Page 115 of Love Him Like Water

Told her shit was dangerous.

I couldn’t wait for the elevator, tearing up the steps two at a time instead, my heart a bass beat in my chest as the cold hand of fear tightened around my throat.

“Lore!” I called, rushing onto the floor.

And there, like a nightmare, was Elian.

Slumped on the ground.

A pool of blood forming around him.

Conscious, but just barely.

“Fuck. Fuck!”

“Mi… Michael,” Elian coughed out, close to blacking out.

“Oh, fuck,” Dav said, rushing over toward Elian, pressing his broken hand into Elian’s wound as he reached for his phone with the other hand.

I plugged the number into the keypad, doing something I wasn’t sure I’d ever fucking done before.

Praying.

She had to be okay.

Inside.

Scared.

Even hiding.

But okay.

Safe.

“Lore!” I yelled the second the door flew open.

I rushed inside, hoping to see her rushing out, to feel her throw her arms around me.

Until my gaze slid to the kitchen.

Finding a bunch of food on the island, some partially prepared meal set there.

But, much more damning than that, was an open can of crushed tomatoes dropped on the ground, the contents splashed across the floor.

I knew right then that she was gone.

He’d taken her from me.

And I had to fucking get her back.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Lore

I’d been planning the meal since I woke up. For once, not upset at being alone. Renzo had warned me he’d be gone early. After holding me all night.

“Elian, can we do another order on your phone?” I asked. “And I’ll give you the cash,” I added, making a mental note to ask Renzo how I could go about buying things online or via apps when he got home.

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