Page 31 of Stanton Unconditional

“Joshua, no,” she cries. “We love each other. Don’t let her come between us.”

I screw my face up in disbelief. “I don’t love you. How many times do I have to tell you that? You forced yourself onto me on Friday night and when I realized what the hell was happening, I pushed you off me. I’m beyond mortified at what happened between us. I’m in love with Natasha.… and now you’ve fucked that up too. If anything happens to her, I swear to God, I will strangle you!” I scream.

She starts to cry. “Enough of the waterworks, bitch. Just go,” Cameron snaps.

“Where the hell is Ben?” I yell at Cameron. He runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

I start texting Natasha as Cameron grabs Amelie by the arm and pulls her out of the room. I walk over to the window. Tash… baby. Please come back. I look on the chair and I see her bag. I rush to it and realize her purse is inside. She has no money. Dear God.… where is she?

“What the hell is going on?” Max asks.

“She told Natasha a bunch of lies and now she thinks I have been sleeping with Amelie and she’s run off. She has no money. She’s alone and she’s not safe in this city.” I quickly pull on some clothes. “I’m going looking for her. Call the others. Get them back here now. I want her found.”

“Joshua, you can’t go out there without protection,” Max snaps.

“Are you kidding me? She thinks I have been sleeping around on her. You know how emotional she is. She will be freaking out somewhere. Get your ass into gear and find her. I told you not to leave her alone. Where were you?” I run down the hall and start to text her again as I wait for the lift.

Cameron is hot on my heels. “I will go down. You go up,” he asserts. The lift opens and the four bodyguards come out.

“Where in the hell have you been? Natasha is missing!” I scream.

Ben’s face drops. “What?”

“We had a misunderstanding, and she has run off.”

“Did you track her phone?”

Why didn’t I think of that? I run back to the room to grab my laptop and see Max texting someone. “Is that Natasha?” I ask in desperation.

“No, I was looking up the hospital security system so we can check the surveillance tapes.”

“Good thinking.” I start to type double time, initiating a track on her cell. My heart is in my chest. Please…please, Tash, pick up. I call her again…no answer.

Adrian walks through the door, smiling. “Hey, I brought you coffee.”

My eyes flick up to him. “Do you have your laptop with you?”

He frowns. “Yes, in the car. Why?”

I drop my head in shame. “I need it to find Natasha.”

“What do you mean?” He puts the coffee down so hastily

it spills. “Where is she?”

“Amelie told her that I slept with her and Tash has freaked and taken off.”

“You slept with Amelie!?” he gasps.

I drop my head. “Sort of.”

“What the hell does that mean? You can’t sort of sleep with someone, you idiot!”

I nod as I type. “It just happened and then I realized what I was doing and I stopped it midway.”

“You are the biggest fuckwit I know. Why in the hell would you give that stupid bitch ammunition against you?” He sighs as he runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

I keep typing.