Page 142 of Fallen Empire

In my head, I could already see it. His hand gripping her hair, that cold smile as if she were nothing but leverage.

Ben slammed his fist onto the countertop so hard the monitors rattled. “She’s out there with that psycho, and we’re sitting here staring at pixels!” His voice was raw, fraying at the edges. “Every second we waste, Millie’s closer to—” He cut himself off, jaw clenching until the muscle jumped. “We’re not losing her. Not to him. Not to anyone.”

I didn’t tell him I was thinking the same thing… only worse.

Before I could answer, the doorpad on the security feed lit up with an incoming call. The tiny screen flickered, and the image of the front desk clerk filled it.

“Mr. Westbrook has a food delivery,” the clerk said, voice muffled through the speaker. “Should I send him up?”

Reaper crossed the room without hesitation, the weight in his steps making the floor vibrate. “No,” he said flatly. “I’ll come get it.”

He punched in the code to unlock the door, the beeps echoing sharp in the tense silence.

Reaper disappeared into the hallway, the heavy door thudding shut behind him.

“We’re going to find her,” I said, forcing the words out even though I wasn’t sure I believed them in that moment.

“Yeah,” Nic said without looking away from the screen, “but how many pieces will she be in?”

The noise that tore out of Ben was low and guttural, the kind of sound that came from a place far past rage. It was haunting. Even I didn’t want to see what he did to Koslov once he finally got his hands on him.

Ben pushed away from the island and began pacing the room, his fists clenching and unclenching like he was physically holding himself back from tearing through the streets on foot.

“Every second we sit here, he’s doing God knows what to her,” Ben said, his voice sharp enough to cut. “We should’ve found something by now.”

Nic’s eyes flicked toward him, then back to the monitors. “I’m not holding back. But Aleksei’s not sloppy. He’s covering his tracks better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

I didn’t respond. Because I knew she was right, and that truth was a heavier weight than anything else in the room.

“Ben,” I said, trying to cut through the storm building in his eyes, “you’ve got to put whatever you’re feeling to the side right now if we’re going to find her.”

His head snapped toward me, eyes sharp enough to draw blood. “Like you did for Savannah?” His voice was pure venom. “Tell me—did you stop once you had her back? No, you didn’t. So don’t be a fucking hypocrite now.”

The words hit like a punch, and somewhere beneath the sting, a darker truth took root. Whatever was between Ben and Millie went far deeper than I’d thought. If Millie meant to Benwhat Savannah meant to me, there was no limit to what he’d do to get her back. And no limit to what he’d do to whoever had taken her.

I thought back to the story Nic had given about Koslov torturing his own brother. But looking at Ben now, vibrating with barely leashed violence, I knew he could make that look like child’s play.

The door swung open again, Reaper stepping back inside with the bag in his hand.

“I’ll take it to her,” I said, reaching for the food.

Reaper didn’t move to hand it over. “You might want to check first,” he said, voice low. “Bedroom door’s wide open… and the bed’s empty.”

The bag slipped from my hand, hitting the floor with a dull thud as my pulse spiked so hard I could feel it in my teeth. But my body was already in motion.

I started with the bedroom. She was nowhere in sight. Maybe she’d moved to another room. My pace quickened as I crossed the hall, checked the guest rooms, the bathroom. Millie’s room. All of them empty.

A cold panic clawed its way up my spine. Someone had gotten to her. Again.

But how? With us all right here.

This place was supposed to be untouchable. I’d built it as an escape, a fortress no one could breach, only escape. The thought slammed into me. My Safe room.

I rushed to the closet, my fingers flying over the keypad. The door swung open with a quiet hiss. Nothing. She was truly gone.

When I stepped back into the bedroom, I took a deep breath, my eyes locking on the bed. That’s when I saw it. Her phone, lying there like an accusation.

Something wasn’t right.