My Bestie's Dad Likes Me Wet-Chapter 82 BLEEDING

GRANT POV

My plan was simple or at least it was supposed to be. I should’ve taken the left turn that led to Luca’s side of town. That was the logical thing to do.

Handle business, check on the bastard, get the updates, have my men sort the bloody mess, and maybe, just maybe, keep my mind from wandering back to her.

But no.

Somewhere between reasoning and impulse, I found myself driving in the opposite direction, heading straight into Manhattan. Before I could even pretend I didn’t know where I was going, my car rolled to a stop in front of their hostel.

It’s seven in the damn morning. I sat there for a second, staring at the building like it had personally offended me.

You don’t need a psychic to tell that I’m pussy-whipped, pussy-dehydrated, and pussy-starved. And it’s not even just about the sex. God, it’s not. But hell, if we’re being honest, it’s the best I’ve had in a long, long time.

I yanked a face cap from the passenger seat and pulled it low, hoping it’d shield me from unwanted attention or maybe my own shame. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I regretted it.

A familiar shadow blocked my way.

My reflexes kicked in before my brain did. My hand went for the gun that wasn’t there, only for me to realize who it was.

"Ivin."

He just stood there, arms folded like a father catching his son sneaking out at night.

"What the fuck, man?" I groaned, shoving him aside. "Are you stalking me now?"

He didn’t move. "You didn’t notice you were being tailed?" His tone was light, but his eyes weren’t. "That’s risky, boss. Could’ve been anyone."

I narrowed my eyes, about to tell him off, then I saw it.

"Hold up—is that your bloody pajamas?"

He blinked at me. "What?"

I gestured to the ridiculous shirt. "This weird Duck? Seriously?"

"It’s Donald Duck," he said flatly, just realizing he’d left the house like that.

"Still a bloody animated duck," I muttered. "Didn’t see that coming."

He sighed like a man who regretted every decision that led to this moment. "Is that why you left the house before daybreak, wearing the same clothes from two days ago? To come stand outside your daughter’s hostel with no security or warning?"

Duck. No—fuck.

I looked away, pretending to check my watch. "Just came to check on Lena’s health," I said too quickly. The lie sounded weak even to me.

"Right," he said slowly. "That’s why you haven’t changed clothes for days?"

"It’s different clothes. Same designer." I pushed the lie further down the hill.

He raised a brow. "If you say so, boss."

His tone said otherwise. I ignored it, mostly because people were starting to come out, sleepy faces, slippers dragging, phone cameras probably ready. Last thing I needed was to trend for being the overprotective mob father at a college dorm.

So I walked past him and straight to her door.

I knocked. Once. Twice. Then harder.

No answer.

By the fifth knock, the door swung open.

"Uh... hi, Dad?" Lena’s voice was small, surprised. Her robe was tied lazily around her waist, hair messy, eyes still fighting sleep.

"Can I come in?" I asked, smiling like a stranger asking permission to enter a crime scene.

"Um... yeah. Sure. Why not."

I stepped in, immediately hit by the mixed smell of cheap air freshener, vanilla lotion, and something burnt, toast maybe. The apartment was small, typical college setup. Beige walls everywhere except one corner that was painted black. That one screamed Nova.

I glanced around, taking it in. Messy desk, tangled fairy lights, textbooks stacked carelessly on the floor. I almost smiled. It looked lived-in. Too lived-in.

Then my eyes caught movement under a pink duvet, Two bodies tangled underneath. One blonde girl, one dread-headed man. Definitely not Luca or Nova.

I froze, narrowing my eyes. The dread hair and that build. I knew that silhouette. I just couldn’t place it yet, my mind is on more pressing issues.

Lena stepped closer, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Uh... it’s nice to have you here, Dad," she said, voice tight.

"How’s your leg? You feel better?" I asked, trying to sound casual. It came out like gravel.

"Yeah. Is that why you’re here? You could’ve just called."

Right. I deserved that tone. I hadn’t even called her once since the hospital. But I’ve had my secretary check on her.

"What about Nova?" I asked before my brain could stop my mouth.

Her brows lifted. "What about her? She’s probably at her boyfriend’s place."

"Boyfriend?" I repeated.

"Yes, Dad. We’re not kids anymore. Girls my age have lovers."

She said it casually, but it landed heavily. If only she knew what kind of man her father was.

"Oh. True," I muttered, clearing my throat. "Alright, I’ll be on my way then."

She gave a short nod, lips pressed tight. The door slammed before I reached the hallway.

I deserved that too.

The silence after the door shut was loud. Too loud. I stood there for a beat, staring at nothing, thinking about all the things I hadn’t said and all the things I’d done wrong.

Since the hospital, I hadn’t texted, hadn’t called. But I’m my defense I had made sure my assistant handled everything. Extra money, the neccessary supplie as well as her logistics.

Easy to throw money where effort should be.

As I walked toward the parking lot, something caught my eye.

The car.

The fucking car I’d bought for Nova on a whim, parked near the edge of the lot. It looked brand new, untouched, a thin layer of dust hugging the surface like it’d been sitting there for weeks.

She hadn’t driven it. Not once.

My chest tightened. Was it because she’s with another guy? Or because she can’t?

"Boss," Ivin called from behind, but I didn’t respond. I was already circling the car, running a hand over the hood, checking for warmth, fingerprints, anything. Nothing. No smell of her perfume, no smudge of lip gloss on the mirror. Just cold, lifeless metal, nothing personalized about it.

Something felt off. Way off.

Then came muffled footsteps I could’ve missed if I wasn’t extra attentive. It was quick and Scattered like someone was tiptoeing. I can’t be too careful to I rounded the corner to meet with whoever it was only to to come face to face with no other person but...

Jay.

The same Jay assigned to guard my daughter, sprinting down the stairs like his balls were on fire. The fucker was bare-chested with just his briefs on him and his clothes clutched in one hand.

He didn’t see us coming until he ran straight into me but Ivin caught him by the dreads, yanking him back mid-motion.

Jay froze. His eyes went wide, lips trembling.

"I knew that head looked familiar," I muttered, eyes narrowing. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Boss, I swear I can explain—" he started, words tripping over each other.

"Where’s Nova?" I asked. Calmly not like I wasn’t offended that he chose to think with his dick while he was supposed to be on duty, but I had more important things to priortize.

He blinked, looking between us.

"Boss... since that night she came to meet you at the suite, she hasn’t been home."

The air thinned instantly.

"You mean she came back to the hostel before going somewhere else?"

He shook his head so fast I thought his dreads would fly off. "No, boss. She never came back at all."

The world went still for a moment.

My pulse stuttered.

I turned, slow and deliberate, eyes sweeping from Jay to Ivin. The sunlight suddenly felt too sharp. Every sound around me from the distant chatter, to the cars and the birds, they all blurred into static.

"What do you mean she never came back?" I asked quietly.

Jay swallowed, voice breaking. "I waited that night like you told me to. She didn’t show. I called her number and even texted but nothing. I thought maybe she... stayed over at your place."

"She didn’t." My voice came out hoarse.

"She didn’t show up at class the next morning either," he added quickly, like saying it faster would make it less fatal.

My stomach turned cold.

"She’s been missing for days?" Ivin’s voice cut through the tension.

Jay hesitated, then nodded. "I didn’t want to assume, boss. I thought—"

"You thought wrong," I snapped.

Ivin looked at me, unreadable. "What do you want us to do?"

My hands clenched. The cap suddenly felt too tight on my head.

"Find her," I said, low and steady. "Now."

Jay nodded frantically.

"And if anything happens to her..." My voice faltered. For the first time in years, I felt panic. Real panic and disappointed in myself for jumping too quickly to conclusions.

Ivin’s eyes hardened. "We’ll find her."