When I got back to the penthouse, I found it empty. Alexander was nowhere to be found. I tried calling his cell, but it went straight to voicemail. The same thing happened when I dialed the direct line to his office at Stone Enterprise. I sent several text messages to him as well. All went unanswered.

Time ticked by, the eerie silence in the penthouse almost scary. It gave me too much time to think. I tried turning on the stereo, but music only seems to make it worse. I shut it off after only having it on for ten minutes.

As the hours passed, I managed to completely psych myself out. I kept thinking of Justine’s warnings about Alexander’s temper. In my heart, I knew Alexander wouldn’t hurt me. I wasn’t afraid for myself, but afraid for him. Too much about his recent behavior was unsettling.

There were times when he acted like his typical controlling and assuming self. There were also moments when he showed me love and tenderness. All of those things I had come to know and understand. I could even empathize with the pain he felt from his past. My concern was about how tightly wound he had been recently. I knew the emotional strain from his nightmares had already taken their toll on him, but it was more than that. It was his constant mention of who he really was inside, like he truly believed there was a cynical monster just waiting to come out.

I didn’t like it when he said things like that. If he was in that frame of mind, I didn’t know what to expect when he returned. This latest development had to have made things worse. I was strong minded and determined, but seeing him broken shattered me. I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to put the pieces of him back together on my own. I didn’t know if I was strong enough.

Until I could get a grasp on the situation and his mental state, I thought it best that someone be with me while I awaited his return.

I picked up my cell and called Allyson. It rang five times before going to voicemail.

“Hey, it’s me,” I said. “Just wondering if you wanted to pop by for a bit. I could use some company. Call me when you get this.”

I ended the call and silence fell around me once more. Never before had I felt so alone, even though I wasn’t. Samuel was standing guard in the penthouse foyer. I wasn’t sure why he was there, as he always left once I was safely inside. I suspected that Hale told him to keep an eye on me. Whatever the reason was, I didn’t want him there. He was a stranger to me and I wanted the company of someone familiar.

By six o’clock that evening, I still hadn’t heard a word from Alexander. Pure panic began to set in, so I called Hale. As it turned out, he was just down one floor in his apartment. I asked him to come up.

When he got there, he sent Samuel away and we sat down at the dining room table. He told me he had spent the afternoon trying to discover Alexander’s whereabouts.

“What did you find?” I asked.

“Nothing. The GPS for his phone is off, so I can’t track him,” Hale said in a somber and regretful voice.

It was almost like Alexander didn’t want to be found. I drummed my fingers on the tabletop and stared at my cell phone that was set on the table in front of me.

Ring. Please ring.

Feeling desperate, I decided to call Matteo. Perhaps he might have been in touch with Alexander. I snatched up the phone and pulled up his contact information. I waited impatiently for him to answer. After the fourth ring, he finally picked up.

“Hi, Matt. It’s Krystina.”

“Hello, my dear! I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon. What can I do for you?”

“Actually, I’m trying to locate Alex. Have you heard from him at all today?”

“No, I haven’t heard from him since we left the club last night. Is everything alright?”

“Actually, it’s not. I’m worried, Matt,” I said, trying hard to control the anguish from showing in my voice.

“I’m assuming you tried his cell?”

“I did. It’s off. He’s not answering at the office either,” I told him.

“What about Hale? He’s almost always with Alex.”

“Hale is with me. He can’t track Alex either. He turned off the location services for his phone.”

“Oh, that’s really strange. It’s unlike him to go off the grid like that. The only other time he did that was when…” Matteo trailed off and hesitated before speaking again. “What happened, Krystina?”

I blew out a frustrated breath. I didn’t know how to explain it to Matteo without telling him everything. Alexander might not like it.

Oh, fuck it.

Finding him was more important, not to mention the fact that everything would be all public knowledge soon enough. I quickly gave Matteo a brief rundown of what was going on. It was hard to explain it all without skipping too many important details, but I managed to get the gist of it to him in under five minutes.

“Shit. This isn’t good,” Matteo said when I finished.

“Don’t you think I know that? That’s why I have to find him. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

Matteo blew out a breath and was quiet for a moment, like he was trying to think.

“Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea.”

I clutched the phone in my hand, desperate to hear his suggestion.

“Where?” I asked in a rush.

“Have you looked at Club O?”

My stomach dropped.

“No, I haven’t looked there. Alex isn’t a member there anymore,” I replied, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice.

“Go there, Krystina. I think you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

Surely Alexander would not have gone there.

Or would he?

The panic I was feeling multiplied tenfold. It was suffocating and I almost couldn’t breathe. Tears threatened and I forced myself to blink them back.

“I’ll try, Matt. Thanks.”

I ended the call and looked to Hale.

“What did Matteo say?” he asked.

“He said we should look at Club O.”

Hale’s eyes widened, as if he were comprehending something I didn’t fully understand. He didn’t say a word, but simply took his keys from his pocket and motioned for me to follow him. I didn’t ask where we were going.

I already knew.

* * *

The drive to Club O, while it only took twenty-five minutes, seemed to be impossibly long. When we finally arrived and I stepped up to the large double wooden doors, I held my breath. I never thought I’d step foot in this place again.

“Is it safe to assume that you’re not a member?” Hale asked.

I blinked, momentarily confused.

“What?”

“If you’re not a member, you won’t be able to get in by yourself. I’m on the list here as being security for Mr. Stone. I can get you in if you need me to.”

“Oh, of course,” I said nervously and shook my head. “No, I’m not a member.”

He nodded and opened the door for me. Once inside, we entered the main vestibule and Hale showed the doorman his credentials. After we were cleared, we continued on through, passed by the rock garden, waterfall, and marble statue of Venus. Goosebumps prickled at my nape as a feeling of déjà vu settled over me.

I struggled to relax, my nervous jitters heightening when the vestibule opened up to the cocktail lounge. The setting was just as I remembered it. People were milling about and chatting quietly. Some congregated near the expansive polished mahogany bar. Others relaxed casually on plush chaise lounges. I didn’t see Alexander anywhere.

“He’s not here,” I said to Hale.

Hale’s eyes continued to scan the room before coming to rest on me. He pressed his lips into a tight line.

“You’re right. He’s not.”

“He might be downstairs in the club,” I suggested.

“Perhaps. I’ll take you down and we can check there.”

I followed Hale down the long corridor that led to The Dungeon. The hallway split, revealing a wide staircase to my left. A chill raced down my spine as I looked up the stairs. Alexander had told me that the common room and some of the private suites were up there. My heart began to pound wildly. The first time I came here, I was naïve and inexperienced. Now I knew enough about the lifestyle to know exactly what went on up there. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the possibility of him being in any of those rooms. Watching. Or worse.

Please don’t let him me find him there.

I began to feel physically ill as I repeated the silent prayer over and over again. To whom I was praying to, I didn’t know, as I was fairly certain that no god ever set foot into this place. My stomach pitched and I shook my head to clear it. Refusing to believe that Alexander would do anything that remotely stupid, I continued to follow Hale until we reached the massive stone gargoyle with the words “The Dungeon” written above it.

Hale pushed open the door and motioned for me to go on ahead of him. The loud drum of house music bombarded my ears from all directions. As I began to descend the stairs, I paused. I didn’t know what I would find in the club, I only knew that if Alexander was down there, I would need to talk to him alone.

I turned around to look at Hale and tried to drum up enough courage to display a confidence that I didn’t really feel.

“Actually, I’ve got this. You don’t have to come with me,” I told him.

“Are you sure, Miss?”

“Yes. If he’s down there, I need to convince him to leave so that I can speak to him alone, preferably someplace quieter than here. I’m afraid he won’t listen to me if you’re around.”

He stared at me, seeming torn about whether or not to leave me alone in this place, but then eventually nodded.

“That’s a fair assumption. I can wait in the car. Just…be careful down there.”

Apprehension sent a hot flush over my skin. The thought of going downstairs alone caused me to break out in a nervous sweat. Suddenly feeling like I was suffocating in stifling heat, I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to Hale.

“Thanks, Hale. I will.”

After he was gone, I turned back to look down the long staircase in front of me. A lump formed in my throat as I put one foot in front of the other. My heart continued to hammer loudly in my ears, roaring over the thumping music.

What if he’s not even here?

When I reached the base of the steps, I scanned the sea of dancing bodies. If Alexander was down here, I doubted he would be among them. More than likely, he’d be near one of the bars on the other side of the room. My palms pooled with sweat as I thought about navigating through the leather clad crowd. I glanced down at my own attire. I was wearing jeans and a black fitted cotton shirt. It wasn’t leather, but at least I happened to be wearing black.

As I began to move through the crowd, I sent another prayer to whatever god might be listening. This time, I prayed for homogeneity.