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V A U G H N

It feels like forever has passed when my eyes open. There is a blinding white light from the ceiling which makes me shut them again. I groan, turning onto one side and using my elbow to pull myself up. My shoulder hurts, my body feels weak, and my head is dizzy, black spots blocking my vision.

I start to vaguely remember Jake leaning over me, muttering something about fucking with my life. Pressing my temples with both hands, I shake my head, trying to get rid of the heavy weight inside in vain. I look around and see myself still in the confines of my workshop office and then my eyes fall on the clock on the wall above my desk. It is nearing 7 pm.

What the hell? Did no one check on me? It's been three hours.

I drag my footsteps as quickly as possible to the door and throw it open. Cho jumps from the chair at the sound and looks at me with a startled look on her face when I walk up to her. The office is almost empty, nearing closing time and Cho and two other workers are the only ones left.

"Boss..."

"Where's Jake?" I ask her, my voice coming out louder than I intended to and my secretary flinches, shapely eyes blinking hard as her ponytail sways side-to-side.

"Huh...Mr. Gallagher said you gave him a personal errand to run and told us not to disturb you since...you're in a meeting with a client," she informs, narrowing her eyes in confusion and picking up her IPad as she types something on it. "But boss...your schedule didn't have a meeting..."

She couldn't notice it three hours ago?

I brush her off as she begins to say something and make a dash for the elevator as it stops straight ahead on the floor. My few employees stare at me with bewildered glances as I rush past them, getting inside the elevator just as it is about to close. Pressing the button to take me to the ground floor, I take deep breaths to calm my nerves down.

The ride down is full of trepidation, anxiety, and fear twisting my guts. I keep pressing buttons on the pad as if that could make the elevator go down faster. It is a wonder it doesn't stop mid-way due to my activities. When the doors open, I step out, spotting my car instantly and Rick leaning against it with a newspaper in his hand. I run towards the car.

"Give me the keys," I say to Rick and he jumps back, startled at my sudden appearance.

"But, boss..."

"Just give me the Goddamn keys, Rick!" I shout and he quickly grabs the key from his pocket and puts it on my outstretched palm.

I murmur to him a 'sorry' for shouting as I get into the car and slam the door shut. Putting my seatbelt on, I place my hands on the steering wheel, the speed at which I want to drive already calculated in my head. With a pull on the gear, I head straight out of the parking space, hearing Rick shout behind me to slow down.

I can't slow down. Not tonight.

***

The Hill Manor is lit up like a happy kid's birthday party when I drive my car inside the gates, stopping at the front door. I see guards rush towards me and get rid of my seatbelt, climbing down it as the guards murmur amongst themselves, stopping in their tracks and not daring to stop me when they see it's me.

I walk to the large double doors and throw them open, stepping into the hall where I spot Michael Hill with his wife perched on his lap, laughing at something they are reading in Vogue. Being so intensely involved in their conversation, they don't notice me at first as I walk toward them.

My footsteps echo loudly on the floor, making Isabelle look up and she lets out a gasp, quickly climbing down her husband and making him look up from his magazine. His smile falls when he sees me.

"What are you doing..."

"Where's Claire?" I don't let him finish before I ask. "I need to talk to her. It's urgent...well..." I suddenly notice the staircase which would lead me to Claire's room. "Forget it...I know where she is," I mutter to myself, heading for the stairs.

"She isn't home!" Micheal shouts and I halt halfway through climbing the stairs to turn and face him.

"What do you mean she isn't home? Where is she?"

"She went to your house," Isabelle responds when she sees her husband's fingers curl to fists as he stares at me with a clenched jaw. She grabs his arm, stopping him from launching himself at me. "Your sister called her. Said there's something urgent. She has a date and needs some help."

Shit! That's a lie. Rose doesn't have any date.

She was supposed to be getting the documents ready for the suit against Mason Holiday. If I remember correctly, she was adamant about finishing it tonight and had been at it since early morning. There is no way she would have changed her plans without informing me first. Rose takes her job seriously.

Frustrated at the new information, I run my fingers through my hair, rubbing my face and mouth as I think over what might have happened. Personal errand — Jake said he had a personal errand to run for me.

Damn it! He is there. He is at my house. With my family.

"Fuck!"

I sprint down the stairs, heading back to their entrance doors. A hand grabs mine just as I am about to walk out. I turn to see Isabelle squeezing my arm in a death-like grip, a horrified look on her face.

"What happened? Is something wrong?" she asks.

I debate telling her the matter at first but she deserves to know. If her daughter is in danger, then both of them need to know about it. Claire's their child before they see her as my wife. I can't not tell them, especially when I can use every bit of help at a time like this.

"It's Claire. I found the man who's after her." Isabelle's eyes widen as she lets go of me. "He knocked me out and is at my house now. Call the cops if you can. I need to leave."

"We'll come with you," I hear Micheal say as he follows behind me.

Not wanting to wait for them while they get the whole situation into wits, I get into my car again and hit the ignition, maneuvering it out of the gates. My phone screen lights up when I am on the road and I see David calling me. I set the call to speaker, increasing the speed of the car and breezing my way through the traffic.

"Boss, where are you?"

"I don't have time to chat, David. I have things to take care of. You have something important to say?"

"No...but I'm at the office and there's a lady—"

I cut the call after hearing the 'No'. I barely have time to take care of my own mess which he was very much a part of creating.

As I drive home with my heart in my throat, my mind plays out all the possible scenarios currently taking place in my house. Every second I am away, I am putting my family in danger and this time it's not just Claire. I can't help but feel more and more nervous with every passing second.

I don't want to be late. I can't be late. Not when my family is in danger. They shouldn't have been a part of Jake's game. He said he wanted to destroy me and he wanted to do that by hurting my family. By hurting Claire.

My knuckles turn pale as I grab the steering wheel tighter, breaking hundreds of traffic rules as I drive faster. I don't care. I am the least bothered by what the law thinks of me right now. The law can go to hell.

I only see them. My mom, my sister, my Claire. I see Mom's smile when she is proud of me, I see Rose's tears when she hugged me that night, and I see her — Claire and her beautiful eyes, Claire and the feel of her lips against mine, Claire and her innocent dreams for our future, Claire telling me that she loves me.

I love her so Goddamn much and I am saying it back this time. I will tell her how much I love her and that she is the only one. I am not losing her. I am not losing them. Not losing them to anyone's sick game. My family needs me. I must be there on time.

I won't let anyone hurt them. I just have to be there on time. Just on time.

Please, God, let me be there on time.