Page 53 of The Beat of My Heart

“Yes. I gotta go,” I tell him and hang up.

Where the fuck are you, Angel?

10:30 pm

“She’s gone, Loki. She left me a message this morning telling me she doesn’t want to play this game anymore, she wants to know the real me. We had plans at 7 pm and she hasn’t come back. All of her stuff is here, something is wrong, I feel it.” I tell him, desperation having me on edge.

“I’ll get my guys on it, just try to relax, okay? We’ll find her,” he tells me.

“They took her, I know it. I should have fucking known better, Loki. What did I do?” I break.

3 am

I’m pacing her room while Loki works on the computer in front of me. I’ve already broken down so many times I’ve lost count. She is gone, I feel it deep in my heart, she’s gone.

Turning to me, Loki takes his headset off. “The Blacks don’t have her, Trevor, but I don’t have much more information than that.”

The air leaves my lungs and I collapse to the ground. “Then, where is she?” I ask.

“We have security footage from one of the conference rooms. It's pretty hard to watch,” he starts.

“Show me,” I bellow.

Turning the screen, I see Angel appear. She is pacing, then she collapses to the ground, much like I just did. When she raises her face to the ceiling, I see the pain etched all over her beautiful tear-stained face.

“What upset her?” I choke out.

“I’m working on it,” Loki tells me as the video feed continues. I see the man from the baseball game appear along with several of Boston’s finest. I watch as he scoops her up and they all hurry from the room.

“We think she is in a car that hit tolls through Massachusetts up into New Hampshire with a police escort,” I don’t have any other information yet.

“But, she’s okay?” I ask.

“It appears that way. Something happened, Trevor, but not to her,” he tells me.

I don’t remember crying this much even when my mother died, I was too angry. Hatred is powerful, it dried my tears, and I’ve been full of rage ever since—until I met Angel. With the knowledge that the devil hasn’t taken her, I find myself on my hands and knees sobbing in a way I’ve never done before. Crying because she’s safe, and crying because this just confirmed that I have to let her go.

Without saying a word, Loki helps get me cleaned up. Once we have packed up all Angel’s belongings, he turns to me, “Trevor, this doesn’t mean…”

Holding up a hand, I stop him, “Yes, it does. She is gone, and she has to stay that way.” I never even took a picture of us, I realize, and my chest constricts. “Can I have that footage?” I ask Loki.

“Trevor, don’t,”

“Can I fucking have it or not?” I scream.

“Sure,” he sighs, “I’ll get you a copy.”

“Thanks,” I tell him. Gathering my belongings, along with Angel’s Red Sox t-shirt I couldn’t part with, I make my way out of the hotel.

It’s time to make Romero pay.

Chapter 18—3 Months Later

-One Beer, Hardy

Julia

“Lanie! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I ask, walking into her hospital room. “Stop reaching for the computer. You have stitches and staples everywhere. Are you trying to bust them open again?” Sighing, I walk over and hand her the laptop, “You’re supposed to be resting.”