Page 96 of Savage Vows
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” I say.
He gulps. “Let me go, please. You want to know about Samie? I don’t know shit. But Moe might. She disappeared before Samie. Last I heard, she was fished out of the river, but she didn’t die. She’s…admitted somewhere.”
“Admitted where?” I press, my voice urgent.
Mik’s eyes dart past me, and he suddenly goes pale. Without another word, he spins and bolts into the crowd, vanishing before I can grab him again.
I turn, breathless, just in time to see Dante striding toward me, his expression tense. My mind races with Mik’s warning, the nameMoeechoing in my head.
What was that about?I wonder, trying to piece together what I’m missing.
I turn to Dante. “Why was that man scared of you?”
He shrugs. “Everyone is scared of me, Adriana. Except you, of course.”
I look at him suspiciously. I have a feeling there’s something he’s not telling me.
My phone vibrates with a message from Maksim:Security’s waiting for you on the first floor. Ask for Ivan. He’ll show you what’s left of the footage.
I glance at Dante, but he’s already distracted by a group of men in suits waving him over—business or old enemies, I can’t tell. I wait a moment, but impatience gets the best of me. I slip away, weaving through the crowd and up the stairs.
At the end of the first-floor hallway, a broad-shouldered man in a club jacket is waiting, arms crossed. “You must be the one who wanted the footage?” he asks, voice low but not unfriendly.
“Yeah,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Thanks for helping.”
He shrugs, unlocks a door marked “Staff Only,” and gestures me inside. “You’ve got the room to yourself. Just shut the door whenyou’re done.” He doesn’t ask any questions, just leaves me with the small bank of monitors and a folder of digital files.
I settle into the chair, pull out my notebook, and start scrolling through what’s left of the footage. Most of it is patchy, some files completely gone, but there’s enough to cross-reference with the dates and times in my notes. Anya’s. Samie’s.
I play the videos side by side, flipping back and forth, eyes burning as hour after hour flickers past on the screen. It’s tedious, slow work—until one frame makes me freeze.
On a grainy, timestamped shot, I see Anya. She’s being dragged through a dim corridor near the back entrance, struggling against the grip of a tall man. I lean forward, heart pounding. The man turns his head, just enough for the camera to catch his face.
Luka.
I gasp, covering my mouth, the world narrowing to the flickering screen. My mind reels. Julianne’s Luka. The one everyone said was just a bodyguard, just a boyfriend. My pen slips from my hand.
My mind races. Luka. Why would he…?
I rewind, staring at the footage, refusing to believe what I’m seeing. But the evidence is right there, captured on tape. And I suddenly realize just how little I really know about the man my sister ran away with.
I’m about to get up, my mind racing with the horror of what I’ve just seen, when I feel a presence behind me—a shadow in the doorway, then a hand in my hair, yanking my head back hard.
Rancid breath curls at my ear. “You never know when to stop, bitch.”
Pain explodes at my temple as my head cracks against the desk. The world spins. I twist, struggling, vision blurring. Remik’s face looms above me, twisted with rage, his grip bruising my scalp.
I gasp, clawing at his arm. Suddenly, the room erupts—a gunshot rings out so loud it’s like a flash of lightning right in my skull. Remik jolts, his eyes going wide, blood blooming at his shoulder.
He collapses on top of me, heavy and shaking. Behind him, Dante stands at the doorway, gun raised, face hard as stone. His voice is a snarl, pure violence.
“Don’t you fucking dare touch my wife.”
Remik goes still, blood soaking my sleeve. My heart thunders as Dante’s eyes lock on mine—furious, protective, and deadly.
28
DANTE
