Page 10

Cullen

R unning a restaurant was something I loved dearly, but some days it was so nonstop, I was ready to pass out under my desk.

I wasn’t as young and spry as I used to be, as much as I hated to admit it. Now that I was in my thirties, I’d started experiencing the occasional bout of back pain.

From the moment I arrived in the morning, I had been inundated with so many orders that I hadn’t even been able to look at my computer. At first, I was pulled into helping in the kitchen, as we were down one line cook, and then I got asked to help with bussing tables and greeting patrons.

The only place I wasn’t needed was the bar, because Sally had that place running like a goddamned military operation.

I was in the middle of taking several plates back to the kitchen when one of the servers, Geo, appeared at my side. “Hey, boss?—”

“Is it urgent? We have a lot going on.”

“Some lady called Mrs. Green is on the phone for you? I told her I would let you know.”

Mrs. Green. That was the name of the mom from Joey’s school who was hosting the birthday party and sleepover.

“Thanks. Hey, can you take these? I need to answer that.” Without waiting for a response, I handed him the plates, which he took gingerly, as he clearly wasn’t as used to carrying multiple dishes.

Leaving him to struggle, I strode into the office and picked up the phone, which had been left off the hook. It didn’t matter how busy I was, I always had time to talk to whoever was looking after my daughter.

“Hey, Mrs. Green? Sorry it took so long to answer. I was working.”

“Oh, don’t apologize! And call me Abigail. I just wanted to call and see how little Joey was doing. I felt so bad that I couldn’t pick her up. I’m assuming she’s at home now?”

“You didn’t pick her up?” I asked, confused. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I noted that Joey’s skating lesson should have ended a few hours ago.

Abigail spluttered for a moment. “Didn’t Bethany call you? She called me not long after the lesson started, saying?—”

“Where is my daughter?” I cut her off, tone tense.

“I assumed one of you picked her up from the rink…” Abigail trailed off. “Oh gosh, I would have called you earlier, but I had several little girls I was trying to wrangle, and you know?—”

“I need to go. Goodbye.” I cut her off again, slamming the phone down. I didn’t have time for small talk with the woman. I needed to figure out where the hell my daughter was—immediately.

Checking my pockets, I realized I didn’t even have my phone on me. I must have left it in the car.

“Sally!” I shouted as I left the office, going through the bar, car keys in hand. “You’re in charge. I need to go pick up Joey.”

Sally nodded at me from where she was pouring several cocktails for patrons. “Sure thing, boss!” Her use of the word boss was sarcastic, and usually I would glower at her for it, but I wasn’t overly concerned at that moment.

Was my daughter just waiting around an ice rink on her own?

I didn’t even bother to look for my phone as soon as I got into the car; I simply threw it in gear and started racing toward the rink. There was mild panic gripping my chest, but at the same time, I was also certain that either Jensen or Gideon would have grabbed her if something was wrong.

There were three of us, and we were usually pretty on top of things.

Then again, lately, we had been relying more and more on the help of others.

Pulling my car into the lot, I stopped right in front of the building, in the drop-off zone, but I didn’t care as I stalked into the ice rink. Thankfully, the restaurant was only a ten-minute drive from the rink, and I’d made it in even less.

The receptionist beamed at me. “Hello, Mr. Noble, how can I help you?”

“Is Joey still here?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice polite. It was hard, considering the panic and worry that was welling up in my chest at not knowing where the hell my daughter was.

The receptionist cocked her head to the side, looking at me in confusion. “What do you mean? Bethany took little Joey with her...”

I stilled at her words, not hearing anything that came after them.

What did she mean, Bethany had taken Joey?

Without uttering another word, I stalked out of the rink.

Why on earth would she take Joey home with her? If we weren’t there to pick her up, sure, Bethany should stay with her. But removing her from the rink was a gross invasion, and I wasn’t sure how I felt—actually, no. I did know how I felt. Livid, an anger unlike any I’d known before taking over me.

Who was this omega to take liberties with my child?

I needed to find Bethany, and I needed to find her immediately.