I ONLY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE of Ella before I saw her running off. I excused myself to the event planner I’d been talking to and rushed outside.
I’d just been telling the woman, who had done an incredible job with the party, that there might be something else to plan soon, but the moment I saw Ella’s expression, I knew something was up, and I had to catch her before it was too late.
The moment I got outside, I bumped into Martha, and she gave me a self-righteous little grin as I raced past her. I followed Ella’s scent to the stairs, and my heart nearly stopped in my chest when I saw something glittering at the bottom of the stairs. Diamonds… diamonds and silver, the collar I’d given her lying on the ground, thankfully still in one piece.
I picked it up, then straightened up again in time to see a little old VW Beetle racing off the mansion grounds.
“Ella!” I called out, but there was no way she could’ve seen or heard me. She was already out of earshot, going God knows where and driving much too fast.
I stormed back to the party, now feeling every single guest’s eyes on me as I stood in front of Martha, my eyes burning with anger and my fists shaking. I was ready to kill the woman if she didn’t tell me where Ella had gone, I was so desperate for information. Where had I gone wrong? Had I moved too fast for my sweet, innocent little princess? I needed to fucking know.
“What happened?” I barked at Martha, doing my best not to grab her by the shoulders and shake the information out of her. “What the fuck did you do to my girl? Where the fuck has she gone?”
“She left,” she said, sounding pleased with herself. “The stupid girl finally came to her senses, thank God.”
“What did you say to her?” I growled, feeling rage surging through my body. “Fucking tell me, right now, or I swear to fucking God…”
“Simple as that,” she shrugged. “She didn’t want to stick around after I told her she’d be replaced within days.”
“You told her what?” I was ready to kill the woman when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly.
“What’s going on here?” my father cut in, his voice friendly but letting us both know this just wouldn’t do.
Every party guest was staring now, and I felt their curious gazes to my core. But I didn’t give a shit anymore, didn’t care what any of them thought. All I wanted was to get answers, to find my girl and fucking take her away from her witch of a stepmother before it was too late. And I wasn’t going to waste any time doing it. But now that my father was getting involved, I felt my patience wearing thin, desperate to know what had taken place in the few minutes I’d spent away from Ella. Long enough to make her disappear on me, apparently.
“I’m trying to find someone,” I replied coolly. “And Miss Monroe here isn’t being helpful at all.”
“Your housekeeper?” Dad said, and I felt Martha’s mortified gaze burn into him. “What is she doing here in the first place?”
“I don’t know,” my tone was bitter. “Why don’t you ask her.”
Martha, now blushing fiercely and glaring at us, threw her hands in the air.
“Ella this, Ella that,” she said angrily. “Why does it always have to be all about that stupid child? I’m sick of it!”
I raised the collar in front of her eyes, feeling everyone watching me.
“Because she lost this necklace,” I told her simply. “And I want it on her when I ask her to be my wife.”
I heard every single guest gasp, and I felt my father’s eyes on me as I turned back to face Martha.
“You better tell me where she went,” I said. “Or there will be hell to pay.”
“Tell us where she is,” Dad chimed in. “Did she go home?”
“How would I know?” Martha replied, sounding pleased with herself. “She drove off in that godawful VW Beetle of Edna’s.”
My father cleared his throat before clapping me on the back.
“We better go,” he told me, and I nodded, following him to a car waiting downstairs.
My father didn’t seem as weak as he had been the last time I saw him, and we drove to the housekeeper’s house in silence, with him staring out the window and me silently contemplating what Ella was doing. I needed her. Every second I spent away from the girl felt like a fucking eternity, and I was desperate to get her back. I wasn’t going to rest until she was safe and with me again.
“So, a girl,” Dad spoke up, and I looked at him quickly before shifting my eyes back outside.
I couldn’t focus, couldn’t fucking think. The only thing on my mind was my sweet Ella.
“She’s special, Dad,” I finally managed to get out. “She’s really fucking special.”
“You love this girl?” Dad asked me, and I looked right into his eyes before nodding.
“Yes, I do,” I said heatedly.
“You’ll do anything for her?” Dad went on. “Anything at all?”
“Anything in the world,” I confirmed.
“Good,” he grinned at me, and I stared at him, surprised. “Then we better find her.”
I was about to comment when the car came to a stop, and we both got out to find the housekeeper’s cottage deserted.
“She’s obviously not here,” I growled, feeling those instincts kicking in once again.
I needed to find her, take care of her, make sure she was alright. I couldn’t stand being without her and not knowing where she was. I needed her next to me, where she belonged. Needed to taste her sweetness on my tongue every day for the rest of my fucking life.
“I know someone who might be able to help,” Dad said, motioning for me to follow him.
I went down the path, surprised by the sudden strength he was exhibiting as we walked a short way to another cottage. I remembered this one, and I had fond memories of the woman inside.
Dad knocked on the door, and a few moments later, an attractive, slightly older woman, opened it.
And then slammed it in our faces.
“Edna!” Dad called out. “Please. This is about Rafe.”
I watched, astonished, as the door opened again, and Edna peeked out, smiling wide when she saw me. She’d always loved me, had been spoiling me since I was a little boy. Since my own mother was always absent, Edna had taken on her role, and I always saw her as a mother figure. It had been years since she’d worked for us, but I’d made sure to give her a place to live and a generous pension to live on for the rest of her life. And after all, she was barely fifty—she had plenty of time to do whatever she missed out on when I was a kid.
“You better come in,” she finally said, letting us pass through.
Her house was tidy and adorable, and it made me grin with fond memories. I missed Edna, and I’d been a dick for not visiting her often enough. She’d made my childhood beautiful despite the lack of a mother and a father who was always away on business. I just didn’t understand what had caused her to shut the door in my dad’s face when she saw him on her doorstep. He had paid her to work for him for so many years… There was obviously a hidden grudge there, but I didn’t want to pry just yet.
“Is this about Ella?” Edna asked, giving me a knowing look.
“How did you know?” I asked, coming closer to give her a tight hug that she happily returned.
“I knew right away,” she said simply. “The second she said she’d met someone… The way her eyes sparkled. I knew it was the right person, and I knew it was you, even though she didn’t tell me.”
We exchanged a little smile before I stepped closer, desperately looking into her eyes.
“I need to find her,” I said. “I don’t know where she is… she left the ball in a hurry, and I’m worried.”
“She’s leaving,” Edna told me. “Leaving town. She’s going to catch the bus.”
“Now?” I asked, feeling panic settle in. “Bus to where?”
“She didn’t tell me,” Edna said. “But it’s one of the late-night ones.”
“I have to go,” I replied breathlessly, rushing to the door.
Only a moment later, I remembered my father, and turned around calling out, “Dad?”
I seemed to have interrupted something. Dad and Edna were standing there, something between them passing without either of them saying a word. I understood then, finally understood what was taking place in front of me.
“Never mind,” I grinned. “I’ll see you soon. Behave.”
Dad smiled at me as I made my way out of the little cottage, giving instructions to the driver and settling back in my seat as we raced towards the bus station.
I needed to get there in time. I needed to make sure she knew how I felt… And even if she turned me down, I had to tell her what Martha had fed her were lies, I truly loved her, and I would do anything to keep her, make her mine completely. Whether she accepted it or not, I was going to spend the rest of my life convincing her of my love and devotion.
We pulled up in front of the bus station what felt like hours later, but couldn’t have been longer than twenty minutes. I opened the door while the car was still moving, practically throwing myself out and racing towards the station.
“Hey, hey, where are you going?” a man wearing a security vest stopped me. “Do you have a ticket?”
I grabbed him by the vest and pulled him closer.
“I will buy every fucking ticket available,” I snarled at him. “I will pay you whatever the fuck you want. Just help me find her.”
“F-Find who?” he stammered. “Sir, you have to calm down… Tell me who you’re looking for.”
“A girl,” I said desperately. “A woman. Blonde, petite, gorgeous. Ella Monroe. She… she’s beautiful. She’s gorgeous, you wouldn’t be able to forget her. Did you see her? Did you fucking see her?”
“For the love of God, calm down,” the man said, trying to force himself out of my grasp. But I was holding on too tight, desperate to know what had happened. “I will help you, just let me go… We’ll find her together.”
Reluctantly, I let him go, and he coughed and sputtered as his feet hit the ground once again.
“I saw a girl like that,” he finally managed to say.
“Where?” I snarled, ready to grab him once again.
“Calm down,” he begged. “She was getting on the bus, the one a.m. one. But it just left… It left ten minutes ago.”
“What destination?” I asked him roughly.
“I can give you the route of the bus if you want to go after her.”
“Yes,” I barked. “You will. You will do that right the fuck now.”
“This girl,” he went on nervously. “Is she… is she dangerous?”
“No,” I shook my head. “The only one in danger is everyone else if I don’t find her.”
That lit a fire under his ass, and he left to find the papers. I sat down on the sidewalk, my head in my hands as I cursed out loud. I needed to get my hands on her, but most of all, I needed to know she was alright. Not knowing where she was made me feel sick to my gut, and I hated it. She could be anywhere, with anyone. Fuck, I’d really messed up. I should have never let her out of my sight. I’d never repeat that mistake again.
Something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I raised my head to look at it better.
There was a scuffle going on in a side alley a little way off. I couldn’t really see what was going on, but I saw several guys laughing and cheering at something out of my sight.
With a sigh, I got up, and headed directly there.
At least I’d get to let off some steam if I caught them doing anything bad. I needed to fucking hurt someone.
I heard a girlish scream, and my footsteps sped up.
If they were hurting someone in that alley, I was going to fuck them up.