Page 86 of Savage Vows
I loosen my grip just enough for him to breathe, my other hand never leaving his collar.
The Romanovs and the Volkovs are sworn enemies, our families tied together by blood and bad history. Anyone caught between us knows there’s no easy way out.
“What was she asking you?” I press, keeping my voice low and cold.
He hesitates, fear clouding his features, and I don’t have time for it. I draw my gun, pressing the muzzle into his ribs. His breath hitches, the bravado draining out of him.
“My girlfriend—ex-girlfriend,” he rushes out, voice shaking. “She disappeared. Her name was Samie. Your wife kept asking about her, said she was worried, wanted to know who Samie talked to at the club, who she was with last.”
I study him, mind racing. Why the hell is Adriana so interested in a missing girl? Is this about her old life, her sister, maybe? Or is she just chasing trouble? I can’t figure out her angle, but I know one thing—she’s getting in too deep.
I press the gun a little harder. “What club?”
“Portello…we used to go there sometimes, but then Samie got a new boyfriend, she wouldn’t tell me who it was.”
I don’t care about this part, but I do care who he talks to.
“If you repeat this conversation, I’ll find you and I’ll put a bullet in your head. You get that?”
He just nods slowly. I shove him away and stride out of the alley, my jaw clenched. I scan the streets, searching for any sign of Adriana, but she’s nowhere. I pull out my phone, checking her location again, but the signal is dead. She must have turned it off. My jaw tightens. I shove the phone back into my pocket, anger simmering beneath the surface. She’s too clever for her own good.
With no other choice, I turn back toward the parking lot and get into my car. The city lights flicker past as I drive, my mind running over every conversation I’ve had with my wife.
I pull out my phone and dial Eddie. He answers on the second ring.
“I want everything you can find on Adriana. People she knew. Every address, every job, every friend from her life before the marriage. All of it. I want it by morning.”
He doesn’t ask questions. He never does. “You got it, boss,” he replies, already typing. The call ends. I toss the phone onto the seat beside me.
I take the elevator up, my shoulders tight, the city’s cold anger still coiled inside me. When I unlock the apartment, the lights are already on. Liam is sitting on the arm of the couch, beer in hand, looking entirely too at home for someone who’s supposed to have his own place.
He grins as I walk in, raising the bottle. “Took you long enough.”
I drop my keys on the counter and head straight for the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water instead of a drink. “What are you doing here, Liam?”
He shrugs. “Dad’s pissed. Thought I’d warn you before you showed up at the house. Says you’re letting your wife make a fool of you in public. Says you’re soft.”
I snort. “Yeah, I bet he does.”
Liam looks at me for a long moment, something almost like pride in his eyes. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s wrong. You should have seen his face when you walked out with Adriana. About time someone told him to go to hell.”
I sink onto a stool, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I don’t need a cheerleader, Liam. And I didn’t do it for her. I did it because I’m tired of Dad treating everyone like chess pieces.”
He takes a swig of his beer. “Maybe. But you could have left her behind and came back anytime. You didn’t.”
I meet his eyes, bristling. “Don’t start. I haven’t come to love her.”
Liam leans back, a sly grin on his face. “You sure about that? Because it looks a lot like you’re doing things a man does when he cares.”
I scowl at him. “I told you, I don’t love her. Drop it.”
He holds up his hands in surrender, still smirking, when the apartment door swings open. Oleg steps in first, looking tired and irritated, his shirt rumpled. Adriana follows, a little breathless, her cheeks flushed. She pauses just inside the doorway, the tension in the room instantly heavier.
Liam clears his throat, suddenly awkward. “Evening.”
Adriana glances between us, her gaze landing on me for a split second before she looks away. “I’m—I’m going to my room,” she says, voice quiet, already moving down the hall without waiting for a response.
Oleg hovers in the entryway for a beat, then shrugs at me and steps outside, closing the door behind him.
