While She Sleeps

My phone rings, dragging me out of the moral dilemma I’m going through, and I see Dax’s number on display. Swiping the screen to answer, I press the phone to my ear.

“What’s up?”

“He’s on the warpath,” Dax tells me, no greeting, straight to business. “I doubt he’s going to give up any time soon. Are you sure you’re well hidden because I have a feeling that he’s pulling out all the stops with this?” His tone is urgent, which only seems to make my stomach twist into a tighter knot than it’s been in for a long while.

“I am. She’s . . . she’s with me, and I’m not prepared to let her go,” I tell him. “I can’t let her go.”

“I have other news as well,” he speaks. His voice is controlled, tone calm and collected, but I have a feeling what he’s about to tell me is far from it. But I’m met with silence. I pull the phone away, checking to see if the call is still connected. It is.

“Dax?”

“It’s your mother,” he tells me, causing my body to grow stiff, tense with fear that my father has killed her, or worse, maimed her and tortured her. “She’s gone. We’re not sure where. I have my men working on tracking her, but he’s not giving anything away.”

I think about the times she called me, and I ignored her. I should’ve answered. I wasn’t a good son, not one to spend time with her, or even sit and talk to her, but I loved her, nonetheless. I think when I finally realized how precious life was, it was too late for me to ever make amends.

“I need her found, or I’ll find my father and kill him.”

“It will be easier said than done. He’s upped his security. Nobody is coming within a few feet of him except the whores he’s hiring on a daily basis.” Dax’s words are laced with disgust. “He was in the club last night,” he tells me. Dax owns a club called Inferno, where he has dancers on stage and private rooms just for those with enough cash to throw at the beauties who work there. The difference between Dax and my father is that Dax is a good man. He looks after his girls, giving them a sanctuary from their pasts.

“Was he alone?”

“He had two girls hanging off his arms, but he didn’t go into any of the private areas. Met with another man, not sure of his name yet. I’m having Theia go through the sign-ins from last night. Once we have a name, I can send men in to question him.”

“Thanks for doing this, man,” I tell him. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Dax. After going into hiding, I didn’t want to be found, and heading back to the city would just make matters worse. So, I’ve kept in touch with Dax through calls, emails, and yet, at times, I wonder why he’s still stuck with me for so long.

“You know I’m only a call away. And to be honest, I hate assholes like your father.”

I have to agree with him. “Me too.”

The story of Dax and his submissive, Theia, would make anyone’s skin crawl. Her father was an asshole of note. When they took him down, there was a lot of pain and heartache, not because she missed her dad, but because she found out what he did to the family, to her mother.

“I’ll find your mother; my men are working on this twenty-four seven.”

“I’m thinking of coming to you, leaving Vera here. She’ll be safe, and he won’t know where to look. I can’t stay here when I know my mom is out there somewhere. What if he’s hurt her?”

“You can’t risk being seen, Logan.” I know Dax is right, but with my mother gone, the game has changed. If something happens to her, it will be on me, and that’s not something I could ever live with. Even though I wasn’t the best son in the world, she was my anchor, and if Herbert has done anything to her, I’ll fucking kill him.

“I can’t risk my mother getting hurt because he’s angry with me,” I tell Dax.

He’s silent for a long while, then sighs. “Listen to me. He can just as easily kill you the moment you step foot in the city.” He’s right, I know he is, but I could never forgive myself for it if I didn’t try.

“I’ll think about it.” My voice is hoarse, my throat dry. I can’t think of a worse fate than seeing my father again, but I’m stronger. I’m more volatile than the boy he once knew.

“Talk soon,” Dax tells me before hanging up. I sit back, staring out the window overlooking the forest. Being locked away in the middle of nowhere has its perks. But deep down, all I want is for Vera to be safe, to be with me. The last thought glares at me, spinning in my mind. I want her, and I know she wants me. She’s made it clear. Even after what I just did to her last night, she tried to convince me I’m not a monster.