Page 75 of Cruel Vows

I spin around as the front door slams, sending a jolt straight through my body as hope flutters in my chest.

Dominic looks at me when I rush into the hall, deep circles beneath his eyes and hollow cheeks. “What are you doing?”

“Where is Sean?” I ask, voice climbing high as I spin and head for the garage to see if he came home at any point. “I thought he was with you. I thought the two of you were supposed to be tracking down Noah?”

The line of vintage cars is still sitting there, the Chevelle missing from the end of the line.

Dominic follows me into the garage. “What do you mean? He called me and told me that he was going to be with you after Rebecca’s shooting.”

“He left me at Malcolm’s house nearly three hours ago. He told me that he was going to track down Noah, so I got Kara to bring me back here when I was done. I just got here but it doesn’t look like he’s been here all night.”

“Alright, well, just take a breather for a minute, Ellie. I’m sure that everything is fine with him, and he just went for a drink or something. He should come home soon.”

My hands clench into fists, nails biting into my palms as I resist the urge to throttle him until his face turns the color of a bruised blueberry.

“You really want to tell me totake a fucking breatherwhen my husband is missing? The same man who keeps to a rigid schedule because he doesn’t function without one. The man who just watched his sister get shot. Who watched Noah wave to him right after the shooting, basically admitting fault?”

Dominic swallows hard. “Yes.”

“Screw you.”

I storm out of the garage and through the house, heading for one of the cupboards Sean keeps guns in while I pull my phone from my pocket. As I open the gun safe, the phone rings and rings.

The ringing doesn’t stop until the phone sends me through to the generic voicemail message.

Ending the call, I grab a pistol and check the magazine and safety before tucking it into the back of my waistband.

Dominic’s hand closes over mine as I shut the safe. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Ellie?”

“I’m going to go out there and find my husband.” I glare at him, wondering if he is stupid or if he knows where Sean is and is now making my life more difficult on purpose.

Wherever Sean is, he could be in a ditch somewhere.

Noah could have taken him and killed him, or he could be holding his hostage.

Maybe he’s standing over Noah’s body right now, robbing me of the chance to kill the bastard who had his initials carved into my back.

I swat Dominic’s hand away. “If you’re going to stand in my way, I will shoot you. I don’t give a flying fuck who you are to Sean.”

“And who do you think you are?” he asks, his tone sharp as he crosses his arms and looks down at me. “You don’t give a shit about Sean. This marriage was for an alliance, but you’re going to stand here and act like you care about your husband?”

“I do care about him.”

The words burn, but they’re true. Even though he infuriates me at times, I do care for him. More than I ever thought I could.

And now that he’s missing and I don’t have a clue where he is, I’m willing to do whatever I have to and hurt whoever I need to.

Dominic included.

He swallows hard, looking torn between giving in and fighting with me. “I don’t think it’s a good idea that you go after him when you’re worked up like this.”

“You know what never calms down an angry woman?” I step closer to him, pulling out the gun and holding it just below his jaw. “Telling her to calm down after making it seem like you’re not going to tell her where the hell her husband is.”

“He wants to be alone right now.”

I flick the safety off the gun, pressing it harder to the fleshy underside of his jaw. “Don’t make the mistake in thinking that I’m not every bit as vicious as the rest of my family when the need arises.”

Dominic scowls down at me. “He’s at Gascan Pub, but it’d be a mistake for you to charge in there like this.”

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