Part 4 (2/2)

”You know I will,” Bernard answers, patting my arm before heading towards the front door.

”Would you like me to do anything, sir?” Ricket inquires.

”No. Just have a good night. Tomorrow, I will need to go into the office for a few hours. I'll call when I'm ready to leave,” I tell him, and he nods once before heading towards the front door.

Once I know they are gone, I head towards the bedroom to check on Chloe. There is a lot to think about, but I know that my men will be able to handle it.

Chapter 4.

”Nolan!” Chloe yells, and I lean my head back to look at the ceiling before letting out a long breath.

She has been on a rampage since coming home a few hours ago, and I'm ready to spank her a.s.s. This morning, I told her not to go to work, and I believed she agreed with me and was going to stay home. But it seems my beautiful girl has become hard of hearing, because an hour after I arrived at my office, I received a phone call from Bernard informing me that Chloe had been spotted leaving the building by one of his men, who had then proceeded to follow her, making sure she arrived at the bakery safely before posting up outside until I could meet him there.

As soon as I received this information, I ended my meeting early and met Ricket downstairs so I could pick Chloe up myself. Even if she didn't care about her safety, I did, and there was no f.u.c.king way I was taking a chance with her being at a location that is completely open where, at any time, anyone could get to her.

After I arrived at the bakery, Chloe ran into the back kitchen. At that point, I should have known she wasn't going to make it easy. It took ten minutes to corner her. I have to say that, even if she is tiny, she is fast. It didn't end with me catching her; no, I ended up carrying her kicking and screaming out of the bakery and into the back of my car. I was surprised the police didn't show up after the scene she'd caused. If it hadn't been for her injuries, I would have spanked her a.s.s for the stunt she'd pulled.

”Nolan!” she yells again.

This time, I hear her stomping down the hall. I sit back against the couch and wait to see what happens.

”I know you can hear me,” she huffs, coming to stand in front of me.

”It's hard not to hear you when you're yelling, Angel,” I mutter flatly, closing up my computer.

”Don't 'Angel' me,” she growls, throwing her hands up in the air. ”Where are my clothes?”

”In the closet,” I say slowly, wondering if she's really lost it.

”No, they're not,” she huffs, blowing a piece of hair out of her face.

”Angel.”

”Don't freakin' 'Angel' me! What? Did you take them so I wouldn't have anything to wear or have a way to leave the house again unless I was willing to go naked?”

”Though that does sound like a win-win, no.”

”Well then, someone has stolen my clothes.” She throws up her hands again before lowering them to her hips.

”Chloe, you must really want a spanking. You have been doing things all day to provoke me.” I rub between my eyes and look up at her only after she has been quiet for far too long.

”I'm not lying. All of my clothes, everything of mine, is gone,” she whispers.

Seeing the panicked look on her face has me standing and heading to the bedroom and into the closet. As soon as I hit the bedroom, a familiar smell hits my nose, but it's gone before I can place it. I storm to the closet and see that all of her hangers are empty. I open and close drawers, coming up with nothing. Everything is gone. My angel has a lot of clothes, and there is nothing left-not even a stray pair of panties.

I leave her standing in the closet and go to the bathroom where she keeps all her girly s.h.i.+t. It's all gone as well. I search our home from top to bottom, but everything of hers is gone. There is not even a sign of her left. If she weren't standing right in front of me, I would think she had disappeared. When I turn around, Chloe is standing in the middle of the kitchen with her hands covering her mouth. That's when I realize what I must look like. I can tell that my face is red-hot with anger and my body has expanded. I have no idea who the f.u.c.k came into our home, but when I find out, they are going to f.u.c.king pay.

”Come here,” I demand.

She walks across the marble floors. As soon as she is within reach, I pick her up and carry her with me into the living room, where I sit down with her in my lap before pulling out my phone and calling Bernard.

”Shhhh, Angel,” I whisper to the top of her head and pull her firmly against me when I hear her sob.

”Boss?” Bernard answers.

”Get your a.s.s up to my place now,” I order then hang up. ”We'll get you all new clothes,” I tell her, and she shakes her head, causing her face to slide against my s.h.i.+rt.

”Why would someone take my stuff?”

”Let's not talk about that right now,” I say softly, kissing the top of her head.

My mind is traveling rapidly, and I don't want to explore the reason why until Bernard gets here. All I can think about is the fact that she left this morning, and that is when the people must have come in to take all of her stuff. I wonder what they would have done if she had been here alone. There is no telling what would have happened then. My building is secure, but just like any location, there is always room for improvement.

It takes three minutes for the phone to ring and them to tell me that they are sending a guest up. Chloe jumps at the noise and I shush her again before sitting her on the couch next to me so I can meet Bernard at the entryway.

”I'll be right around the corner. Sit here until I come back,” I tell her, kissing her forehead. ”Look at me, Beautiful.” I place two fingers under her chin, raising her eyes to mine. ”It will all be okay.”

”I know,” she whispers and then looks over my shoulder when the bell goes off again.

”I'll be right back.”

She nods, and I kiss her lips before heading towards the door.

”What's going on?” Bernard asks as soon as I open the front door.

I lead him back down the hall towards the living room, not wanting Chloe to be out of sight for more than a moment.

”All of Chloe's belongings are gone,” I tell him over my shoulder.

”How is that possible?”

”I would like to know the same thing.” I run a hand through my hair and walk to the living room, finding Chloe where I left her, but now, her eyes are on her phone in her hand, her face white as a ghost.

”What's wrong?”

”I just got an e-mail,” she whispers and then lifts her eyes to meet mine. ”What happened when you were in j.a.pan?” Her bottom lip trembles and tears fill her eyes.

My stomach twists as I wonder what she could possibly be talking about. ”What's in the e-mail?” I coax.

She lifts her phone up towards me. The image on the screen is of me from the night I flew home when I found out she was in the hospital. I'm sitting in one of the chairs, and the angle the picture was taken makes it appear like the waitress and I are kissing.

I remember that moment. I had been taking a drink from the waitress, and she had bent down towards me to ask a question, so I had leaned forward to hear her more clearly.

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