Vengeance

Chapter 57

Ryan's POV

"What the hell do you mean she's gone?!" I yelled at my men. 

"We're s-sorry sir, she t-tricked us." They were standing with their heads low and scared as hell. 

"You just wait, Capo will have your heads chopped off." Marco seethed at them holding their collars. 

Stefen and Arlo were making some calls. 

"None of her friends know where she is." Nik said with worry in her eyes. 

Matteo was busy checking all the security cameras of the mall.
I was worried sick. 

Why Ava? Why would you leave without telling anyone? 

I went to my room, since I couldn't handle the pressure of all the questions everyone was throwing at me. I needed to get my shit together. This was Ava. I couldn't lose her. Not now. Not ever.
I slammed the door shut behind me. 

Fuck!
How am I gonna tell Lorenzo about this?!
I promised to keep her safe, Goddamit! 

I paced around in the room thinking of the reasons why and where she would go. 
I ran fingers through my hair in frustration. Picking up the vase on my desk I threw on the adjacent wall.
I went ahead to pick the next thing I could throw in frustration and my eye caught the sight of a familiar book. 

Ava's Diary!
What's that doing here?
Did she want me to read it? 

I felt a sudden hope rising in me, making me frantically open the diary and start reading.

2 hours later, I went downstairs to see Stefen yelling at our men. Arlo still making calls. Vanessa and Nik were helping Matteo search through the cameras. And Marco was on the phone looking extremely pale.
Our eyes met and I knew who he was talking to. 

Lorenzo. 

As soon as I reached him, he handed over the phone.
"Lor-" 

"Don't." He growled. 

"I know exactly where she is." I informed him. All the others turned to me with shock. 

"I'll be there soon. Keep me updated. And yes, if she's hurt in any way, Ryan, I swear to god.." I could hear the pain and fear in his voice along with the anger. 

I had a similar turmoil inside of me.
My stomach churned at even the thought of her being hurt. 

I've lost my parents already. I can't lose the next best thing I have in my life as well.

"How do you know where she is?" Vanessa asked me. All the others gathered around me with questioning looks. 

I lifted up the diary I was holding in my left hand.
"It's Arthur. He blackmailed her. There's a mention of some Seth guy." 

"Fuck! That bastard." Nik cursed.

"I knew it. He wasn't gonna leave us alone." Arlo shook his head. 

"Wait a minute. What was the name you mentioned?" Stefen asked curiously. 

"Seth." I replied. 

"Seth is one of her friends from college." Nessa looked at him with narrowed eyes. 

"Do you have any picture?" Stefen asked the girls. Nik nodded and started scrolling through her gallery.

"Here." She showed him. 

"Dammit! This is bad.." Stefen face-palmed himself. 

"I've seen him with her once. He is her friend. But what do you mean? You know him?" I asked him.