Chapter 74
Erin’s POV
“I’m surprised you wanted to see me,” Gavin said, raising his brows as I approached his desk.
He looked as handsome as ever; it was driving me crazy looking at him. My heart was pounding quickly against my chest and every fiber of my being was going insane.
Emily could hardly contain herself being in the same room as him.
I took a steady deep breath to try and calm my nerves, but his eyes only darkened, and a small smirk appeared on his lips as it often does when he plays with my emotions. He can read me like a book and that was more than infuriating.
“We needed to talk,” I told him, sitting in one of his chairs before his desk; I needed him to know that this was only a business meeting.
That playfulness left his gaze and now he was staring at me with curiosity. He leaned back in his seat and narrowed his eyes at me.
“Go on,” he urged, waiting for me to continue.
“The hospital. I think you should lock it down,” I tell him.
He waited a moment longer as if he thought I would continue.
“Why would I do that?” He asked.
“Because whoever burned it down, it most likely lurking around with the other patients still. You shouldn’t be taking any risks.”
“As much as I appreciate you telling me how to do my job, what makes you think they are at the transferred hospital?”
He was right; the likelihood of them being there was slim to nothing. They are most likely on the run now, or back with the other slayers. However, there was still a chance they could be there; we couldn’t take the chance.
“That isn’t something you should risk,” I told him; I kept my eyes steadily on his.
“Why are you so invested in this?” He asked, leaning forward and closer to me.
“Because I care about our territory just as much as you do,” I tell him in return.
“And what makes you think I care so much about this entire territory and not just my pack? What good has the territory done for me besides paint me as a monster?”
I rose my brows.
“Because I know you, Gavin. I know your heart and I know how your mind works. You wouldn’t put this territory in danger if you can help it.”
He was quiet for a moment as he processed what I had said.
“Maybe so,” he said. “But I don’t think we have to worry about the woman in the red cloak being at the hospital. There’s no way she’s still there. I already told you that I wanted you to stay out of this, Erin. It’s way too dangerous for you to be involved,” he paused for a moment so he could stare around my face. “Unless you want to tell me why you are involved in the first place.”
I knew that question was coming, and it wasn’t a question I was willing to answer. At least, not right now.
“I just care about everybody, and I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt,” I told him; this was the truth.
Gavin’s entire demeanor had changed in an instant. He could tell I was lying to him, and it ached my heart. Though, I couldn’t imagine what it must have been doing to his heart.
“You should probably get back to your husband, no?” Gavin asked. “He’s probably worried.”
“Gavin…” I tried to say but he wouldn’t listen to me.
“I have things to do anyways,” he muttered.
As if on cue, his cell phone started to ring. He glanced at the screen briefly with a timid frown and then some worry surfaced in his eyes.
He glanced at me.
“I need to take this,” he muttered as he walked past his desk and toward the door.
For a moment, I thought he was going to open it and gesture for me to leave, but he didn’t. He walked out the door, slamming it behind him and leaving me alone with my thoughts.
…
Gavin’s POV
“Gavin? I’m sorry to call you…” a woman sounded on the other end of the phone.
As soon as he was far enough distance away from his office, away from Erin, he answered the phone.
The woman sounded as if she was in distress when she spoke; her voice quivered and cracked slightly. It was like she was drastically trying to hold back her tears.
“What can I do for you?” Gavin asked, keeping his tone even and professional.
He knew the woman on the other end to be the mother of Susanna. It wasn’t often that her mother called him, usually only in emergency cases. He mainly spoke to Susanna’s father, but it was usually only business related.
He hadn’t spoken to either in a long while and wasn’t expecting to hear from them anytime soon.
“I wasn’t sure who else to call…” her mother said in a broken whisper. “But I haven’t been able to get a hold of Susanna… she checked herself out of the hospital last night and we haven’t been able to find her. I was wondering if you had seen her?”
“No,” Gavin said, now he was growing wary. “She’s been missing since last night and you are now just calling?”
He was trying not to scold Susanna’s mother, but he couldn’t help it.
How incompetent can you be?
“I’m surprised they notice her missing currently. They hardly paid attention to her in the past,” his wolf muttered.
“We thought she would be back by now,” her mother croaked. “Her father is searching everywhere for her as we speak. But so far there’s been no luck… I don’t know what to do.”
“You said she checked herself out of a hospital? She didn’t escape? So, she spoke to a nurse or doctor before leaving?” Gavin asked.
“There’s a release form that she signed, yes,” her mother answered.
“Do you know the name of the nurse or doctor that gave her the form?” Gavin asked.
“No, they didn’t say,” the mother cried. “Where could she have gone if she’s not with you?”
“I’ll find out,” Gavin said. “Stay by your phone and when I have more information, I’ll call you.”
He hung up the phone without another word.
Gavin didn’t waste any more time, he went straight to the hospital and went to the nurse’s station on the second level of the hospital. The second level was where Susanna was staying. At least she was before she took off.
There was a young nurse sitting at the desk, looking bored. But she perked up right away when she saw Gavin nearing her with a firm look on his face.
“Alpha!” She said quickly. “I wasn’t expecting you. Anything I can do for you?”
“Who allowed Miss Susanna to leave the hospital?” Gavin asked her, a fierceness in his tone that caused her to shiver.
She frowned.
“I’m not sure… it must have been someone from the day shift,” she answered.
“Show me the document,” he demanded, trying to keep his tone calm and unbothered.
She shuffled through some of her papers and uncovered a document that Gavin knew to be the release form. He glanced at it and found the name of the nurse that allowed her to leave; fury rose through him.
He handed the form back to the nurse and thanked her before heading towards Susanna’s door.
The hospital room was vacant as if she had never been there. All her things were gone.
As he walked around her bed, he noticed something was wedged between her mattresses. He narrowed his eyes at it and reached under the mattress to examine it even further.
He felt a cloth with his fingertips, soft to the touch.
He grabbed the cloth and pulled it to release it. But as soon as he saw what it was, he nearly dropped it as he gasped.
Gavin doesn’t shock easily, but at that moment, he was stunned.
Under Susanna’s mattress, was a red cloak.
