Chapter 2: Nate

                                    

                                          

She's gone, she's gone and there's not a damn thing I can do. I saw her on my camera get dragged away by a masked man, I'm driving home now Mateo in tow. 
"If something happens to her." Mateo muttered; I was seeing red his voice a mere whisper behind my thoughts. 
"Nothing will happen to her, it can't." I said pushing on the gas more speeding up I blew passed every red light not giving a damn. The next thing I know we are in our driveway; Emma came out of our door with Luca in tow. I barely put the car in park before I jumped out, I ran to her taking Luca from her. 
"I got here a few minutes after she left, she gave me access to your bell since I sit with Luca." Emma said handing Luca over. 
Mateo ran past me into the house but I shook my head knowing he wouldn't find anything. I heard a car screeching and turned as Taylor's car sped into our driveway leaving tire tracks. She got out of the car and darted into the house not giving me a spare glance, I tried to hold everything in knowing I need to stay calm for her, Mateo and Luca. 
"Thank you," I said to Emma and I turned towards her. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "This was not your fault, Grace trusts you, you did good I am glad you were not here when this went down." I said to her and grabbed her hand leading her in the house. She did not need to be alone. 
"Can you blow up the footage?" Taylor asked stopping in front of me. Emma turned back to me and held her hands out. 
"Jason is on the way with his old partner, I can take care of Luca while you see what you can find out." Emma offered I nodded reluctantly and handed him over. His light brown hair like mine but she had her eyes, he was a piece of her and I needed him but right now Grace needed me. Mateo was in the kitchen pacing back and forth he was pulling his hair up making it stick up. I grabbed his arm and he grabbed me scaring me, I looked up at him my eyes wide, his full of turmoil. 
"We shouldn't have left her." He whispered and I nodded I felt exactly the same way. I feel like my heart is slowly breaking in me, a piece of both of us was just taken. Taylor brushed in between us looking at me. 
"I need to see the footage; it may be Blake I need to know." She asked and I took a deep breath in and nodded. I turned and started walking to my room and I can bring it up and blow up whatever she needs. 
"How do you think it's him?" I asked with clenched teeth I clenched my fists.
"Back when they were dating, she thought she was in love..." She trailed off and I took another deep breath, I can not afford to lose my shit right now. "Any way they had a saying, they would always find each other. Trust me, I want to kill the bastard as bad as you do, but we need to know if its him first." She said and I looked between seeing her hands in fists nails digging into her hand. We reached my room, and I thought of Nick how me and Mateo found them backstage Nick dead on top of an unconscious Grace. 
"She can't kill again. Killing Nick almost killed her." I said to her, and looked up at her. 
"If I can help identify who this is hopefully, she won't have to." Taylor nodded and sat down in my spare chair Grace usually sits in.
I pulled up the security system live camera footage and thanked the gods that Grace pushed the button before he picked her up and dragged her away. I pulled up the notification clicked and when back a minute or two earlier to see the van pull up. I leaned back in my chair letting Taylor see and press play, the man parked the van, got out and rounded the vehicle wearing a ski mask. I didn't see a limp but maybe that was just temporary back then when Taylor told us about it. The man slowly got closer the door and the camera and knocked on the door, like Emma does and Grace's voice chimed in.
"Oh, hey Emma." She paused I'm assuming looking at him, and she must've tried shutting the door and he lifted his hand again. Taylor grabbed my hand and squeezed and I could her breathing quicken. Grace appeared in the video when I looked back and looked straight at the camera which such terror but strength in her gaze. She reached out and that's when the doorbell rang and I checked because Emma never rings. I saw the man standing behind her raise up his other hand syringe in hand. 
"Stop it there." She said with clenched teeth. "His hand between thumb and pointer blow that up." I said and did what she asked seeing ink there it was blurry because he was moving his hand but I cleared it up and she gasped. "It's him." She said nodding at me and left the room before I could ask. On his hand was an odd-looking sketch of a rose, I got up out of my chair and tried following her. I followed her footsteps she went back to the kitchen and grabbed her phone she left on the counter and started tapping furiously. 
"She used to draw roses, obsessively. He loved them she drew me one or two on our pictures she stopped after we left." She said and started swiping and Mateo looked at her like she was insane I shook my head; I would explain later. 
"It's Blake." I said simply leaving it at that and he grabbed my shoulders and looked at me shaking his head.
"No, it can't be." He said shaking his head. I looked him in the eyes and silently told him it was, and he leaned forward putting his forehead against mine. "He'll kill her." He whispered letting me go and stormed off going in the direction of our rooms upstairs.