Page 109 of Owen

I don’t believe Gideon.

Lincoln adds, “With the restaurant extension underway, as directors, we all agreed to forego any withdrawals or share payouts. It’s already over budget too. The cost of the foundations alone makes me want to vomit. But like Jacob said, I could help too, but I would need much longer than a few days. I would need a few weeks.”

“Thank you.” Emotion thickens in my throat, and it cracks when I say, “I will find a way.” Although any hope I have is wavering knowing that, as each hour has passed, I am fighting a losing battle.

“I can’t let anything happen to Jade,” I whisper. “She’s the best thing to have ever happened to me.” I swallow hard.

Understanding my desperation, Jacob takes charge. “First, you need to go in the shower. You smell like a swamp. Lincoln will tidy up and order food for later, and I’ll keep searching while you have a few hours’ sleep. Having no sleep for days is not healthy, and you need to keep razor sharp.”

“I’m not sleeping,” I admonish.

“Yes, you are. I will set an alarm,” he counters. “You look fucking dreadful.”

I catch a glimpse of myself in the ornate floor mirror. Bloodshot eyes, deep shadows under them, dry skin, greasy hair. I really look haggard.

Reluctantly, I agree to run down to my house to freshen up and come back to call Jade once my phone is charged and to sleep on the office couch.

But that doesn’t happen.

As soon as I’ve showered, I lay back on my bed to rest my achy body for a moment. Closing my heavy eyelids that feel like they are being punctured by stinging needles, I’m engulfed in a tsunami of weariness. One where darkness envelopes me and pulls me under, and that’s the last thing I remember as I give in to a deep, hollow, lifeless sleep surrounded by Jade’s sweet fragrance and the memories of us under these sheets.

Owen – Two Days Later

Frantically running into my father’s office, I discover Lincoln passed out on the sofa and Jacob sound asleep on the floor surrounded by folders, files, paperclips, pages of reports, birth certificates, deeds for the castle; you name it, it’s here. All that’s missing is what I really need.

Money.

That or a solid piece of paper telling me exactly where my trust fund is, or the location of a miracle bank account somewhere overseas with my name on it.

That’s all I need. Just one piece of information to unlock the key to a ten-million-pound problem.

My hope is dwindling; I’ve never felt so helpless.

Crazily, I grab my phone off the coffee table to call Jade and catch a glimpse at the date.

I’ve lost two days.

I’ve been asleep for two days, only up once to use the bathroom and grab a glass of water. I didn’t realize I had slept for as long as I did. I push my hands through my hair.

“Fuck!” I shout, not meaning to waken Jacob and Lincoln up. Like two slumbering grizzly bears, they stretch and come to life and look about the place in a daze, as if not remembering where they are.

I give them a curt “Good morning” and hold the phone to my ear as I call Jade.

“Why didn’t you come get me?” I hiss at them angrily. They know I need to find that money. I have to admit, they were right. I needed the sleep and feel slightly clearer-headed today, but I’ve lost two days. Fear swirls in my gut as I realize the enormity of my mammoth sleep. And why the fuck is Jade not answering?

“You were dead to the world. You needed to rest. And we kept looking. We had your back.” Lincoln yawns and grabs his junk. “I need a piss.” He clumsily gets to his feet and leaves the office.

I hang up the unanswered call and check our family calendar. Within a few taps, I know her whereabouts. I check the time on the brass clock on top of the larger-than-life stone fireplace.

Lunchtime. Which means she’ll be prepping her jet along with her engineer for displaying at the airshow in Wales tomorrow. She never takes calls when she is prepping to take off or on the day of a show, insisting she needs to focus and time toget into the zone.

Jacob stands up and gives his back a crack, stretching out hisbody from sleeping on the uncomfortable hard floor. “We spoke to Jade yesterday and the day before,” he says calmly while yawning.

“Is she okay?” I panic. “I hope you didn’t tell her anything about this.” I rush my words as I point around at the chaos that still covers the floor of the office. I don’t want her to know what’s going on.

Jacob leans left and right, making his back crack again. “Of course we didn’t. She’s fine, as is Poppy. I did text Gregor, asking him to keep an eye on her for you too, and just said that we were looking out for her for you. She is apparently flying solo to Wales today, ahead of the team. She said she was going a day earlier than planned to scope the place out and then she was having dinner with the station commander and his wife before tomorrow’s display.”

“When you spoke to her, what did you tell her?”

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