Chapter 17
The dim glow of the bar’s neon sign cast an eerie red hue over the street as I strode inside, heading straight for my office.
Red, Gino, Emmet, Nicolo and Finn sat huddled around the main table, sharing laughter, cigarettes, and whiskey.
As they caught sight of me, they instantly knew something was off.
Maybe the fact that I wasn’t smiling gave me away.
Their laughter stopped short, and they watched me with unease and curiosity.
“She shot him. She fucking shot him,” I announced, dropping into the chair at my desk.
I scanned their faces, their eyes wide with shock and mouths slightly agape.
They processed the gravity of the news. The room filled with a heavy silence, the weight of my words hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
“Anastacia, the woman I was so sure would break, shot her own father in the shoulder. Sure, there was no intent to kill, but she wanted to harm him. She wanted him to feel the pain she felt when he practically handed her to me.” I sighed, running my hand through my tousled hair.
“Wow, she’s badass.” Nicolo clapped his hands together in delight, clearly wanting a black eye or worse.
“Shut up, Nic. You’ve known her less than twenty-four hours, you don’t get an opinion.”
Red’s scarred face twisted in a grimace as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “We told you repeatedly that she was different. She’s got a backbone. You can’t just bend her to your will, and you know that.”
My jaw clenched, anger bubbling just beneath the surface.
“You were right,” I admitted, my tone bitter at the fact I was wrong.
“She’s not easily breakable. She proved that tonight and every other time I’ve tried to control her.
” I paused. “I thought—I don’t know what I thought I could do to her, but it’s clear what I had planned will never happen.
She’s untameable and, most certainly, unpredictable.
“Maybe it’s time to let her go,” Gino suggested, his voice casual. His words carried a weight. “Some people aren’t meant to be caged. No matter how much you want them to be.”
My head snapped up as I succumbed to my anger. “Let her go?! Let her fucking go?! Do you hear yourself, Gino?!” I snapped. “She’s mine. She’s my wife.”
“Alright, maybe it’s time you reevaluate the whole plan, situation, whatever you want to call it.” Emmet smiled, hoping to be the one to get through to me.
“Enlighten me. What would you do?” I questioned Emmet.
“If you want to kill Victor, go for it. By all means, have fun, but forget about tryin’ to hurt her.” He sighed. “Maybe try to give your marriage a go. Stop tryin’ to own her and let her be your?—”
“Don’t say it.” I narrowed my eyes as he continued.
“Let her be your equal.” Emmet spoke confidently as if he knew he was saying the right thing.
“She’ll never be my equal,”
Red echoed Gino’s words from earlier. “Then let her go.”
“No. That woman will never walk away from me. I won’t let her.” I stood, slapping my palms on my desk. “Let’s go home. I’ll deal with the fallout tomorrow.”
“With your wife or her father?” Nicolo asked.
“I don’t give a shit about the fallout with Victor.” I didn’t mention Ana, and of course, it didn’t go unnoticed.
“Maybe try and talk to her. Make her understand your reasons for doing what you did,” Red suggested, sounding too damn hopeful.
“Let’s go,” I ordered as they jumped to their feet.
The drive back to the house was a blur. I shut myself off to everyone, not wanting to hear whatever else they had to say.
For the first time, my mind raced with thoughts of Anastacia.
Her defiant gaze, her sharp tongue, and the way she always seemed to slip through my fingers no matter how tightly I gripped.
The second Red parked the car, I strode inside, my footsteps echoing against the marble. Maybe Red was right. Maybe I had to tell her everything and explain my reasons. Before I had time to second guess everything, my feet led me to her door, ready to help her understand.
I pushed her door open, instantly feeling as though something was off.
The room was empty.
Not just of her presence but of everything.
I flung her closet doors open, my blood boiling as I noted her clothes were gone. There was no trace of my wife in this room anymore. She’d taken everything. It was as if she’d never been in here at all.
All that was left was her wedding ring on the bedside table.
Rage surged through my veins as I stormed out of the room, marching straight to the office as I summoned my men. “Get in here, now.” I demanded, my voice cutting through the silence.
They came running in after me, their faces twisted with confusion. “Check the cameras,” I ordered, barely regaining control. “I want to know exactly when she left, how she left, and where she went.”
As I paced the floor, Red rapidly pulled up the footage, his fingers flying over the keyboard on my desk. As the screens flickered to life, there was nothing. Nothing at all. No movement from her whatsoever. It didn’t even show her coming home.
“How the fuck is that possible?” I queried, my fists clenching at my sides. “Everything from her room is gone. It’s as if she was never here.”
Gino stepped forwards, his voice remaining as calm as possible, but it was clear he was worried. “She’s gotten around those cameras before, she could have done it again.”
Finn exhaled as he burst through the door. “Nobody saw her enter or leave.”
“She must have had help. I’ve been away from her for an hour tops. She couldn’t have managed all this alone.” I smashed my fist into the desk, my knuckles cracking as they hit the wood. “Find her,” I snarled. “I don’t care what it takes. Bring my wife back to me.”
“Already on it,” Emmet assured as he exited the room with everyone except for Red.
“On me, Red. We’re paying the Fedorov’s a visit.” I had no idea why I thought she’d be there, not after what happened tonight, but I’d give it a go.
Red sped towards Anastacia’s old home, the tires screeching with every turn. I knew he, along with some of the other men, had grown close to her. They developed a soft spot for her despite my warnings.
“Do you really think she left?” he asked.
“That's the only explanation, Red.” I muttered. “If she thinks she can walk away from me, she’s wrong.”
“We’ll bring her home. No matter where she is, we’ll find her.” He sounded so sure, so confident in his own words.
Once we reached Victor’s house, I barely waited for the car to come to a standstill before I exited and raced up the steps to the door. My fist collided with the glass. It opened within seconds. The guards at the gate had probably announced our arrival.
“What do you want?!” Florence snarled. “You’ve done enough damage tonight,” she hissed, her voice trembling with anger.
She wasn’t as strong as Anastacia.
Anastacia’s voice never trembled, never faltered, no matter how scared or angry she was. Florence’s eyes narrowed as she watched me intently.
“Where is she?!” I demanded. “My wife doesn’t belong here anymore.”
“You shot her father. You could have killed him, and now you have the nerve to come here shouting your demands?”
“Where the fuck is she?” I bellowed as Red appeared beside me.
Victor finally showed his face. “She’s not here.” His hand and shoulder were stitched up and bandaged tightly. “I haven’t seen her since she left me in that warehouse.”
She left him? She didn’t care enough to get him home safely? Wow… I really did underestimate her.
“What do you mean she’s not here?! I’m not in the mood for your games, Victor.” I glanced around, not sure what the hell I was looking for. “She has to be here.”
“My own daughter shot me, Lorenzo. Do you really think she’d come back here?” Victor questioned. “If she left you then that’s on her own accord.”
“Fuck off, Victor. She hasn’t left me.” I didn’t know why, but I was certain she’d never truly walk out on me.
“Maybe she’s at your mother’s?” Red suggested, already calling her number.
“Lorenzo, my daughter knows what she does and doesn’t want. If she chose to leave you, we had no hand in that.” Victor responded. The lack of care and worry was apparent.
“Do you not care where she is? Would you only care if it were Miles?” I asked as I caught Red’s gaze. He shook his head.
She wasn’t with my mother either.
“Do you want me to look for her, Victor?” Chad piped up from behind him at the door.
“No, she’s just throwing a tantrum and wanting attention. You won’t waste your time,” Victor snapped, stepping in front of Florence. “You used her to get what you wanted.”
“As did you. You can pretend you’re innocent in all this, but you’re the worst.” I scoffed, turning my back to him and readying myself to leave and turn the whole damn city on its head for her.
“You’re just like your father. Use and abuse, take and betray,” he spat before slamming the door behind him.
I was about to storm up the steps when Red’s voice stopped me, bringing my thoughts back to my wife.
“She’s not at the graveyard. She’s not at your mother’s. She’s nowhere, Lorenzo.” Red sighed, making his next call.
“I don’t want to hear it. She didn’t just disappear. Call every hotel, every hospital. Leave no stone unturned, do you understand?”
“You almost sound like you care.”
“Not now, Red.” I turned to face the house. “I will not lose someone else because of Victor Fedorov.”