Til Debt Do Us Part (Married At Midnight #4)

Chapter 32

Thirty-Two

Talia

T he morning sun streams through the curtains, bathing the suite at the Windsor in a warm glow. I stretch beneath the silken sheets, reveling in the luxury surrounding me. But my contentment fades as I remember the children under my care, the orphans we brought here from Hope House.

I slip out of bed, a knot of worry tightening in my chest. The nannies should have woken them by now, started lessons and activities. What if something happened in the night? What if one of them wandered off, alone and afraid in this huge hotel?

I hurry to the door, my breath quickening. The empty halls echo my footsteps as I rush downstairs. The sound of young voices drifts from a parlor where tutors sit with students, patiently guiding them through French conjugations and algebra equations.

The dining room comes into view, chandeliers glittering, tables set with gleaming china. The sun streams into the grand hall, illuminating the long mahogany table set with crystal glasses and silver platters heaped with pastries, fruit, and eggs. But I barely notice the opulent display or the staff bustling about, too consumed with concern over the children under my care.

I scan the room, searching for any sign of a young, dark haired girl. Instead, I see only well-dressed businessmen and women, absorbed in their morning papers and phones.

I nearly stumble upon a little girl when I walk purposefully toward the table. She is sitting on the floor, still as a stone. A plate of half-eaten pancakes is abandoned on the table. When I stumble into her, she looks up at me with big, innocent eyes.

"Good morning," I say softly.

She puts a finger to her lips and then points to one of the nannies, who's at the far end of the table. The nanny looks like she's in her early twenties, with chestnut hair twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck. She's currently striking a pose and being perfectly still.

I mouth thank you to the little girl and stride down to talk to the nanny, who is holding all the kids in rapt, silent attention. The nanny looks at me and claps her hands.

"Good job pretending you are statues! Wow, that's great! You were very still. Everybody relax and eat for a few minutes. Then we'll try another round."

I give the nanny an anxious smile. "Hi. I'm Talia. I'm... Dare's wife. And I have volunteered with Hope House for years and years."

The words sound odd coming out of my mouth, but the nanny beams at me.

"I'm Maddie. It's so nice to meet you, Talia. Dare told us all about you. You're doing such a wonderful thing for these kids."

I nod, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Thanks. You are too. They already love you!"

Maddie's smile doesn't dim. "I'm still working on it. They're great kids, though."

"They are." My smile fades. "I see that you only have a portion of the children here. Do you have any idea where the rest of them are?"

She purses her lips. "Julie is with a little boy named Max. They went upstairs to change. Several of the children had to go back to the H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L to have checkups run. And Sophie left with one little girl. She was ordered to take her to some family, I think."

My heart squeezes. "What little girl?"

Maddie looks thoughtful. "You know, I'm not sure. I'm sorry, I had my hands full at the time."

"When did they leave?"

Maddie looks at her watch. "About thirty minutes ago, I think. I didn't see them leave."

I thank her and walk out of the dining room. My pulse pounds, scenarios flashing through my mind. Was Solana taken somewhere? Did someone slip past security?

I have to find her. I promised to keep her safe.

I burst through the glass doors leading to the pool area, the smell of chlorine sharp in my nostrils. My eyes frantically scan the shimmering water and surrounding lounge chairs but find no sign of the children. The space is eerily quiet and still, devoid of the usual splashing and playful shouts. I run to the pool, peering around the cabanas and lounge chairs.

No one is here.

Dread wells up inside me as I jump in the elevator and press the penthouse floor button impatiently, heading for Solana's room.

I arrive at her door panting, heart lodged in my throat. With a trembling hand I turn the handle and step inside the spacious suite.

"Solana?" My voice echoes in the empty room.

The bed is neatly made, not a wrinkle marring the silken duvet. I rush to the armoire and wrench open the doors.

No Solana.

My hands shake as I grab my phone, ready to sound the alarm and call in the calvary. Where is she?

Suddenly, Dare appears in the hallway, confusion clouding his face at my panic. He crosses the room swiftly and grasps my shoulders.

"Talia, slow down. Breathe."

His deep voice is calm, but his eyes are troubled.

I shake my head wildly. "I can't! Solana's missing."

He nods, brows furrowing. "Okay. Easy. You're raising your blood pressure. Panicking helps no one."

Despite his reassuring tone, his jaw is tense. My panic feeds off his poorly concealed worry. What does he know that I don't?

My heart races as I try to explain the situation to Dare. "One of the nannies said that one of her coworkers left with a little girl about thirty minutes ago, but she didn't know who the girl was or where they were going. I'm about to tear my hair out."

Dare's eyes widen, and he looks just as troubled as I feel. Before he can respond, the elevator doors open. Aunt Minnie rushes out, her voice gentle as she takes my arm.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you two." Despite the circumstances, her voice holds a note of gentle reprimand that makes me feel like a child again.

Dare releases me and I step back, swiping at my tear-stained cheeks. "Minnie, Solana is gone. There is no sign of her anywhere..." I trail off helplessly.

"There now, let's not jump to conclusions," Aunt Minnie says soothingly. She pats my hand. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."

I shake my head in frustration. Does no one understand the gravity of this?

But Aunt Minnie continues on blithely. “The children from Hope House were taken to the hospital this morning, remember?" she says. "The doctors just want to test to make sure everything is okay."

My anxious mind grasps her words. The hospital. Of course.

I stare at her blankly. Could it be true? Could this just be a horrible misunderstanding? The spark of hope flickers tentatively inside me.

Dare clears his throat. "Of course. The hospital visit. That must be it." But his eyes are uncertain.

I cling to the fragile possibility like a lifeline. Solana is at the hospital. She has to be. I take a deep breath, steadying myself. There is only one way to know for sure.

"I need to make some calls," I say firmly.

Dare nods.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Talia," he promises. His hand finds mine, gripping it tightly.

I pull out my phone with shaking hands, scrolling to find the number for Amelia, the Hope House volunteer who stayed here at the hotel with us last night. Dare squeezes my hand reassuringly as I press call and raise the phone to my ear.

The line trills endlessly. Come on, come on, I urge silently. Finally, a breathless voice answers.

"Talia, hey." It sounds quite noisy in the background where Amelia is. "Sorry, I'm at the hospital and it's busy here."

"Amelia, hi. I'm calling about Solana. She's one of the kids staying with us at the hotel."

"Oh yes, Solana!" Amelia responds brightly. "What's up?"

I rush on. "Is she with the group that went with you to the hospital this morning?"

There's a pause. "Solana?" Amelia sounds confused. "No, she isn't one of the kids that needed to come back to the hospital."

No. No, no, no. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing her words to change.

"As far as I know, Solana is with the kids at the hotel," Amelia continues, oblivious to the bomb she's just detonated in my heart. "Isn't she?"

The phone slips from my fingers, falling to the marble floor with a crack. Solana is gone.

Dare catches me as I sway, his strong arms the only thing still holding me upright. This can't be real. It has to be a nightmare I'll wake up from.

But the stark terror in Dare's eyes mirrors my own. He knows this is no dream.

Fear rises in me, acidic and burning. I think of all the horrific possibilities. Did she wander off and get lost? Did she leave with a nanny as Maddie suggested? Was she lured away by a stranger? Oh god, all the unspeakable things that could happen to a child alone and unprotected in the city...

I sag against Dare. He grips my shoulders, his face pale but determined.

"We'll find her," he says firmly. "I swear to you, Talia."

His words steady me slightly, though my heart continues racing wildly. We have to hold it together for Solana's sake. I take a deep, shuddering breath and nod.

"Call hotel security," I tell Dare, my voice low but urgent. "Get your security team down here. We need to organize search teams and alert the police."

Dare is already pulling out his phone, barking orders to his head of security. In moments the hotel is abuzz with activity, staff spreading out to search every inch of the massive building. I make call after call; to Hope House volunteers, the local police station, even Solana's social worker. Nothing yet.

Dare looks over at me, a quiet fierceness in his gaze. His phone vibrates in his pocket and pulls it out with a frown, scanning the message that pops up on screen, color draining from his face.

"What is it?" I demand. "Have they found her?"

Wordlessly, he turns the phone so I can see. It's a photo of Solana, eyes wide and terrified, a gag wrapped tightly around her mouth.

The message below reads: Sign over your future shares of the inheritance and she'll be returned to you. Don't... and you won't like what happens next.

Ice water floods my veins. I stare at Dare, stunned into silence. He looks just as shocked, jaw clenched so tightly I fear it may shatter.

"Felix," he grits out at last. "The bastard's finally shown his hand."

Anger ignites in my chest, hot and swift.

"You knew," I spit. "You knew he was dangerous, that he'd already hurt innocents, and you let Solana wander off right into his clutches!"

"I didn't know he'd go this far," Dare says defensively.

"Well, you should have!" I shove away from him, pacing the length of the room.

"Talia, please. We have to stay calm."

"Calm?" I whirl on him, eyes blazing. "That monster has Solana, and you want me to stay calm?"

"We have a choice to make here," Dare says, "and we must make it carefully. If we alert the authorities, Felix may panic and hurt her. If I sign over my inheritance, it only encourages him to continue terrorizing others. But if we do nothing at all..."

He trails off, unable to voice what we both already know: Solana will die.

My chest constricts at the thought, a sob rising in my throat. How did we come to this? When did everything fall so utterly apart?

"I don't know what to do," I whisper, wrapping my arms around myself. "Just tell me what to do."

Dare steps forward and wraps me in his embrace. I cling to him, trembling.

"We will get her back," he murmurs. "I swear to you, Talia, we will bring Solana home."

Home . The word cracks something open inside me. We were meant to be Solana's home, to give her safety and shelter and love. And now...

I pull away, wiping angrily at my eyes. "How? How will we get her back from your vile excuse of an uncle?"

Dare's jaw clenches. "I think I should sign over my inheritance."

"You can't be serious!" I cry. "How do you know he won't just take the money and kill her anyway?"

"Because he knows if he harms one hair on her head, I will hunt him to the ends of the earth." Dare's eyes gleam with a dangerous light. "He knows what I'm capable of. He won't cross me again."

I stare at him, stunned into silence. In all our time together, I have never seen this side of Dare.

This is not the kind, compassionate man I know. This is a stranger with power and vengeance in his eyes.This is a beast, formed from anger and desperation. But I can't deny that I feel a thrill of excitement at the thought of him going up against his uncle. Maybe this is what it will take to finally end this nightmare.

"Dare, I--"

He silences me with a finger to my lips.

"You always make sure everyone is taken care of, Talia. Let me take care of you this once."

I stare into his eyes, nodding. Dare kisses me briefly, then takes a step back, his eyes never leaving mine. He reaches for his phone and dials a number.

"Yeah. It’s me. I need you right now."