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“Amelia!” I bolted upright with her name being once more cursed from my lips as I called out for her in my sleep. Then I reacted as I did every time I woke after yet another fucking dream of her, I bent my knees, hung my head, and dragged both hands through my hair in frustration as I hissed a curse in at least ten different languages. Then I looked up at the room that no longer felt like my own, but more like a fucking shrine to the girl. All her stuff remained around me, untouched and waiting for what felt like the ghost of her to come back and walk into the stack of empty shoes in my closet.
I was back at Blood Rock, for there had been no reason for me to stay at Afterlife any longer. Not when I finally discovered what cruise liner she had boarded, and that the ship’s destination had been Europe. Genoa to be exact and unfortunately it came to light why she had chosen such travel.
Because even after I had discovered that Pip had been right, it had taken far too long to find the fucking ship she had taken. This was thanks to PortMiami holding the title, ‘cruise capital of the world’ for a reason, seeing as it was classed as the busiest cruise/passenger port in the world. And with over 5.5 million cruise passengers passing through the port a year, even in the space of a week, well it was a fuck load of people and cruise companies to check through. And by the time she was finally found, it had been too late... by one fucking day!
One fucking day and I had lost her again, knowing nothing more than she had arrived in the MSC Cruise Terminal at Genoa after stepping off the ship named the MSC Seaside.
So naturally, I had flown to Italy and the search began all over again and just like all the other times, it had gone cold almost as quickly as it had begun. Which meant that after a week of nothing, I returned to Germany, hoping that her passport would be flagged should she try and leave the Schengen area. Airports and all ports had also been flagged, so it was believed that she had either disappeared in Italy somewhere or she had bought herself a car and was determined to settle somewhere in Europe.
My first thought had been that she was trying to get back to the UK. But after discovering that her options when purchasing her cruise ticket included one to travel to the UK, it told me that she had picked Italy for a reason...I just didn’t know what.
Because if there was something that I knew about Amelia, it was that she had a plan for everything she did. Every step of this had been well thought out. Which meant that Amelia had a destination in mind and therefore I knew that the key to finding her was first discovering the why.
But it had been seven weeks since she first left, and I was still trying to find out that damn ‘why’! Which also accounted for why I was permanently pissed off and if I had a reputation for being an asshole before, then now, I had turned into a fucking tyrant! Which, given the circumstances, was of little surprise. Especially considering I had started every day for the past seven years with a report on my desk explaining the most minute aspects of her life and now... well, now I didn’t even have that.
I had fucking nothing!
Which meant that the moment I had finished getting ready for whatever fucking day this was going to turn out to be, I stopped dead the moment I found Dom stood waiting for me in my living space. I didn’t bother with the steps but instead released my wings and was down there facing him, sparing myself the extra seconds it would have taken my legs to do so. But then he raised a hand and said,
“I am not here to give false hope, Luc.” I released a grumbled sigh and snarled,
“Then what the fuck do you want, Dom?”
“I take it there is still no news?” he asked, and I was tempted for my demon to be the one to answer this time. Instead I raised my arms to the sides, looked down at myself and snapped sarcastically,
“Take a fucking look, Dom, and tell me, do I look like I have any fucking news, or do I look like a violent King on the edge of insanity?!” This response made him release a sigh and admit,
“Point made.”
Then he turned slowly, taking in the living space, and seeing for himself that his daughter was all around us. This was by the way of all of her possessions that were exactly where she’d left them and were naturally forbidden to be touched. In fact, other than Dom, then no fucker dared come down here. It was an insanely possessive reaction to have but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to share my piece of her with anyone else.
Which was only one of the reasons that I didn’t like that her father was here now and walking around the space as if he were taking a mental note of everything.
“Fuck me, but you really do love her, don’t you?”
“What gave it away, the fact that I am going out of my mind with fucking worry or her Star Wars collection on my shelf?” I asked with a sarcastic growl of words, a tone he ignored as he walked over to the glass case with her Lego model of our home inside it. My whole body tensed, and my fingers curled into fists. I had to force myself not to tell him to get the fuck away from it.
“A love I can see most definitely goes both ways.” he said nodding down to my prized possession.
Her second gift.
Her first had been that of her heart when she first told me that she loved me.
“Yes, well last time I checked, Dom, that love you speak of stole a car and fucking left me, so I wouldn’t go making wedding plans just yet,” I reminded him with a barely held back snarl of words.
“She spoke to Keira,” he told me, now gaining my interest back, but the fucker held up a hand and said,
“I stand by my earlier comment and am not here to grant false hope as she gave nothing away.” I growled in frustration slashing a hand through the air and cursing,
“Fuck, will this woman ever give me a fucking break!” Dom chuckled and said,
“Not fucking likely but gain comfort in the knowledge at least that she is safe and well.” I scoffed a grunt of acknowledgment despite feeling that same comfort. My girl was safe. That was something at least.
“What did she say?”
“Keira tried to explain once more but was mostly shot down by her saying quickly that she didn’t want to hear it but was just ringing to inform us that she was fine and living life. That she was happy and that she didn’t want us to worry any more than we have been,” he said with the hint of purple coming through his gaze telling me this had been difficult for him to hear, prompting me to ask,
“And?”
“And I grabbed the fucking phone and demanded that she stop being damn foolish and come home!” I laughed once and commented wryly,
“I bet that went down well.”
“Well, she hung up the phone shortly after that, which didn’t exactly make me very popular.”
“Ah, so that’s what you’re doing here, hiding out from your wife, eh Dom?” I commented with a smirk and the first one I had felt there in weeks.
“Fuck off, you cocky bastard,” he growled making me laugh this time. Then I couldn’t help but be the pathetic asshole I didn’t give a shit about appearing when I asked,
“At least put me out of my fucking misery and tell me, did she at least mention my fucking name?” At this he granted me a look that said it all, even if his words followed suit,
“No, Luc, she didn’t mention you.” I felt his words fuel my pain and anger, wishing in that moment I had the freedom to just start smashing up the room. But then, one look at my girl’s personality that coated every surface and well, I quickly swallowed down that urge.
“But I think that the fact she even called at all is a good sign, that she is settled and feeling more comfortable to reach out. After all, we have a better chance of finding her once she’d stopped running.” He said everything that I had already heard before and it brought little comfort after seven fucking weeks!
Which is why I snapped,
“Good, now we can move on to the part where you tell me what the fuck it is you are really doing here? As I know you didn’t just drop by, not when you could have called to tell me this seemingly shit and utterly useless piece of information,” I said letting my anger be known and having fucking zero patience for having my hopes heightened with the sight of him, before they were annihilated by the knowledge, she hadn’t even mentioned my fucking name!
Dom released a sigh and looked like the reply he wanted to give he refrained in doing so, obviously knowing that I was a King on the edge and thought to give me a reprieve.
“I wanted your permission to have the map copied once more.” I frowned back at him and commented,
“I am surprised that you would even need to as I believe I made enough copies for all of the Kings, something that was agreed between us would be the only copies made...although, that seems pointless now seeing as the Witch made off with the fucking original,” I added but still, I wondered at his request.
“I gave my personal copy to Vincent before he left to conduct his own investigation, as there wasn’t a spare for him the day we had the meeting of the Kings, as I was under the impression one was made for Amelia, which she left, did she not?” I frowned as I started to work through that meeting. Had Vincent not taken one that day?
“Yes, I had one made for her, which she left and is now in my possession,” I told him but still a nagging feeling started to rise.
“And you’re sure that Vincent didn’t take one?” I asked again.
“He simply believed that due to his absence at the beginning of the meeting that his copy was held back, but I take it from the looks of things that this wasn’t the case.” I didn’t answer him, but instead I started to work through my memories and then yes, I saw it. I saw the way he had taken the map from Theo at one point to look at it, before he then gave it back to him.
But Amelia had taken one. I remember seeing her eagerly grabbing one and being forced to hide my smirk at the sight. And this was the one I had assumed she had left in her room. I’d thought by doing this she was making a point to show that she no longer cared to pursue the answers. I had picked it up and kept it with me. Which now had me questioning, what if she had fooled me yet again?
“Luc, what are you thinking?” I looked back up at Dom to find his arms folded, a questioning look on his face, as he tried to follow my racing thoughts.
“I am thinking that our little lost princess might not be quite as lost as she has allowed us all to think,” I told him before holding out my hand and requesting,
“Give me your phone.” My demand made him pull it from his suit jacket, unlock the security feature with his thumbprint and hand it to me. I scoffed at the picture of Keira and himself on the front making me roll my eyes without comment, making him mutter,
“Just you wait, asshole.”
I ignored him, mainly because he was right. Amelia and I didn’t have a single photograph together and the ones I had of her were all from afar and taken without her knowledge. Making me envious that he had that and what I wouldn’t have given to have been granted a picture of her smile to obsess over.
“Adam, no it’s me Luc, listen I need to know, exactly how many copies of the map did you find on my desk before we left for Afterlife?” I asked knowing that if anyone would remember it would be Adam, he was meticulous about the details.
“Six, why?” I looked up at Dom as I answered Adam’s question,
“Because I had seven copies made.” Dom raised a brow understanding where my thoughts were headed.
“So, you’re sure?” I had to ask.
“I think you get that I don’t make mistakes, Luc,” Adam responded making me reply with a grin,
“Oh, I know you don’t.”
“You think someone stole one when they were still in your office?” he asked slamming me back to a memory. It had been shortly after our argument, Amelia and me. It was also one she had sheepishly come to my office to apologize for, after once again taking my meaning and twisting it into something dark and untrue. A common trait with my girl, so it would seem.
But then after that, Amelia had made a note of seeing them on the desk. She asked me about them, making some funny comment about planning a lame treasure hunt or something to that effect. Then, after spending time going over the map together, there had been a phone call from Dom demanding once more to speak with his daughter.
Shortly after which, we had left my office only when doing so, we had barely rounded a corner when she told me she’d forgotten her sweater, running back for it.
The seven copies of the map had still been on my desk waiting for Adam to retrieve.
“Oh, we had a thief alright, and I think I have a pretty good idea who,” I told Adam who laughed once and said,
“And let me guess, a troublesome little princess now going by the name Lia Earhart.” I didn’t answer him, as I didn’t need to. No, instead he added,
“Keep us posted.” Then I ended the call.
“I must say, Dom, but that daughter of yours is becoming quite the thief these days.”
“You think she stole a copy of the map from you?” My look echoed the words that followed,
“No, I know she did, which means that she left a copy in her room on purpose to throw us off the fact that she was still pursuing it,” I said leaving now to go to my office to retrieve that same copy. Dom followed and quickly made the point,
“But even if she did, we all agreed the maps are useless, so how would she know where to go?” I stopped in my tracks, giving thought to his comment before I then turned back to face him.
“What if she found a way?” I asked.
“Luc, I am fully aware of my daughter’s intelligence, and speak very highly of it in fact, despite where it has gotten her right now...that being said, we have had all our people working on cracking that fucking map, all of the Kings have also had their own people on it and nothing!” I dragged a hand at the back of my neck thinking about all he’d said and knowing it to be true.
But then, this was Amelia we were talking about, which meant I knew anything was possible.
“I think you’re forgetting that she was the one who cracked the box and discovered how to open it.”
“Yes, but are you really telling me that my daughter has somehow now deciphered what seems to be the biggest fucking puzzle on Earth right now and maybe as we speak is at its destination?” I gave a him a knowing grin just thinking about my girl and said firmly,
“Yes, Dom, that is what I am fucking telling you.”
“But that is...” I quickly ended up cutting him off,
“Fuck! Gods be damned!” I suddenly shouted stopping once more and raking a hand through my hair near yanking it from my scalp for being so clueless!
“What! What is it?”
“I have been so fucking blind, that’s what!” I snapped.
“Luc, I have little patience for this.”
“That day in the library, she had the box with her...” I reminded him.
“Yes, we know, the witch lured her to my vault, we discovered that, what is your point?”
“Yes, we did, but after she discovered what she thought had happened between Keira and me she gave me the box back, made a point of it actually by forcing it into my chest,” I told him but he still didn’t see the connection I was trying to make to the big bastard.
“And?”
“And ask yourself, why would she do that? Why, if she already knew that she would take her secret copy of the map and go on the run to try and discover its secrets...especially knowing that she may need the box to do so. Why not take it with her?” I pointed out making him now see where my train of thoughts were headed.
“Because she didn’t need it,” he said in a tone that spoke more to himself.
“Exactly, because she didn’t need it,” I repeated.
“What if something happened in that vault that showed her the way to discovering the map’s secrets. What if it had something to do with the box and she discovered how to use it to discover the destination before giving it back to me, counting on the fact that its secret wouldn’t be discovered by our people,” I continued, not only laying all the pieces of it out for him, but for my mind also.
“So, what you’re saying is...”
“That if we decipher the map, then we find out where our girl is hiding,” I finished making him agree.
Then he placed a hand on my shoulder and said,
“Then I’d better leave you to your work and your own journey of discovery.”
“And I will keep you informed of any progress made,” I told him making him nod in thanks and then as he started to walk away, he turned back to me and said,
“Go bring our girl home, Luc.”
Oh, but I would do much more than that, for I had a princess to reclaim, meaning only one thing...
The hunt was back on.