All I've Never Wanted (44 page)

“Mickey, not now. Be a good boy.” I fastened my diamond studs to my ears and fixed what I hope was a stern stare at the puppy.

It was the night of my one-month anniversary with Roman, and I was more than a little nervous. I was all dressed up, and underneath my dress, I was wearing the sexiest bra-and-underwear set from the stash Adriana bought me months ago.

I’m still not sure I’m 100% ready to go all the way yet, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared.

My heart fluttered as I thought about the fact that Roman and I had been dating a month already. Honestly, it was kind of a miracle.

I glanced at my watch. Half an hour left before he was supposed to pick me up.

Ok, I guess I was a little eager when getting ready.

I sat down on the couch, and Mickey immediately trotted over, pawing my legs with a, well, puppy dog look on his face. He let out a series of small barks.

“What is it?” I asked, absentmindedly patting him on the head. “Why are you so hyper tonight?”

He barked again, unable to keep still. His barks grew more and more frantic, echoing throughout the house.

My parents had gone out to dinner tonight, which was probably a good thing. I don’t want my mom whipping out her camera and taking a thousand snapshots of us like it’s prom night or something.

Mickey barked again, chasing its tail in a circle, then stopped gave me a look like “you should
know
what’s wrong.”

I blinked. I’ve already fed him, so he shouldn’t be hungry. I even played a little fetch with him earlier. What—

“Ugh!” I slapped my forehead. “I forgot to take you for a walk today, didn’t I?”

Mickey rested on his haunches, and actually nodded once.

I groaned. I’m such an idiot. I should’ve known. He always got unbelievably hyper and restless and loud when he didn’t get his walk.

“How about I take you out for two walks tomorrow? I have a big date tonight,” I persuaded, feeling a bit silly for negotiating with a dog. I swear he understands what I’m saying though.

Mickey’s tail swished back and forth as he whined again, then growled.

I sighed, looking at my watch again. “Fine. I’ll take you for one very, very short walk. Ok?”

He barked happily.

I shook my head, as I went to get his leash. “You’re going to be the death of me one day,” I joked, leading him out to the front yard and locking the door behind me.

I probably had just enough time for a quick walk around the block before Roman got here.

“You should be glad I love you so much,” I added sternly. Mickey yelped, pawing me again with an adoring look in his eyes.

“Come on, Mr. Diva, let’s go.”

As we made our way down the sidewalk, I shivered a bit. I should’ve grabbed more than a flimsy shawl to protect me against the chilly late fall air. I could feel the goosebumps erupting on my flesh, and I quickened my pace a bit, both to warm me up and to hurry our walk so I could return to the warmth of my home faster.

Mickey trotted happily down the street, as well-behaved as always, giving me time to reflect on my conversation with my father earlier this week.

It had been awkward, to say the least. When I’d finally broached the subject of Lexi, I swear he turned so white he could’ve passed for Casper, the Very Guilty Ghost. Needless to say, he had been more than a little suspicious about why I needed Lexi’s name. I was more than happy to tell him, because a) it definitely bruised his ego, which he deserved, and b) perhaps he could shed some light on why someone would hire her to seduce him.

My father had been understandably stunned, but unfortunately, he had no clue why someone would do that, although he
did
manage to tell me Lexi’s full name: Alexa Weston.

Not that it had been much help. I couldn’t find anything on her online. 

Mickey barked again, the sound echoing in the silent night, and I suddenly realized all my neighbors seemed to be out. None of the lights were on in the surrounding houses, and the whole scene was actually a bit creepy.

A shiver snaked down my spine, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

Stop being so paranoid,
I tried to console myself.
There’s no one here. Valesca is one of the safest towns in the US.

Still, the feeling didn’t go away. I was about to reach into my pocket for my phone when I realized I didn’t have any pockets. I also didn’t have my phone.

I groaned. Wow, I’m an idiot. I stopped, yanking lightly on the leash.

“Sorry, buddy, it’s time to go home,” I whispered to Mickey, who cocked his head at me quizzically. I’m not even sure why I was whispering.

I just knew I didn’t want to be outside any longer.

As we made a U-turn back to the house, I heard the soft roar of a car in the distance, and without even thinking, I quickened my step. It wasn’t quick enough though, because a moment later, a discreet black SUV came into view, and it seemed to be driving awfully slow.

My heart now in my throat, I gripped Mickey’s leash tightly, just as he erupted into a series of loud, panicked barks.

“Mickey! What’s wrong?” He wasn’t helping my nerves.

Mickey just kept barking, and finally, I decided to just screw it. I broke into a run, my heart pounding with adrenaline. I heard the distinct slam of a door behind me, and I let out a scream when I felt someone grab me.

Before I could even attempt to fight back, though, pain ripped through my head, and Mickey’s barks gradually grew fainter as I fell into oblivion.

CHAPTER 28

My head was pounding. I swear I could feel my brain hammering against my skull, desperate to burst out of its confines, which didn’t exactly ease the nauseous feeling in my stomach.

I slowly opened my eyes, disoriented, and was nearly blinded by the bright strip of fluorescent lights overhead. I winced, but once I got used to the harsh lighting, I realized I wasn’t at home.

In fact, I was sitting tied to a wooden chair in the middle of what looked like a warehouse.

The events of last night crashed into my mind at full force, and my body tensed as fear flooded it. My heart beat erratically against my chest, and I looked frantically around at my surroundings, trying to find something, anything, that could help me.

There wasn’t much. The entire room was gray, the floors cracked, the paint on the walls chipped. There was no other light save for the ones above my head, and the only exit I could see was the giant, forbidding steel gate at the other side of the room, the kind used in industrial buildings.

“Well, lookey here. The girl’s awake.”

A shiver snaked down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as a skinny, tattooed guy with messy brown hair came into view, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He wore a dirty stained beater and ripped jeans, and his dark eyes were hard and cold as he gazed at me.

“Who are you?” I tried to keep my voice and stomach steady. “What am I doing here?”

He snorted, his lips twisted in amusement. “You do talk an awful lot, don’t you? He was right.”

“Who?” My voice rose. “Who are you talking about? Answer my question!”

The amusement fell from his face. “You’re not the one making the demands here,
Maya,”
he sneered. I tried not to retch at the sound of my voice coming out of his mouth. “In fact, I would be very, very careful about what I say if I were you.”

“I don’t even know you!” I gave up trying to be calm. There’s no being calm in a situation like this. “Why are you doing this?”

He blinked. “It’s a pity.” He clucked. “You honestly don’t know who’s responsible for everything? Guess you’re not as smart as everyone thinks you are.”

“There’s no one out there who has anything against me,” I said, wriggling my wrists discreetly behind my back and hoping the ropes were at least a little loose.

No such luck.

“Maybe you have the wrong person and this is all just one big understanding. My name’s not even Maya,” I lied.

Tattoo Guy snorted again. “Nice try, but I know for sure who you are, thanks to some first-hand identification.”

I stared at him, confused. Then, a side door I didn’t notice opened, the sound echoing in the empty room, and my stomach dropped when I saw someone else walking towards it.

It was definitely a guy, but I couldn’t make out his features until he neared.

When I did finally realize who it was, the blood froze in my veins.

No way. There’s no freakin’ way it could be him.

And then, unable to hold it back any longer, I quickly turned away and threw up right next to my chair.

*              *              *

The vase—an antique worth tens of thousands of dollars—shattered into a million pieces on the marble floor, but the tall, scruffy-looking man standing in the Fioris’ grand salon didn’t even flinch. 

“What the hell do you mean you don’t know?!” Roman roared, his face red with fury as he glared at the private investigator. “What kind of fuckin’ P.I. are you anyway?”

The man’s face was as placid as ever. When he spoke, his voice was low and scratchy. “You called me yesterday morning. While I can assure you I’ve been looking into the matter the best I can, twenty-four hours is not enough time for me to turn up any clues.”

A vein throbbed dangerously above Roman’s temple. “Fine,” he spit. “But if I don’t get results soon, you won’t have to worry about finding any clues for anyone ever again, because your career will be over!”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” the man replied calmly. “If that’s all, I’ll return to my task at hand.”

When Roman didn’t say anything, he turned and quietly exited the room.

Roman clenched his fists together as he stared out the window. His family’s tennis courts, swimming pools, and gardens were spread out in front of him, but he barely saw any of it. He tried his best to hold on to his anger, because he knew that once it was gone, he would just feel the way he’d felt for the past two days—worried, panicked, nauseous, terrified, and helpless.

And Roman Fiori did not like feeling any of those things, particularly the helpless part.

A basketball lodged itself in his throat as he thought back to what was supposed to be an amazing night. His and Maya’s one month anniversary. He’d had everything set up and ready to go, but that night, even as he drove to pick her up, he’d sensed something was wrong.

When he arrived at her house and saw all the lights were off, dread had washed over him, and it had only intensified when he realized both Maya and Mickey were missing.

Roman had called all of his friends, hoping one of them had spirited her away somewhere as a joke, but of course, none of them had.

Now, two days later, he wasn’t any closer to finding out where she’d gone. There was even a chance that she might be—might be—

No. Don’t think about that. She’s alive. She is.
Roman drew in a deep breath, trying to relax his hands, even though he felt like he was going to throw up. He couldn’t afford to lose it now. Maya was counting on him.

His back pocket vibrated, indicating an incoming call.

He immediately whipped it out, thinking for the briefest moment it was Maya calling, but it was only Carlo.

“We’re almost there.” The Colombian sounded exhausted. “Open the gates.”

Roman ended the call with a curt “Ok,” and ten minutes later, Carlo, Adriana, Zack, Parker, and Venice were all situated in the salon. Their faces were tense and drawn, even Zack’s, but Carlo looked the worst out of all of them.

Clearly, the disappearance of both his brother and one of his best friends had taken its toll on him.

“I just don’t understand what’s going on.” Venice’s voice was small as she curled up in a brocade armchair, her green eyes wide and frightened. “I mean, where could she possibly have gone? She—she—“ A sob escaped her, and she couldn’t continue as the tears leaked from her eyes and she buried her face in her hands.

“Shh. It’s ok.” Zack was perched on the arm of her chair, and he ran his hand soothingly over her back. “We’ll figure it out. Between all of us, we’ll find out what happened.”

“Her parents were no help, right?” Adriana asked quietly, directing her question at Roman.

His jaw tensed. “No. They were out.” He pressed a hand to his throbbing temple. “Turns out practically everyone in her damned neighborhood was out at some exhibition. No one saw or heard a thing.”

Adriana’s brow creased. “Do you think they’re connected?”

Roman didn’t have to ask her what she meant. He flicked his eyes over to Carlo, who hadn’t moved, but it was clear he was listening to every word.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Suddenly a cold feeling swept over him. “You don’t think that Rico…” His voice trailed off, and everyone in the room stiffened as they looked at one another.

No one wanted to voice what the others were thinking.

Finally, Carlo spoke up. “I don’t know.” His tone was flat. “He said he’s changed, but with him, who knows? He did seem pretty interested in Maya when she was staying at my house.”

Roman practically saw red. “I swear, if it’s him, I’m going to rip his guts out,” he spat, his hands curling into fists again. “Damn it, Carlo, if you hadn’t brought her to your house, this probably wouldn’t have happened!”

Carlo glared at him. “Well, if you weren’t acting like such an ass, then I wouldn’t have had to get her out of here!”

“Are you saying it’s my fault?!”

“I—“

A shrill whistle interrupted their argument. Parker and Zack  flinched while Roman and Carlo fell silent, staring guiltily at an incensed Adriana.

“Seriously, guys? Are you
really
going to do this right now?” she demanded, sparks flying from her aqua eyes. “Arguing is not going to get us any closer to finding Maya. Honestly, you two should be ashamed of yourselves!”

Roman and Carlo both flushed, neither used to being upbraided.

“I’m sorry, Adri, you’re right.” Carlo sighed. “And sorry, Rome. I shouldn’t have taken out my stress on you.”

“It’s ok. I guess I was at fault too,” Roman admitted grudgingly.

They were all silent again.

“What if we come up with a suspects list?” Parker suggested out of the blue. “I mean, let’s say she really did get kidnapped—“

At this, Venice started crying again, and Zack shot Parker a death glare, which he ignored. “Valesca isn’t exactly a crime hotspot,” Parker continued. “I’m willing to bet this isn’t a run-of-the-mill kidnap. They know her. Which means she must know them too. Who would have a motive for kidnapping her?”

Roman’s brow knit in thought. Parker had a point.

“But what if it’s a ransom thing?” Zack ventured. “It’s public knowledge now that she’s dating Roman. Maybe the kidnappers want money or something.”

“That would make sense, except I haven’t gotten a ransom, or any communication from the kidnappers, for that matter.” Frustration mounted inside him. He almost wished he’d gotten a ransom. At least then, he’d know what the hell was going on. The uncertainty was killing him.

“Maybe—maybe we should call the police.” Venice’s voice trembled. “Isn’t that what they’re here for?”

“Please.” Roman snorted. “Trust me, if my PI can’t get the job done, then the rinky-dink local police certainly won’t come close, especially not with all the extra paperwork and red tape and their damned procedures.”

“Ok, ok. Let’s not go off on tangents.” Carlo held up his hands. “Let’s do what Parker said for now. Can we think of anyone who has anything against Maya?”

They all looked at each other.

“Well, considering the fact she’s dating Roman, basically every girl in Valesca,” Adriana said flatly. “Which isn’t helpful.”

Roman groaned, kicking the leg of a nearby side table in an effort to vent his anger. The delicate wood wobbled dangerously before steadying itself.

Adriana ignored his mini-fit. “Let’s open it up a bit. What about people she knows?”

“She doesn’t hang out with that many people,”Venice pointed out. “Mostly just us.”

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

“Rico, I guess,” Carlo said gruffly. “They’ve met a few times, and I can’t say my brother’s the most trustworthy person on the planet.”

“Ok. Who else?” Adriana stared at them. “Think, people! I’m sure Maya interacts with more than half a dozen people in this town. Any past crushes, friends, boyfriends?”

Suddenly, Roman’s shoulders tensed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Zack and Venice beat him to it.

“James.”

Silence fell.

“James.” A sour taste filled Roman’s mouth at his name. “Maya does hang out with him sometimes. But he’s not from Valesca.”

Adriana narrowed her eyes. “Wait, what did you say his last name was?”