Page 74 of Something Borrowed

“I’m coming for you, little vixen.” My voice is a low growl in the chilly night air.

I drive with a single focus.

To find her.

But where do I start? And how can I do this alone? Because my brothers have clarified that they have no intention of helpingme. In fact, they would rather help her father - our enemy - instead of helping their own brother.

This marks another moment of truth. Their wordless confession of their disloyalty to me. Their belief that I don’t belong with them.

Fuck them all.

Every single one of them can burn in hell for all I care.

Verity is my universe, my everything.

Tears fall from my eyes, rolling silent and deadly down my cheeks. I brush them away with anger in my heart. I’ve never cried in my life. But I’ve also never lost something this important to me.

I drive without stopping until I reach my penthouse in the city. I need to get online and start trying to figure out where Luca would have taken his daughter for safe keeping. He’s not a stupid man. Yes, his conceit is impossible to ignore. Cold and cruel, yes. But not stupid. Knowing I’m coming for him, he will be prepared.

The penthouse is empty, dark and uninviting. I am so used to having Verity by my side, close, in the next room. Even when we are fighting, I still had the comfort of her being near to me. Maybe I should have gone to my mansion where I might still smell her on the bedsheets. There would be remnants of her lying around. A hint. A warmth in the air.

There is nothing here.

With a pounding headache pulsing from the back of my skull I sit down at my computer and open the security app.

My phone rings.

Masaccio.

I pull the green button across the screen I set the phone to speaker and leave it lying on the desk.

“Rufino, my brother, I see you’ve just got back to the city.” He says.

My jaw clenches the pain of it vies with the pain of the headache.

“Rufino - we had to do it.” He tries to reason with me.

“Fuck you, Masaccio.” I snarl.

“You need to understand. You were asking us to risk everyone over one girl.”

“Not just any girl.Mygirl.My wife.”

“Be reasonable, Red. Come on, man. This is ludicrous. The safety of your own family?—”

“I have no family. I only have her.”

“For fuck’s sake.” He mutters. “You’re a fucking idiot. We did what was best for everyone - including you. You were on the run. You can’t live like that.”

“This conversation is over, Masaccio. Don’t call me again.”

“What are you going to do?” he shouts, trying to continue the conversation before I hang up.

“Whatever it takes. Whatever I have to do to get her back.”

“Leave it alone?—”

I click the red button to end the call and stare at the phone for a moment.

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