Blue (Darkness Falls #3) (19 page)

“I’m human.” She hated getting compliments. “I did what I had to do to survive.”

“If it was just a question of surviving, you’d be as fucked up as I am.” He pointed out. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Little One. You humble me.”

“What brought this mood on?” She asked, curiosity evident in her tone, and he sighed.

“I don’t know. It’s been a while since I had time to just sit around and think. It’s been even longer since I sat down and had a conversation with Cal. I’m not big on talking about my feelings.”

“Maybe not, but you articulate your actions better than anyone else I’ve ever met.
You’re gifted when it comes to telling me what you want to do to me.” She was trying to lighten the mood and he went with it.

“Really?”

“Yeah and you know it.” He could hear rustling at her end. “You’re even better than Gabriel was and he was pretty good.”

“
Are you in bed?”

“Maybe.” There was more rustling and he was certain it was the sound of sheets. “Are you?”

“I’m on it, rather than in it, but yeah. I’m lying down.”

She chuckled. “Is this where you ask me what I’m wearing?”

“No, it’s where I ask if the boys are with you.” He had plans if they were, but they let him down.

“No, Thomas is clearing up downstairs and James is in the shower.”

“That’s a crying shame.” He settled more comfortably. “It would have been fun to make them get you off.”

“Not for you. You’re alone there.” She reminded him. “It wouldn’t do much good for your sex god status for you to be jerking off because you’re turned on.”

“I wouldn’t.” He smirked. “I’m storing it up until I get home and I can fuck you six ways from Sunday.”

“Home, huh?” Damn, he hadn’t meant to let that slip. At least she didn’t sound irritated, just amused.

“It is our place of residence right now.” He tried to cover but she was intuitive. She’d know exactly what he’d meant.

“I know.” He heard Thomas in the background and then she sighed. “I should go. I’ve got to take my tablets.”

“Okay.” He swallowed. “Give the girls my love. Tell them I miss them.”

“I will. Be safe out there.”

“You too. And Red?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

There was a pause and he wondered what she was thinking, what she was feeling. “I love you too, Blue. Come back to us.” She hung up and he sighed. He knew she loved him as family, but did she love him in the way that he loved her? Maybe he shouldn’t have said it at all. No, that was bullshit. He had to go after her with everything that he had. If he lost her anyway, he didn’t want to ever regret not telling her how he felt.

He spoke to the girls in the morning and even spent a few minutes on the phone to Thomas, but the camera crew were there so Noelle was out of bounds. Speaking to her and airing the issues raised by their fake argument had settled his restlessness somewhat, but he still hated the waiting. There was nothing worse than just sitting around waiting for something to happen. Storm and Cal had sessions in the morning so he killed time watching a movie before heading down for lunch. He was aching from his exertions the day before and didn’t feel like going to the gym.

They were finishing lunch in the dining room when it seemed like every phone in the house went off at once. Blue answered his at the same time as Cal answered the landline.

“She’s taken Noelle!” Thomas sounded hysterical and Blue’s heart plummeted.

“What?”

“Alexandra! She’s taken Noelle!”

“Fuck!” Blue roared, jumping to his feet at the same time as Cal crashed the receiver back into the handle and sprinted to the door.

“I’ll get the car!” He shouted as he left the room and Blue followed him into the hall.

“What happened?” He demanded down the phone, but Thomas was sobbing too hard to get any sense out of him. “Put James on the line.”

“Are you coming here?” James asked a few seconds later and Blue wanted to snarl at him for asking such a stupid question, but he managed to swallow it down.

“We’re on our way. What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know.
” The sub was distraught, but at least he was holding it together. “She said she was going into the garden to pick some flowers. One of the cameramen went with her and when I came through a few minutes ago, the guy was lying unconscious on the grass and Red was gone.”

“Did you call an ambulance?”

“Not yet. He’s waking up, but Blue…the ambulance will call the Police.” His voice broke. “What do we do?”

“Call them.” He didn’t hesitate. This wasn’t the time to insist on being the one to dish out justice. This was about getting Noelle back safe and sound. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Lisette, speak to your dad.” The phone was handed over and he heard James in the background then, asking for ambulance services.

“Daddy?” She was crying and his heart ached.

“I’m on the way, baby girl.” He promised. “I need you to be calm for me. Is Amelie safe?”

“She’s upstairs with the camera crew.” She sniffled.

“Okay, good.” He wanted to freak the fuck out but he couldn’t afford to. His girls needed him to hold it together. Cal finally reappeared with the keys and they raced for the car, with Storm in tow. “I need you to go to Thomas and take his phone.” He told Lisette. “He’ll have Raze in his contacts. I’ll wait right here.”

There were several long minutes of agonising silence, punctuated only by beeping, and then her sobs burst out afresh. “I can’t find him, daddy! He’s not in here!”

“He must be.” Blue thought about it. “Is there a Ben there?”

“No.”

“What about Papa Bear?”

“Yes!” She shouted. “What do I say?”

“Tell him what’s happened. He’ll want to come over too.”

“Okay. Be quick, daddy.”

The lump in his throat threatened to choke him. “I’m coming as fast as I can. Don’t hang up – I’ll stay on the line.”

He listened as she spoke to Raze and all the commotion in the background, the sirens as the Police and ambulance arrived on scene.
It was so surreal, he could almost convince himself he was listening to the television until an officer hung up the phone. It didn’t matter – they were only two streets away.

When they pulled up, the paramedics were taking the
cameraman out of the house. He was awake and he grabbed for Blue’s arm. “I got them.” He mumbled, groggy from something, either the lump on his head or some drug they’d administered. “Check the footage.”

“Thanks, man.” Blue patted his hand and the man released him.

“What the fuck happened?” Cal was radiating cold and everyone around him shrank away. “Where is Michael?”

“We haven’t found him yet, Master
Henway.” One of the Doms from the club looked just as furious and worried as the rest of them. “He checked in and then-…”

There was shouting around the side of the house and then Thomas came running around towards them. “We need another ambulance!” He was a mess, his face tear-streaked and blotchy. “She took
Michael out too.”

“Daddy!” Lisette came hurtling out of the house, practically leaping into his arms and he held her, murmuring soothing nonsense as everyone exploded into motion around him. Police and ambulance personnel seemed to be swarming everywhere and Raze arrived with the other band members and more security right in the middle of it.

“Sweetie, I need to go in the house.” He was reluctant to leave her, but he needed to see whatever footage the cameraman had captured before someone hoovered up the camera as evidence. He passed her to Storm and shouldered his way through the door and the milling officers.

“Sir, you can’t go in there!” A cop tried to block his way and he growled.

“This is my home and it’s my fucking woman that’s missing. You do not want to fuck with me right now.”

The officer’s features softened but he still looked terrified. “I can’t let you in there.
It’s a crime scene.”

Blue stared him down but then Cal popped up behind the officer, silently motioning to say he had the camera. He must have gone around the back and come in through the garden door. Without a word, Blue stalked away and went to find someone to show them how to watch the footage.

They huddled around the side of the house as the director fiddled with the camera, showing playback on the tiny screen. They only wanted the last few minutes as it had switched itself off when the guy dropped it.

“That’s Mark.” Cal swore as the beefy sub flashed briefly across the screen, right before the word tilted.

“Play it again.” Blue leaned closer to the screen as it rewound and replayed. “Fuck, you’re right. He’s had a chip on his shoulder ever since she took him down that night at the club.” He’d come onto Red aggressively one night, not long after she’d started her training, and she’d taken him to his knees on the dance floor.

“Get whichever officer is in charge.” Cal already had his phone out and was dialling The Manor. “Chloe, I need you to email me whatever files we have on Mark
Hannigan.” Blue heard as he went in search of a cop.

Once they’d passed the information on, the situation
calmed down slightly now that they had some idea of who she was with. It gave them leads to chase down in place of the frantic search for clues. Cops were everywhere and they wanted to take everyone to the Police Station for statements, but Blue was having none of it. He let them take the girls, the subs and the camera crew as witnesses, but he had every intention of going with them to retrieve Noelle.

The file came through from Chloe and it had a home address for Mark on it. They handed it over without hesitation but then the officers got obstructive, refu
sing to allow them to ride along to the rescue. Cal finally settled it by calling some contact he had in the senior ranks and they were allowed to follow in a Police car at the back of the convoy.

It was a tense half hour drive to the house and Blue was too agitated to speak. Cal had his usual calm façade in place but every now and then his jaw twitched, betraying his rage and concern.

“Are those cops carrying guns?” Blue stared at the car in front as they pulled up at the end of Mark’s street and officers piled out of it, weapons conspicuous at their hips.

“The ARV is just a precaution.” The cop driving them reassured him
, parking at the side of the road. “We don’t know what we’re walking into and the subject is clearly unstable.”

“And who are those guys?” Another car had pulled up and spilled out a couple of women in plain clothes.

“That’s the negotiating team.” The cop’s radio sounded and he toggled his ear piece to listen in.

“Negotiating team?” Blue felt helpless as he turned to Cal. “You can’t negotiate with a psychopath. The longer they stay out here trying to talk her down, the longer she has to hurt Noelle.”

Cal tried to open his door but the internal locks were engaged and they couldn’t get out. Their driver didn’t seem in any hurry to release them from the car and Blue could feel his temperature rising as he seethed with frustration.

He finally caught someone’s attention outside the car. The cop looked young and nervous, but he glanced in the front to see the guy talking on his radio and then opened the door to ask what Blue wanted. Blue didn’t hesitate, surging out of the vehicle. The cop staggered back a few paces and Blue forced himself to apologise.

“Sorry, it was getting so warm in there.” He lied. “We were desperate to get out but the guy was talking and the locks were engaged.” Cal slid out behind him and they both faced the cop.

“It’s okay.” He faltered under the weight of their combined gaze. “It’s a sunny day. Um…” His eyes widened. “Oh my god! I know you! You’re that guy! The one from TV!”

Blue sighed, cursing inwardly. Since Noelle was such a celebrity, he’d been caught in the periphery of the paparazzi more than once on their nights out together. He was such a source of titillation that many of the more enterprising reporters had been including him in their gossip columns. He’d been lucky that it was Noelle that got landed with the camera crew and not him. He got the impression Cal wouldn’t have minded which of them did it.

“My girlfriend is a huge fan of yours!” The officer was still prattling on and Blue’s patience snapped.

“And mine is possibly being held hostage in the house behind you.”

“Oh…right, of course.” Flushing beet red, the cop had the grace to look embarrassed. “She’ll be okay, Mr Blue. These guys are very good at what they do.”

“They’d better be.” He’d assessed the situation and his mood was souring by the second. There was no clear run to the house. It was a tiny terrace and there were Police swarming everywhere. They hadn’t even confirmed if she was in there.

His phone buzzed in his back pocket and he pulled it out, distracted from checking the screen by a twitching curtain in the house they were looking at.

“Hello?”

“Is that you out there, lover?” He closed his eyes. God, she sounded just like he remembered, her voice deep and throaty, her French accent so fucking sexy.

“Alexandra.” The officer with them started frantic motions to bring people over to listen in, but Blue didn’t care.

“Yes, it’s me.” He pulled the phone from his ear and realised it was Noelle’s gorgeous face on the screen. He’d snapped the picture one night while she was sleeping.
She must have had her phone on her when she was taken.

“If you hurt her, I will kill you.” He promised and she chuckled, sending shivers down his spine. Cal placed a steadying hand on his shoulder and he took comfort in it.

“No you won’t. You will always love me, Sebastien. I own you.”

“No you don’t. Someone else owns me now.” He didn’t realise until he said it just how true those words were.
Red really did own him, heart and soul. He would do anything to have her back in his arms where she belonged.

“Then I will kill her and you will be mine again.”

“If you kill her, she’ll still win.” He ventured cautiously, realising that she could snap at any moment. “She has my heart, Alexandra. If you kill her, she’ll take it to the grave. You won’t get an opportunity to steal it back.”

“Then come to me, lover. Send away all these little gendarmes and let me prove to you that I am more worthy of your service than she will ever be.”

“I can’t just send them away!” His frustration was at boiling point and he was on the verge of tipping over. “It doesn’t work like that. They won’t even let me approach the house.”

“Put me on speakerphone.” She commanded and he did, holding the phone out to the officers surrounding him. “You will allow him inside or I will kill your precious Noelle. You have five seconds to decide.”