Page 248 of When We Fall: Part One

“Hello?”

“Anything?” Fox’s voice came over the line.

“Nothing,” I whispered. “Dead ends. No one has seen her. It’s like she’s a ghost.”

Fox was quiet for so long that I had to check to ensure the call was still connected.

“I’m sorry,” I choked out. “This is my fault?—”

“It’s not,” Fox said. “Don’t, man. We’re dealing with E right now. He’s so fucking wasted that he doesn’t know up from down. We’ve barely slept. I know he’s trying to keep it together, but he’s so fucking high that he’s irrational. I don’t need to talk you down, too.”

I inhaled deeply. He was right.

“I’m going to see Everett Church,” I said thickly. “Today. I’ll kill him if he doesn’t give me the right answers.”

“Do you want me to go with you?—”

“No,” I said quickly. “It’s not a good place. I can handle it. I don’t need shit happening to you. Keep looking for Rosalie and watch Ethan. I’ll call you as soon as I get out.”

“If I don’t hear from you within the hour, I’ll come get you,” Fox said fiercely.

“It won’t come to that. I own the Underground,” I said softly. “Everett Church bows to me, not the other way around.”

“Be safe.Brother.”

My throat tightened at his term of endearment. I nodded even though he couldn’t see me.

“I will.”

“Archangel.To what do I owe thepleasure?” Everett asked as I stormed into his office in the Underground.

My guts twisted at his implications. I’d done all I could to tear the memory of his cock buried inside me out of my head, all in the name of saving the girl I loved. The past had a sick way of returning.

“Come to…come?” He raised his brows at me. “Maybe on my cock?”

“Fuck you,” I snarled, wrapping my hand around his throat. “Where’s Rosalie?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he rasped.

I tightened my hold on his throat, knowing I could crush his windpipe if I held on any harder.

His face darkened to an ugly shade of red before purple.

I released him, and he stumbled back, choking wildly as he tried to rake in air.

“I don’t have her,” he snarled at me. “If I did, we’d be in a very different situation.”

I glared at him. He was right. If he had her, we’d know about it. He was a narcissistic prick who would sing like a canary to know he was getting under someone’s skin. In this case, the horsemen.

“Perhaps you need help?” he asked, finally righting himself. “I could offer assistance. For a price.”

“I swear I’ll fucking gut you and then hang you by your entrails,” I snapped at him.

“All I’m saying, Archangel, is that you need help, and I have help. Do you not want your sweet songbird back?” He stared back at me, a wicked look in his eyes.

Fuck, I hated this man to the very depths of my soul. I was sure there were special places in Hell for monsters like him.

But I wanted my LeeLee back.