"I demand to speak to whoever is in charge!" I had never been so assertive in my entire life. But I needed answers and I needed them now.
"Miss he's currently in a meeting but as soon as he is out I will get Mr. Hans for you." The poor nurse who had called had been sadly on the shit end of my rants and demands.
"I need to know what happened." She suddenly changed her tone and looked at me with sad tired eyes.
"I'm sorry the police have asked us to not say anything. They need to investigate and to tell you the truth I really don't know how and why it happened. But I can assure Mr. Hans is being cooperative, all cameras will be checked and everyone is being questioned." I sagged in defeat and fell into a plastic chair.
Dimitri and I had rushed over to the hospital the moment we found out Lissa was missing. Missing was the wrong word, she had apparently disappeared without a trace. She had gone to all her scheduled appointments and been in a great mood. Her last one had been with her speech therapist and Christian had sworn up and down she had been happy and making progress, he had left her room after an hour as she had started to doze and couldn't keep going. Thirty minutes later her afternoon nurse had gone to check on her and she wasn't there. She had checked the bathroom, the halls, and soon called on reinforcements. No one had seen her, no one had seen anyone come into her room.
I had a hard time believing Lissa had just disappeared, or that she had wondered off. I didn't believe she would leave willingly either. Even in her sad days Lissa tried to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She had been able to write a sloppy message for me the other day, "I'm so glad you're ok". I had cried the entire night, she had no idea how much it meant to me that she didn't wish I was dead. I was so happy she didn't wish that her mother, father or brother were alive instead. And even though the thought was selfish I was so happy we had each other. I felt guilty she had lost her family, but I had been given a second chance at life and I needed to be thankful for it.
No Lissa wasn't mad, she wasn't angry or even as depressed as I thought she would be. Like me she had a determination to live life enough for those who had lost theirs. Her therapists praised her hard work, they were so impressed with her progress, with how much she continued to do and push at. The only thing they had hinted at was that she wanted to go home. She didn't want to spend her nights alone in a hospital. And she had gotten her wish, she was suppose to have been released in a weeks time if everything kept progressing the way it was.
"Miss Hathaway." I looked up to see detective Tanner in front of me. Natasha lingered behind him a snarl on her lips.
"Yes." I wiped my tears and looked at him with hope in my eyes. He had to find her.
"I'm sorry for bothering you but I have a few questions." I nodded and quickly stood.
"Anything." He nodded and pulled out his notebook.
"Did Vasilissa seem unhappy? Like she wanted to leave?"
"I mean she wanted to come home. But her and her doctors had talked it through and she was suppose to come home next week." I remembered when she called her doctor to come tell me the good news. Had that really only been a couple days ago?
"I didn't see anyone on her visitors log, only you and a couple friends, her therapists and doctors and nurses. But do you know if anyone else tried to see her?" He looked up his gray eyes wide.
"No. I mean there were people who wanted to visit but she wasn't ready. I think it would have been too much, especially since she couldn't really talk well." He nodded again and reached into his back pocket.
"Does this person look familiar?" I squinted at the picture.
"Umm kinda." I grabbed the picture and brought it closer to my face. "Oh he looks like a security person the Dragomir's hired every once in a while, for like events."
"Security you say?" He looked a little confused.
"Yea most def. I mean his hair wasn't black back then, more like blonde. But those eyes are hard to forget. I remember thinking they were so blue." I handed the picture back. "Does he have something to do with this?"
"We can't tell you that Hathaway." Tasha had pushed through and interrupted causing Tanner to groan in protest. "If you know anything you have to tell us. Now is not the time to lie."
"I wouldn't lie." My eyes narrowed at her and I lifted my finger to point at her. "I wouldn't get that attitude with me. I'm not the one who failed at their job. You all said she was safe here. You said she was being protected."
"I just see a lot of motive for getting rid of Miss Dragomir. I mean she knows the truth and it will eventually come out." I growled under my breath no longer trying to hide my anger.
"And when she remembers it will be set clear, like I have stated before I did nothing. I'm getting sick and tired of you accusing me." I stepped closer. "I know my rights Detective, and I know what you are doing to me is harassment. Do your fucking job, cause you fucking suck at it."
"Please Miss." Tanner stepped forward putting a hand on the damn bitches shoulder. "I've got this Tasha."
To say Tasha was pissed was an understatement. But she had gone too far. She was constantly accusing me of things she had no proof of, but this was too much. Accusing me of hurting or making Lissa disappear was the line I wouldn't let her cross. I didn't lose Lissa they had.
"I'm sorry about her." I scoffed and turned to him still upset.
"I'm tired of everyone apologizing for her. She has crossed the line more times than I can count. I'm going to make sure this time I file a formal complaint." I had been extremely forth giving with information, I had complied to everything, but that bitch was done. I was pissed and I was going to finish her.
"You're right. I'll set you up with someone who can help you." He pointed to a young man who came over and could apparently take a compliant from me, and I didn't hold back.
I finally ended up in a corner away from everyone else. I couldn't believe what was happening. How could Lissa be missing? Why was she missing? Better yet who the hell took her. It was obvious that she had enemies, especially after whoever they were had tried to kill all the Dragomir's off. But why? Why was Lissa still a target. I understood she still held power, but she wasn't herself, at least not yet.
No matter how many times I thought about it I couldn't pin point anyone with that much hate for the Dragomir's. There were many that envied them, that wanted to friend them to benefit from their wealth and place in society. But the Dragomir's had a way of knowing who was good and who was bad. They did their homework and distanced themselves from anyone they thought was ill willed. But they were also so kind hearted, that was showed when they took me in and gave me everything I had needed and then some.
"The world is a cruel place Rosemarie." The words Eric had said to me one night when I had cried in his arms about my mother, echoed in my mind.
The world was beyond cruel. That didn't mean I had to be cruel or revengeful, or even hateful. I wanted to find the person responsible for all this and murder them but I knew better. Eric, Rhea, and even Andre wouldn't want me to stoop to that level. They had always wanted happiness for me, they wanted the best for me, and filling myself with rage would not help.
"How are you?" I looked up to find Dimitri in front of me, a kind smile on his face.
"I don't know confused." I answered honestly.
"I understand, we are reviewing footage as we speak. Nothing has been found but I know it's there." I nodded slowly, rolling my aching shoulders.
"Have you heard anything?" I know he wasn't suppose to tell me anything but I needed something.
"Nothing." He sighed and came a little closer. "They found Vasilisa's necklace. I wanted to give it to you." He held out his hand and I took it, I looked down and furrowed my brow. The necklace was gold, and the diamonds on it were no doubt real. The horse pendant mocked me.
"Why are you giving me this?" Dimitri looked at me and sat next to me.
"We figured it was Lissa's." I was shaking my head no before he even finished.
"No, no." I started to shake with both fear and hope. "This, this belongs to Natalie!"
"Whose Natalie? And how do you know?"
"Victor Dashkov's daughter. And I know because I remember when she got it. She showed it to Lissa and I because she loved getting attention, especially from her father. I remember this thing because I remember thinking how damn ugly and bulky it was."
"Rose are you sure?" I groaned and thrusted the necklace back into his hand.
"I've never been more sure of anything!" I got up just as he darted towards his boss.
"Steele." Said person turned around full attention on Dimitri. "Miss Hathaway says this isn't Vasilisa's necklace. She states it belongs to a Natalie Dashkov."
"Tanner!" Steele called him loudly and I was soon being pushed back as more shouting started to happen and people started to yell orders and follow them.
I was able to catch Dimitri's eye before he too was pulled into the frenzy. I sat in a chair completely ignored by everyone and everything. How could Victor do this? Was it really him or did Natalie just visit. She couldn't have just simply forgotten that necklace. And she wasn't in the log. My head started to hurt badly and I stood up, I needed some air and fast.
By the time I made it out to the parking lot most of the police and detectives had cleared out. I knew a few would remain here trying to get clues and what not. I felt so useless. I felt useless that day as I watched them all die and I felt it even more so now. I had vowed to protect Liss and now this. Was she ok? Was she scared? Was she alive?
"Hey." I looked to my right and was startled to see Mason and Eddie walking towards me.
"Hey what are you guys doing here?" I hugged them both feeling so much better with them here. I was worried about Lissa but I was also scared whoever took her would come after me too.
"Dimitri called a couple hours ago. Said you'd need a friend. Told us what happened." Eddie squeezed my shoulder and took me in.
"Thanks this means a lot. Do you have a car?"
"Nah we took a taxi. Our car is getting fixed." Mason looked a little ashamed but I waved him off.
"I'll get Stan to come get us."
Pulling out my phone I started to write a message to Stan to see if he could pick me up. It was late but he had always assured me anytime was fine as long as I was safe. My phone barely got the message through as my battery died.
"Damn." I rolled my neck and tried, but failed to relax. "I sent a message hopefully he gets it."
Before I could even think of anything else a black van flew into the empty parking lot right next to us. A second later 4 men barged out and grabbed me. Two seconds later I watched one of them punch Mason out. I screamed in fear that he was dead, he had fallen to the ground so hard. Eddie was beside me putting up a fight, he seemed to be getting somewhere until one of the other men helped to hold him as well.
"Fuck it just take him." I looked to my right in full shock. The Irish accent. It was him, and as I looked at him my fears were confirmed. "Looks like I have a job to finish."
"No." My protest was barely a whisper as I was lifted off the ground and shoved into the van along with Eddie. My fear was causing me to be paralyzed. All I could do was stare at Masons limp body on the ground as we drove away. Fear for him, for Eddie. For myself. All I could do was feel fear. Because as I was finally able to look around me I saw the three men that had tried to kill me, and the forth one cause me to sob. Spiradon, Victor's personal guard. There was no way I was getting out of this alive.