Page 72 of Forced Bratva Bride

“So we keep trying. We head to the third location,” Stefano snaps back, just as frustrated as I am.

“I have to find her,” I say, more to myself than him, as we pull the car doors open and climb inside again.

“I know, man, I know you do.” The sincerity in his voice causes me to glance in his direction. His expression matches his tone, and his eyes hold a gentleness I haven't seen on his face before. “We are going to find her,” he says.

I nod and turn my attention back to driving. We're headed toward the third safe house.

My stomach is in knots, my nerves are frayed, and my thoughts are all over the place. I am frantic at the idea of losing Chiara.

We drive there in silence, my mind racing.

“Turn in here,” Stefano says, pointing down a dark driveway.

“It doesn’t look like there's anyone here, either,” I sigh.

“We still have to look.”

I park and we climb out of the car.

Stefano punches in a code on the security keypad as he did at the other houses.

The door opens.

Immediately, I catch her scent and my body goes into overdrive.

“She was here.” I bolt inside. Stefano grabs my arm.

“Go slow. We don’t know if anyone is still here.”

The house is as dark and empty as it looked outside. There is no sign of anyone currently being here. But I can smell her perfume.

We walk through the house with our handguns drawn, going from room to room.

From somewhere further into the house Stefano calls out my name. “Maxim, in here.”

I run, my heart heavy with fear.

He is standing inside a bedroom, and her smell is stronger in here.

But more than that, on the bed is a jacket.

Her jacket.

I grab it and lift it to my face, breathing her in.

My heart tugs and spins.

I quickly search the jacket for signs of blood or some hint that she might be hurt.

While I'm looking, a piece of paper floats to the ground from where it was tucked inside one of the folds.

Stefano leans down to pick it up, but I move faster and grip it tightly between my fingers.

Chiara’s handwriting is neat and feminine. I can see she wrote this but in a hurry.

I am filled with relief, at the knowledge that she is alive and unharmed, and that she managed to leave this letter for me.

My heart is still beating way too fast as I read, though, skimming through it as fast as I can, trying to understand what is going on.

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