Page 51 of Ruthless Commander

“Hey, you’ve reached Xael—“

“Fuck!”I roared and ended it, then called it again. “Answer…answer, goddammit!”

She'd been out there…striding across the grounds. She'd seemed all alone. My mind went to her bodyguard. If he'd hurt her, I’d fucking kill him. I’d rip out his fucking eyes, I’d mutilate his goddamn body, I’d do what they'd done to my brother.

“Commander!” my guards bellowed behind me.

But I couldn’t answer as Laz tore out of his building.

“Laz?”I barked, seeing Freddy and Logan on his heels.

“Where the fuck is she?” Lazarus roared.

I snagged his arm as Logan rushed in behind, grabbing him as he swung his fist at me.

“Hey…hey!”I shook the punk. “I’m trying to help here.”

Hard breaths consumed the out-of-control heir as he glared at me. I lifted the phone, showing him the screen paused on the two guards. “Those men…they’re not mine.”

“What the fuck do you mean, they weren’t your men?” Lazarus barked.

I just stared at the men on the screen. “They aren’t mine,” I repeated, and lifted my gaze to his. “I know every man in my employ and those men…they’re not mine.”

Panic howled like a madman inside me as I turned to my second.“Get the island shut down! I want every camera checked and every building searched. Find her…find Katerina VanHalen!”

I turned from them, unable to stop the terror from unleashing a second longer.

Xael…Xael was out there…Xael…and her one fucking bodyguard.

If we were under attack…

“MATEO!”Lazarus screamed behind me.“Where the fuck are you going?”

I couldn’t stay…not knowing she was out there. I needed my gun…I needed her!

I yanked my phone up and stabbed her number again as I hauled ass toward Building Two.“Answer, for fuck's sake!”I yelled at the phone as the call rang.

But it rang, and rang, and rang.

But there was no answer.

As I ran, that unmerciful howling in my head only grew louder until I slammed my card against the scanner and punched through the door of Building Two.“Xael!”I screamed and her name rebounded.“XAEL!”

I charged along the hallway, the thunder of my pulse booming in my head. I didn’t unravel like this…not for anyone.

But Xael wasn’t just anyone, was she? The door to a classroom was open, but the lights were off. Instinct drove me through the door, only to find the room empty. She wasn’t here…she wasn’t here.

In my head, it wasn’t Baldeon’s face who stared blankly up at me.

It was hers.

Hers because I'd failed her. Hers because when they came for me, they wouldn’t just come to kill.

They’d come to destroy.

I left the classroom behind and raced along the hallway once more, unable to control the chaos swirling inside me. I had to find her…and when I did…all bets were off. She was mine…

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