Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,198

increased tenfold, a suffocating weight pressing on his lungs. Connor hung up, not bothering to leave a voicemail, and went back to his office.

“So why do you need me to find Brooke’s employee file?” Eric asked, pulling his seat closer to the desk and opening up his laptop.

“Don’t be cute, you know why,” Connor replied, leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen. Eric had changed his background to a picture of him and Lydia, hands clasped, with huge smiles on their faces. Connor fought the urge to coo and ruffle Eric’s hair.

“I really need to teach you guys about technology,” Eric grumbled. “Seriously, though, if you want to know something about her why don’t you just ask? That’s what normal people do.”

“I can’t get a hold of her,” Connor responded in what he had hoped would be a patient manner, but just ended up sounding tense, scanning over the names as Eric scrolled through the database. “She won’t pick up her phone and I’ve never been to her place, so I’m not sure of her address.”

Eric must have picked up on the rising panic in his tone because he stopped scrolling to look up at him. “Connor, what’s going on?”

Connor hesitated, then told him about Vince and the fact that he’d challenged Brooke’s leadership.

“I thought the meeting would straighten everything out but,” he sighed. She’d asked him to go and see her at work. She would have told him if she wasn’t coming in. He was sure of it. “I just feel like something might have happened to her. Call it a gut feeling.”

Eric turned back to the laptop and continued scrolling. “Well, I think you should follow your gut; it always worked for the rest of us.” Connor looked at the back of Eric’s head, infinitely grateful to have his trust.

“Thank you, little brother.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get all soppy on me now… aha. Found it.”

They both leaned in close as Eric clicked on Brooke’s picture. She was smiling into the camera but there was a tension to her shoulders that Connor realized she’d always had until just a few days ago - like she was carrying a huge weight with her everywhere she went. He shook off the sad feeling that settled in his chest and found what he was looking for a few lines down: Brooke’s emergency contacts. Carlo was listed as her first emergency number. There was an address.

Eric hit print and closed the laptop.

“Need back up?” he asked.

Connor shook his head, “I should be fine, but I’ll keep you updated.”

Eric nodded, “Okay. Be careful, Connor.”

“Always am.” He gave his brother a salute as he left his office. Eric snorted.

The renovated motel now apartment block where Brooke and her pack lived was a rundown shithole. The buildings were crowded in together and looked like they were one rainstorm away from falling over. Connor pulled over and paused for a long moment, looking at the dilapidated complex with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He should have done something sooner, there had to be some kind of law against people living somewhere that smelled this much like mold.

The front courtyard was empty and he couldn’t hear a single sound as he made his way up and down the front of the buildings, searching for Carlo’s address.

He eventually found it, mounting the rickety stone steps and pressing the doorbell, wincing at the shrill sound that shattered the silence.

Please answer the door, please answer the door, please answer the-

The door swung open and a young man, maybe nineteen years old, with dark curly hair and dressed in scruffy jeans, peered out at him.

It was Carlo. He looked as bad as Connor felt, with dark circles under his eyes, and he visibly deflated when he saw it was Connor at the door. Connor’s shoulders slumped, his final shred of hope that Brooke was safe disappeared from his heart.

“She’s not here,” Connor murmured. Carlo licked his lips and shook his head. Over his shoulder, Connor caught sight of several other people, peeking out from doorways and through stair banisters but shrinking back when their eyes met. They were scared of him, or at least wary. Connor instantly took a step back, trying to make himself seem smaller and less imposing. Their stares made him uncomfortable. He found that he didn’t want them to be afraid of him.

Carlo saw his discomfort and stepped outside, pulling the door to and blocking out the anxious stares of the shifters within.

“She never came back