist through the wall. Drywall explodes, dust raining onto the floor. My breaths come hard. Ragged. I need something—someone—to tear apart.

Arsen’s voice rings from behind me in the hallway. “Axe! Wait! Stop!”

I don’t stop.

“Where the fuck is Conrad!?” I shout.

“No one’s seen him since this morning.” Arsen’s keeping pace, trying to get aread on me. “Axe, you need to slow down and tell me what the hell is going on.”

“No, I don’t.” I’m past the point of seething. “Conrad knows where she is. And he’s going to tell me. I don’t give a fuck if he’s a Commander—I will slit his fucking throat.”

The rage in my voice makes Arsen hesitate. He’s seen me mad before, but never like this.

“Axe—wait.” His voice drops, cautious. “Where is Rory?”

I stop. Barely. My fists clench, nails digging deep, the sting barely registering.

“She’s gone, Arsen. This whole fucking time, I thought they were after me. But it was her.”

His jaw tics. “Why the hell would the Dolore want Rory?”

“That’s what I’m about to find out.”

I storm into the next elevator, and as the doors start closing, I lock eyes with him.

“Tell Griffen to check the Range Rover’s cameras. I want to know who the fuck took her.”

The doors slide shut.

Silence.

The kind of silence that breeds violence.

This is my fault.

My failure.

I let this happen. Now she’s gone, and I don’t know where, and I don’t know who took her, and I don’t know if she’s hurt, and I?—

My nails bite deeper into my palms.

No one touches her and lives.

No one.

I will bring them unimaginable horrors.

The elevator dings.