Page 52 of Promised Vows

I crouched down, ignoring the stench of unwashed clothes and cheap liquor. "I'm not here about you," I said, forcing my voice to soften. "A woman was taken from here. Blonde hair, a little shorter than me. Did you see anything?"

The man's watery eyes darted around, not quite meeting mine. "I don't want no trouble..."

"You're not in trouble," I assured him, pulling out my wallet. "But if you saw something, anything at all, it could help save her life."

He licked his chapped lips, eyeing the bills in my hand. "Well... I was dozin', but then there was this noise. Like firecrackers, but not quite."

"Gunshots," I supplied grimly.

“Next thing I heard was this screechin'—tires, y'know? I peeked out and saw this big black car tearin' outta here." He pointed a grimy finger. "Went that way."

I pressed the money into his hand, more than I'd initially planned. "Thank you. You may have just saved her life."

As I stood to leave, he called out, "Hey, mister? I hope you find her."

I paused, surprised by the genuine concern in his voice. "Yeah," I said softly. "Me too."

I stood, my mind racing. A black SUV headed west. It wasn't much, but it was a start. At the end of the alley, I could see the fresh tire marks confirming the homeless man's story.

I made a series of calls—Dimitris, Thea, Lex, and then Lucas—as I jogged back to my car. "Focus the search west of the coffee shop," I ordered.

The cufflink in my pocket felt heavier now. A plant? A coincidence? Either way, I couldn't ignore any potential lead. Anna's life depended on it.

I slammed my car door shut and peeled out of the alley, tires squealing against the pavement. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel, my mind racing with thoughts that Anna could be somewhere scared and hurt or worse.

I was about to call Dimitris for an update when my phone rang. His name flashed on the screen, and I answered before the first ring ended.

“We’ve got her location,” Dimitris said.

“Where?”

“I’ll send you the address. Want us to wait for you?”

What if she was hurt? “No, if you think you can safely get her, do it.” I strode back through the coffee shop towards the front door. “I’m headed that way now.” I ended the call as I pressed the gas pedal harder.

As I drove, I contacted Ares and had him meet me there. I arrived ahead of him, and Dimitris met me as I strode toward the entrance of an abandoned pizza joint that wasn’t far from the Riverwalk.

“Lorenzo had her.”

I stopped short. “Lorenzo?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Is she okay?”

“Shaken, but she seems to be fine.”

The words were barely out of his mouth as I stepped inside. My gaze landed on Anna and then Lorenzo, restrained by two of Dimitris’s guys. I’d have a long talk with him once I was sure she was okay.

I returned my attention to her, and my chest tightened. She was sitting on the floor with her legs pulled up, arms wrapped around them, and her head resting on her knees.

I don’t know if she didn’t hear me approach or what but when I squatted next to her and touched her leg, she shrieked. The instant she realized it was me, she came off the floor and nearly tackled me. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She continued to repeat it until a sob broke the pattern.

I circled my arms around her. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.”

“I was?—”

“Shhhh.” I set my lips against her ear. “We have company. Let’s go to the limo and talk. Do you think you can walk?” My ribs were still healing, and as much as I wanted to carry her, I didn’t want to drop her, which was a good possibility if I attempted it.

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