Page 99 of Savage Vows
He narrows his eyes, lips curling in a sneer. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
I stare at my father, anger simmering just beneath my skin. “Why are you doing this?”
He looks at me like I’m a child, disappointed. “You’ve become weak, son. All this…sentimentality. You used to understandthe rules. Now you’re letting a woman make you soft. You’re supposed to be my successor. The next Volkov. You can’t afford to be weak.”
I clench my jaw, thinking only of Adriana—how devastated she would be if something happened to Julianne. The thought of that pain on her face makes my answer clear.
I swallow hard, the words heavy and cold in my mouth. “Fine. You want me to choose? I’ll do it. I’ll let Adriana go. Just tell me where Julianne is.”
A small, satisfied smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. He nods, signaling the driver. The car turns, and a few minutes later we stop in front of the deserted apartment complex.
“You’ll find her there. And remember your promise. If you don’t, I’ll kill your bride.”
I can’t trust myself to speak, so I don’t say anything at all. As I get out of the car, the cold air hits my face, but it’s nothing compared to the emptiness opening up inside me. I made the choice. I hope to God it was the right one.
I take the stairs two at a time, gun gripped tight in my fist, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out the noise of the city outside. The apartment complex smells of dust and cold metal, the kind of place where every shadow feels like a trap. My father’s words ring in my ears, but I shove them aside, focusing on what I might find ahead.
A door slams somewhere higher up. I push harder, boots scuffing the crumbling concrete as I round the landing and head up another flight. My chest is tight with dread and adrenaline, every instinct screaming that I’m already too late.
A figure bursts out of a doorway on the next landing, running straight into me. I catch a flash of tangled hair, and wide, terrified eyes. It’s Julianne. She crashes into my chest, nearly knocking the gun from my hand. She looks up, and for a split second, she doesn’t even recognize me, just another threat in a place full of them.
“Julianne, it’s me,” I manage, breathless.
She staggers back, still shaking, arms wrapped around herself, her whole body trembling so hard I worry she’ll collapse. Her face is smeared with tears and panic, her breaths coming in gasps.
Before I can speak, there’s a crash behind her, someone moving quickly inside the apartment she just escaped from. I shove Julianne behind me, gun raised, finger on the trigger. The shadow moves, a blur in the dark. I fire a warning shot, the crack of it deafening in the empty stairwell. The figure ducks, vanishing back into the apartment, and I hear the slap of running feet retreating down another stairwell.
For a second, I want to chase, but I look at Julianne and know I can’t leave her. She’s still shaking, barely able to stand. I holster the gun and pull off my jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders.
She clings to the fabric like a lifeline, tears starting again as the adrenaline finally leaves her system. “Luka…” she stammers, voice broken. “He was different, Dante. He looked at me like he hated me. He brought me here. At first, I didn’t understand why and I couldn’t leave when I wanted to. I thought he was going to hurt me. I thought I’d never get out.”
Her hands are icy and her whole body shivers. I kneel in front of her, hands steady even though my mind is spinning. “It’s all right,” I say softly, pulling her close. She collapses against my chest, sobbing now, her fear and relief finally spilling out.
“You’re safe,” I whisper, stroking her hair, holding her as tightly as I can without crushing her. “You’re safe now. I promise.”
She cries quietly into my shoulder. I keep moving, not stopping until we’re out in the cold, empty street, and I know she’s finally safe.
29
ADRIANA
I sit hunchedon the edge of the couch, phone clutched in both hands, my chest so tight I can barely breathe. Bella sits beside me, one arm around my shoulders, murmuring the same reassurances she’s given me a dozen times already.
“She’s going to be okay, Adriana. Dante will find her. He’s stubborn as hell. Julianne’s safe with him—he’d die before letting anything happen to her.”
I nod, not really hearing her, my thoughts racing in frantic, useless circles. I want to believe it, but all I can see is Julianne’s number blinking “no answer” on my screen.
I press the back of my hand to my mouth, fighting the urge to scream. Bella squeezes me tighter.
Then, out of nowhere, Bella shifts, her voice suddenly different—nervous, almost shaky. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you. I was going to wait until things calmed down, but…” She takes a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
I stare at her, so stunned I can’t speak. For a heartbeat, every other worry falls away. “Wait, what?”
She laughs, half in relief, half in terror. “Yeah. I’m serious. Found out last night. I’ve barely slept.”
For a second, I almost smile, the shock short-circuiting my panic. “Bella, are you…are you happy?”
She nods, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Terrified. But yeah, I think so.”
