Page 96 of Devious Secrets

I look at Artem.

“Where is she?”

“She never came out of the bathroom.” Artem’s hands are fisted. “But there’s an exit door in that hallway. She could have left through it. When she walked past me to the bathroom, she looked upset.”

“I didn’t mean to scare her like that.” Elana sniffles. “I swear, Alexander, we had a good afternoon. I had no idea she was going to leave.”

“Her phone, where is it?”

“I have it.” Elana pulls it from her purse. “She left it on the table. If she had taken it with her and grabbed her purse, I would have thought something was up.”

“I checked the alley and the street. I questioned the staff. No one saw anything, but it was a busy lunch rush. We were at Cafe Spiaggia. There are no cameras there.”

Cafe Spiaggia is known in my world as a safe place to meet out in the open. There being no cameras is deliberate.

“Why would she leave her phone? She would need it.” I quickly scroll through her text message history, checking to be sure I haven’t overlooked anything.

Nothing that offers any help.

She ran away?

Why the hell would she do that? Especially when there’s still danger lurking behind her. This morning, before I tore myself away from our bed, she had snuggled deeper into my embrace and asked me to stay a few minutes longer.

It was the first time in ages that I wasn’t downstairs just as Mrs. Wells was pouring my coffee. I’m a man on a schedule, and with one soft little plea from her lips, I’d casually ignored it. All because I wanted—no, needed—more time with her in my arms.

And now she’s gone?

“I want men at her old apartment.” I clench her phone as I snap the words.

“I already sent them.” Artem stands behind my sister. “I tried calling you, but my phone kept breaking up. Before we left the restaurant, I had Sergei and Yogi head over there.”

“What did you say to her, Elana?” I level my stare on my sister. Her cheeks are pale and her eyes wide with fear. Of me or that my wife is gone, I’m not sure.

“Elana?” Kaz’s voice is softer as he moves to stand beside her. “What happened exactly?”

Elana swallows. “Nothing really. We were talking, and I teased her about your ages. I mentioned having a baby and how old you’d be when the baby grew up.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Go on.” I temper my voice. Whatever my little sister said may have spooked her, and I need to know exactly what it was.

“I told her that you’d never let her go, even if she wanted a divorce, and she didn’t say she did, only thatifshe did.” Elana hurries her words. “I told her you love her and that’s why you wouldn’t let her go.”

My chest tightens. “You said what?” There’s a tremble in my stomach.

“I told her you love her, and you do.” Elana points her finger at me. “I think she only just realized that she loves you back and it might have freaked her out a little. I don’t know. All I know is she said she had to pee and never came back.”

She loves me back.

I roll the tension out of my shoulders.

“She didn’t leave on her own,” I say, looking at my sister. “She wouldn’t have, I know it.”

“What do you want to do?” Lev moves to stand with my brothers and my sister.

“We’re going to have a chat with Mr. Carmine. And for his sake, there had better not be one fucking hair out of place on my wife’s head when I find her.”

“I’m coming too.” Elana tries to run after us, but Kaz stops her. I leave him to argue with our little sister.

I have a wife to find.

---