Chapter 8 Drunken State

I gulped all of scotch, and it burned my throat as it went down. "Another shot!" I ordered.

"I mean, what kind of stupid was that? I said, 'Darcy, you have to get pregnant now. My father demands it.' Can you imagine that? I mean, what a fool!"

Adolf stared at his drink soberly. He had not said a thing for a long time. I didn't care. I just needed to tell someone. And the scotch was helping me do it just fine.

"She's quite the lioness, Darcy. She fights. She refuses. And what do I do? Try to force her into it, that's what. Bloody fool," I turn to look at him. "And what's with you? You look like you need a kick to the teeth." I laughed.

"Hey! Where's my drink!" But my phone started to ring, and I postponed hitting the barman on his stupid face for a moment.

"Hello, boss." I pulled the phone from my ear to look at the contact. It was the private detective I had hired to watch Darcy so if she ran, I would know where to find her.

"What's it, Tom? You needing a raise already? Alright, I'll double your pay."

"Boss, it's not..."

"Okay, I'll triple it. But no more than that!" I disconnected the call, signing. Bloody leaches, always wanting more! He was soon calling again though.

"What is it?!"

"Boss, it's your wife! She's been kidnapped!"

That cleared the air from my lungs for a second. What was this dunce saying?

"What do you mean 'kidnapped'? She's napping with a kid? Why are you telling me this?"

"Boss," he sounded strained. "She's been abducted. You said not to ever go into her house but I heard shouting earlier after a strange man went in there. With another two following soon afterwards. I got in there while Brandon stayed back in the car..."

"Who is Brandon?"

"My partner. Boss, this is serious!"

"It is?"

"I got clobbered around the head when I got in the house. And when I regained consciousness, your wife and the last two men had gone. And there's this other guy still lying unconscious. And I run outside, but Brandon is gone too!"

"Well, find yourself another partner! I've never liked that Brandon name. That kid in Game of Thrones got crippled for bearing it."

"I already called the police, boss. They already picked up the guy lying there. I stayed out of sight myself."

"Good for you! Find my wife, and find a partner who does not bear the name Brandon. Thank you very much!" I turned and flung the phone away. The idiot would probably try to call again. Good luck to him calling me again on that line. Heh.

"What was that about?" Adolf was watching me, looking confused.

"What business of yours is that? It's my wife, if you must know. Some bulk of stupid called to say she's been kidnapped and that his partner was a Brandon! Can you imagine that? Hey? Where you going?"

But he already rushing out the door before I could finish talking, the old goat. What was wrong with everybody.

I paid for the drinks we had drunk and the ones for the guy in the back who looked a little like Obama. I staggered outside the pub. Adolf had led me there. I would never have gone in there before.

I collapsed on the grass and started to vomit. It was several hours later before I was able to recover my senses, with my billionaire-ass still sprawled on the grass. And then the memory of that call came rushing back. The implications of it...

Darcy. Oh no.

I got up and discovered that I no longer had my keys. I ran to the parking lot. My car was no longer there. Goddammit. And I had destroyed my phone. I was never going to get myself as drunk ever again. People gawked at me from every corner. I pulled a cab over and got in.

It was Alba's doing. It was what her threat had meant. And with that private investigator. He better had have some good stories to tell. I told the cabman to drive to the police station.