Chapter 24: Chapter 24
Dominic paused on his laptop. His eyes traced over the last line of a contract draft, when his phone vibrated beside him. He sighed, expecting another late-night reminder from work or one of the security team. But when he saw the name flashing across the screen, his brows furrowed.
"Celeste?" he muttered, confused. One ring was all it took. He answered immediately. "Celeste?"
"Yes, this is me," her voice came through, soft and laced with giggles.
He glanced at his wristwatch. 1:03 AM.
"What—"
"You’re always so grumpy, and it’s suffocating most times," she cut in, then coughed lightly before giggling again. "You’re handsome, you know that, right?"
Dominic sat up straighter. "Have you been drinking?" Calling him drunk was amusing but not when he had enemies all over the place.
"Yes," she said, and he could hear the raspberries she blew over the line. "Also, I’m sending back your expensive bracelet tomorrow. Thanks, though."
Dominic’s brows pinched, but he exhaled. "Where are you right now?"
"Hmm," she grunted. "I’m searching for a place to pee."
His stomach sank. She dare not be drinking outside her home, or dorm.
"Celeste, where are you? Give me a name. A bar, a street or anything."
"I don’t know," she said, her voice light. "I’m just in this strange place with some friends."
He stood, slipping into his jacket. His voice hardened. "Listen to me, I want you to go back home. Now."
"You’re so bossy," she mumbled, pouting. He could hear her pout. "You always give orders, and I hate it. You’re so hot and cold all the time. You push me away and draw me back in. You do that all the time, and leave me feeling—"
Her voice broke into tears.
Dominic’s hand clenched around the phone. "That’s it, Celeste. Tell me where you are."
"I said I don’t know." She half yelled, and he could hear ger frustration.
"Which bar, what is it called? Look around, anything."
"I don’t know. I’m just far away. So far away from you," she laughed.
"I am—"
"I gotta go, Dominic."
"Celeste—"
The line went dead.
He blinked at the screen. Then immediately redialed. She picked up on the first ring again.
"Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you."
"What—"
He didn’t wait to hear the rest. He ended the call and strode out of his pent house.
....
The bar was a pulsing, neon-lit hole-in-the-wall nestled between a pawn shop and a tattoo parlor.
Dominic didn’t even remember how he managed to trace the location. After a quick call to his private investigator, a look at Celeste’s phone tracker, and a swift drive later, he was pushing through the crowd of sweaty, half-drunk college students.
His gaze swept the room to search for any familiar face that wasn’t her or his men. When he found none at the moment, he decided to search for her.
He let out a low breath when he saw her.
Near the back corner, where the lights didn’t quite reach, Celeste was wobbling slightly on her heels, half-laughing as a guy tried to pull her closer.
"Come on," the guy said, brushing her hair from her face. "Just one kiss. You’ve been teasing me for weeks."
Celeste shook her head, her words slurring. "No, Jack. I told you no." She smiled. "Besides, Im engaged and you know it,"
Jack chuckled, grabbing her by the waist. "You don’t mean it."
Dominic’s fist clenched. He was there in two strides.
THWACK!
His knuckles slammed into Jack’s jaw, sending the guy stumbling backward into a nearby stool.
Celeste blinked, swaying. Her hand came to her mouth. She barely got the chance to look up before she bent forward and vomited.
Dominic caught her shoulders, steadying her. People had started to look.
"Let’s get you out of here," he said, gently pulling her upright.
She leaned into him but shook her head. "No. I came with Amara. I can’t leave her."
Dominic nodded, pulling his phone out. "What does she look like?"
"Long curls. Hot body, and a big smile."
He didn’t need to search long. On the center of the dance floor, Amara was practically glowing under the strobe lights, swaying wildly with a red cup in hand. She was laughing, with her hair flinging over her shoulders when she turned and spotted him.
Her eyes widened.
She froze.
Her mouth slightly agape when she looked at him, with her cup halfway to her lips.
Dominic strode to her.
"Amara?" he asked.
She didn’t reply.
"Are you alright if I take Celeste home? She’s not doing too well."
Amara blinked rapidly, still stunned. "Um—yes. Yeah, of course. She’s in good hands. I.... I’ll go with that guy."
She pointed behind her at some guy sprawled out on a couch, clearly three drinks in.
Dominic nodded once. "Alright. Take care."
Amara nodded, still stunned, watching him walk away.
Dominic returned to Celeste, who had plopped herself on a barstool, mumbling a protest.
"Come on, let’s go."
"I don’t want to," she whined. "You’re going to yell at me or something."
He leaned in. "I’m not. But I’m not leaving you here."
She shook her head, with her arms flailing weakly.
Having enough, Dominc bent, and scooped her up.
"Dominic! Put me down!"
He tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
"Nope," he said, ignoring the gasps and laughter from people around. "You made me come all the way here. You’re not leaving my sight."
She hit his back with a weak fist. "You’re so rude!"
He smirked. "And you’re drunk."
He walked out of the bar with her over his shoulder. The night air hit them as he approached his car. He gently set her down, opening the passenger door.
"Dominic..." she whispered, leaning her forehead against the doorframe. "I lost the ring."
His brows furrowed. "What ring?"
"The engagement ring. From Landon. It’s gone."
Dominic exhaled slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"That ring should’ve been off your hand a long time ago."
She looked up at him, with glossy eyes. He reached down, helped her into the car, and closed the door.