Chapter 37

(Nicolas POV)

My hands gripped the steering wheel of my car tightly, my knuckles turning white. Frustration mixed with anger, causing my eye colors to shift intermittently; this time, I couldn't control my emotions.

Eleanor is still here. My instincts tell me that. Erik and Greg are searching on the other side of Manhattan; I haven't met them since Eleanor disappeared this morning. Twice. Twice in 24 hours she has disappeared, and this time, Alastair has truly kidnapped her. I don't know how none of the three of us noticed the intruder's presence. I won't stop until Eleanor returns to me, and I'll make sure this is the last time Alastair touches her.

He will pay. I won't stop until Alastair pays twice... no, three times over for this.

My cellphone, lying on the passenger seat, vibrated. I glanced briefly at the unknown number flashing on the screen and ignored it. I pressed harder on the accelerator, speeding through the deserted streets, which had been empty since morning until now. When Greg told me Eleanor had fainted before being kidnapped, I felt like a bastard after what I said to her last night... I couldn't imagine what Eleanor was feeling right now. Is she scared alone?

I turned my car into an empty parking lot and stopped abruptly. My hands clenched tightly before I punched the steering wheel, causing the horn to blare loudly in the silence of the night. I buried my head in my arms, my hands shaking slightly from anger at myself.

The vibrating sound of my cellphone, which had not stopped since earlier, became the only sound in the place. I reached for my cellphone with one hand and answered without speaking. After a few seconds' pause, I decided to hang up, but a voice spoke before I could do it.

"Nicholas."

The anger that had slightly faded returned like a hard blow. My left hand gripped my cellphone tighter, "You have 3 seconds to tell me where you are right now."

"I thought you'd be more interested in where Eleanor is."

"One."

There was a one-second pause before he answered, "She's not with me. Well, not anymore."

No.

A heavy burden pressed on my chest instantly. No, no, no...

For a few seconds, my world almost ended. "I thought she'd be with you by now," he added.

"Bastard. Alastair, I will kill you."

He answered with a small laugh. "Yeah, thank you. But you can do it later after..." He paused for a moment as if realizing something, "That means you don't know yet?"

I didn't understand what he was talking about, I didn't care. "Where. Is. Eleanor?" I repeated amidst gritted teeth.

I could hear him sigh, "You'd better find Eleanor as soon as possible, Nicholas, because... you know Elizabeth isn't dead, right? I just wanted to give you a warning, this isn't over yet." Before I could respond to his warning, he hung up.

I raised my hand in anger, almost throwing my phone, but a slight sense of doubt and desperation held me back. I only had one way to find out.

The dial tone rang three times before Greg answered.

"Nick?"

"Meet me on St. Patrick's Street. Now."

"What's—"

I hung up and threw my phone onto the passenger seat, causing it to hit the car door. My eyes stared straight ahead at the deserted street in front of me. Greg wouldn't do this to me, I repeated in my head. But the doubt lingered in the corner of my mind. Maybe the night air would cool my head. I rolled down my car window and let the cold air in.

Fifteen minutes later, an Aston Martin turned at the corner and stopped a few meters from my car. I walked towards it as Greg got out of his car.

"Have you found her?" I asked as we approached each other. Greg shook his head briefly, but Alastair's words echoed in my head. I clenched my fist as he stood in front of me.

"Not yet. I've been looking—"

My clenched fist flew before Greg could finish his sentence. We fell onto the asphalt at the same time, and I hit his jaw again with my punch before he could dodge.

"Where." My hand started to sting as I hit him again for the third time, "Is Eleanor?" blood stained my knuckles. I unleashed all my anger towards Alastair on Greg.

"I don't know!" Greg looked at me angrily, wiping the blood from his split lip and grabbing my shirt collar roughly. "Are you insane?" he shouted, equally angry.

I just stared at him with my eyes already turning black, my fangs also lengthened since earlier. We remained silent for a few moments, only the sound of irregular breaths could be heard clearly.

"Have I ever hurt Miss Morrel?"

Greg stared at me, grimacing in pain. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you want me to?"

His blue eyes darkened as he heard my question. "Don't do something you'll regret, Nick." Every word in his sentence was spoken slowly.

"The same goes for you, don't do something you'll regret, Greg."

He frowned for a moment, then loosened his grip on my shirt. Greg dropped his head onto the asphalt and closed his eyes.

"Where's Eleanor?"