Page 46 of Risky Vows

I rub my temples. "This is unacceptable. I'll see to it that they're fired immediately."

"Of course, sir," Carlos says. "We'll get in our cars and patrol the neighborhood. Mrs. Gallo left on foot, so she must be close."

"Yes. And in case we don't find her, my cousin is a hacker. He can hack into the neighbor's security systems and get footage of her leaving to see if anyone picked her up," the other says.

"Do it."

"We'll find her, boss," Carlos says

I hope to God he's right.

27

Amara

I run through the empty streets, hoping no one will notice a woman alone dressed in sweatpants, a shirt, and sneakers. I jog in an exclusive part of Chicago, with exquisite lawns and mouth-dropping mansions. Hopefully, if anyone sees me, they’ll think I’m exercising and not a desperate woman running from her new life. Her new husband. And right now, herself. I don’t know what else to do.

My heart is about to leap from my mouth, but I've run for the last two blocks. I had to leave the cell phone behind in the backyard after I called Andie to get me.

My consciousness chastises me for calling a heavily pregnant woman for help, but I have no one else. I left my bag with money in the bedroom with Massimo, and I’m on foot. I need someone to take me to a hotel and help me with check-in so I can be away and think for a couple of days.

Besides, Massimo doesn't love me. He enjoys having sex with me, yes. But love? No.

I thought he could… but I find it hard to believe after our discussion. My mom never loved me. Hell, even James didn't. Ican't keep fooling myself and going through life believing things that aren't true.

I need to reset.

I see a black SUV reducing speed where I told Andie to meet me. The driver parks, and I recognize the plate. It's the same as the car plates of the other members of the Gallo family. Easy.

As I walk closer, I see Andie on the corner with a man pointing a gun at her. Before I can react, someone whacks me on the side of the head, and the world goes dark.

I open my eyes slowly.A pounding headache greets me as I blink a few times to zoom the blurred image into my field of vision. Takes me a few seconds because the light isn't the best.

A long fluorescent lamp flickers in the middle of the room, but there isn't much else. I look down and find my feet. I take stock of my side of the room, noticing concrete unfinished walls and the absence of windows. A basement.

I lie on an iron bed with a thin mattress.

"Amara, are you awake?" a female voice asks. Andie.

I follow the voice to find her at the opposite end of the room, also sitting on a bed. She has chains on her arms and looks uncomfortable. Her face is sweaty, and a small puddle on her pants shows that she's relieved herself.

Heart racing, I leap out of the bed to help her, but the chains and the hard metal snug around my wrists keep me in place. I can only move a few feet from the bed, not enough to reach her. Fuck.

I scan the rest of the room, seeing a sink and a toilet on the other end. I still don't see any windows, only a door that I'm sure is secured.

"Are you okay, Andie?"

She shrugs. "When you called, those two men were already in the SUV. I went out to meet a friend for dinner. On the way back, they captured my driver and barged into my car. They were meant to kidnap me but took the opportunity to grab you, too." Tears roll down her face. "I'm sorry."

Poor thing. She's supposed to give birth anytime now and has to deal with an abduction. "Andie, this isn't your fault. Relax. We'll figure it out," I say, pleased at myself for using the most soothing voice I can master given the circumstances.

"How? We're both chained, and I'm pregnant. The baby is kicking like crazy. I can feel my blood pressure rising," she says, her panic rising with each word.

"Andie, take a deep breath. Then another," I say, using my best masseuse relaxation voice. The despair in her eyes is unmatched. "We'll be okay. Listen, Dante and Massimo will know we're missing. They have an entire team behind them."

She gives me a slow shake of her head, not buying my positivity. "Do you know who kidnapped us?"

"No, how would I?"

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