Page 79 of Promised

At least I was going to die in a place I loved.

38

Adam

The porch creaked as I walked back and forth. I was surprised my feet hadn’t worn a hole in the floor. I’d been pacing in the same spot since Ariella had left, staring at the break in the trees where she’d disappeared, willing her to come back.

This was our house, and it didn’t feel right without her in it, even for a moment. She should be here. Sitting in her swing and drawing. Killing me in her pictures to burn off her anger. Not wandering in the dark woods.

But she always loved the night and the moonlight.

The quiet of night brought her peace. Made her feel safe. It was the only time she could escape her father. The only time we could be together.

My chest tightened as I thought about it. All our years together and apart. All the promises I’d made to her. Most I hadn’t kept. Not because I’d been dumb enough to believe Britney’s lies. Because I wasn’t strong enough to fight for her.

But there was one promise I could keep.

I was going to tell her the truth. Let her run with Zara. But I wasn’t going to lose her. I’d go with them.

Fuck this house. This city. This empire. My heart wasn’t here; it was with her. Matteo would understand. He knew love now. He wouldn’t stop me.

As I pulled my phone from my pocket to call him, I noticed the red notification for a text. I’d been so focused on waiting for the sounds of Ariella approaching I must have missed it.

My mouth went dry as I saw it was from her. Why would she text me instead of coming home?

Every worst-case scenario played in my mind for the split second while I waited for the text to appear on the screen. She had fallen in the dark and gotten hurt. She was lost.

But one thing I never thought, never could have guessed, were the words on the screen.

‘I can’t do this. I’m leaving. Don’t try to find me.’

The human body was so interesting. Because I should be dead. My heart had stopped. She’d destroyed it with a few words.

* * *

Wood splintered as I kicked the door in. I didn’t bother with knocking, not when it was an emergency. And I also didn’t give a fuck if he had to replace the doors.

“Caspita.” Damn.Gio grunted, lowering his gun to his side when he saw it was me. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Zara!” I called as I raced up the stairs two at a time, ignoring him completely.

“You can’t just come into my house whenever you want.” He huffed as he tried to follow. But he had over a hundred pounds and a lot of years on me.

“Zara,” I called again as I shoved her door open.

My eyes immediately flicked to her bed, but despite the late hour, she wasn’t there. Blue light lit up her face as she sat at her desk. Her eyes were rounded as she stared at me.

“Adam, what’s wrong?” She started to stand, but I shoved my phone in her hands.

“Look at this.” The breath heaved in my lungs as I paced the room again. It wasn’t the physical exertion making it hard to breathe. It was fear.

“I’m so sorry.” Zara’s mouth turned down as she tried to hand me back the phone.

“It’s bullshit. I need—.”

“You little rat, get out of my daughter’s room,” Gio shouted as he finally pushed through the door, gasping for air. He grabbed my shoulder like he thought he had the strength to drag me out of here. “It’s bad enough you—.”

The tension inside me exploded as I grabbed his arm. I twisted it behind his back until he was forced to fall to his knees or lose it. He howled in pain as I shoved harder. The bones creaked but didn’t break as I leaned forward.

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