Page 92 of Venomous Vows

“It’s okay,” I say softly. “I’m sure you have men looking into it.”

He pushes his cheek out with his tongue and nods, but he doesn’t say any more and strides into the kitchen.

I’m not sure what to do because I don’t want to make any promises that things are going to be okay.

All I can do is hope that it is okay.

So I can tell Adrian that I’d like to give us a shot…for once.

29

ELENA

“He didn’t just disappearout of thin fuckin’ air,” Zane hollers in Adrian’s office, filling the whole house with unease and apprehension. “It’s been three fuckin’ days. Where the fuck is my brother?!”

I flinch and can feel his distress from here.

Zane hasn’t slept. And I’ve been dosing on and off, careful not to get too deep because I’m fearful that I’ll dream about things I don’t want to acknowledge.

“If he’s not found by the end of the day, heads are gonna start rollin’, Charles. So fucking find him.” Something crashes to the floor and I clench my eyes closed because Zane isn’t handling this well at all.

And, despite his chaos, it helps give me something to do because I don’t want to go down the rabbit hole either. I’ve been able to remain optimistic, while Zane does the exact opposite. I’ve made sure to make him food now so that he eats and force him to help me clean the cabinets because I’m too short to reach. I’ve even made him check my car with a fake story about how it makes a noise every once in a while.

Zane complained that he didn’t know shit about doing anything but did it anyway. And I’ve been thinking of reasons and ways to keep him busy until we hear some news.

However, I gave him too much space and time because now he’s on the phone with someone losing his mind.

Heavy footsteps saunter my way and I wait for Zane to enter the living room, but he continues on toward the back. I debate with going after him to see if he needs anything, but decide that he probably should breathe a little.

But that’s when I hear his frantic scream of my name.

“Elena!”

I lurch off the couch and almost trip from the stranglehold the blanket has on me. Sprinting to the kitchen, I find him by the glass sliding door that overlooks the large backyard that I haven’t even explored yet and see a figure striding our way.

Broad shoulders, dark hair, swagger for fucking days without even trying.

I rip the door open and leap out, clearing the two cement steps and landing solidly on my bare feet. I run as quickly as my feet will let me, closing the distance and recognizing Adrian more and more with each looming inch.

I swear I see him smirk at me, but I don’t falter. My man is here, and he’s alive and walking, so there’s that.

When I’m within a close distance, I leap and Adrian promptly catches me before my mouth slams viciously into his.

Adrian’s soft lips caress and smooth away all my fears and anxiety for the last two days. His warm body against mine, the smell of cedar and sage filling my nostrils, makes this more real.

That he’s here—for real.

An amused chuckle leaves his chest and I revel in it. I’m beyond words with how I’m feeling right now because him being here has to be one of the best things that has happened to me. That he’s alive and well in his backyard is practically a miracle.

That we didn’t know happened because we didn’t hear from him.

Pulling away, I peer down at him, his green gaze glazed with lust and things that he can save for a later time. Right now, Zane and I desperately need to know what happened.

“Where have you been?” I start, cupping his face and receiving the roughness of his stubble. “We’ve been worried sick.”

His lips heave in a devious smirk. “Damn,piccola diavola,if I had known that I would come home to this, I would’ve tried sooner.”

I search his face for cuts or blood. “What happened? Zane has been out of his mind?—”

---