CHAPTER 47
Another week without news.
Every day, sadness grows, as if something inside me is dying with every tick of the clock. My fingers scream at me to stop nibbling them, and my lips are so raw I haven’t been able to eat salt or lemon for three—no, four—days now. My eyes burn, and so does the surrounding skin.
I’m a complete mess.
Greta and Javier have been forcing me to eat and breathe some fresh air. They don’t want me locking myself away in my own world, but I do anyway—even when I train with Javier.
Why did Dante never interrupt the wedding? I’ve been reliving that day in my head for the last five days. He says he was kidnapped, but when? I saw him leaving the reception. He could have done something then, right? But he did nothing! He just stared, smirked, and left.
He left me alone, heartbroken and desperate, when only hours before we’d told each other how much we loved one another. He made love to me repeatedly until he decided we had to sleep because the next day was our wedding.
He decided it.
He left, only leaving a little note I kept hidden in my room all these years.
He didn’t make it.
What if he wanted to leave me and then regretted it but didn’t make it back in time? He had the date. The hour. He should have been at the church, but I couldn’t find him.
I’m so confused. Why didn’t he fight? Why did he just stand there, cheering?
My heart broke when I arrived at the church and saw Stefan waiting for me.
I cried desperately, but everyone thought I was just happy.
I wanted to run, I wanted to look for him, but I was surrounded by men with guns—and my mum too—and I didn’t want her killed, so I kept walking and prayed throughout the whole ceremony for my real fiancé to come and save me.
He didn’t.
If I hadn’t been threatened, I would have sprinted as quickly as possible to his flat. If everything he says is true, then he would have been waiting for me or something.
Why, if he says he loves me so much, didn’t he show up that day? Why is he lying to me when I saw with my own eyes that he gave up on me with a smile on his face? Why can’t I stop thinking about this when all I want is to be with him?
My heart is so mistreated. I’ll need him to repeat everything a thousand times because a thousand times I’ve been betrayed.
I don’t want him to be a part of them. I don’t want to put all my trust in him and make a fool of myself again.
I don’t want any more sadness. I want the man I fell in love with.
I want the man who made me feel safe and adored. I don’t want any more bad memories.
I want to talk to Dante.
Javier punches me in the abdomen, and I drop onto my back. I try to stand, but he steps over me, chokes me, and squeezes.
My mind and body are not in the same place.
He knows when to stop, but not how to be a bit more delicate with his attacks. This last week I’ve been collecting bruises all over my body.
“You have to focus,” he groans.
He holds out his hand to help me up, but I just stay sitting. I can’t keep pretending. My head is sending me alerts all day and nightmares all night. Not even the pillow with the shirt works anymore.
“I know.” I stare at him. “Why don’t you just give up? I don’t want to keep—”
“Because if Dante died, I need you to take care of Finn and yourself so we can buy more time.”
If Dante died.
Air leaves my lungs, replaced by a tonne of pain. Tears gather in my eyes…
They hid the truth from me again?
“You know something I don’t?”
He grimaces and rubs his neck, a heavy sigh slipping out.
“He’s missing,” he admits. “Things went bad on the fourth day, and…”
He’s missing.
The words echo in my head.
Oh, God. A week and a half.
“Lana—”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tears escape my eyes. “Why did you wait?”
“I had orders—”
“From whom?”
“My… my bosses—”
“I’m your boss. Dante told you to obey me.”
His eyebrows shoot up, and he takes a step back.
“I—”
“As soon as they find Dante—because they will—you tell me immediately.” I pause, my jaw clenching. “I’ve been a week thinking he’s dead. Two weeks, worried as hell. When did you know?”
“A few days ago,” he mutters.
My stomach churns.
“You tell me any news… I know we’re friends now, but don’t get that mixed up. I come first, then the others. Am I clear?”
He nods, surprised.
“Lana—”
“What else?”
He shakes his head.
“I think we’re done for the day. You’re—”
“Furious. Dante could be dead, and I’d be the last one to know! No one takes me seriously in this house! Am I a fucking piece of furniture?”
Nausea grips me. I spin around and run inside, straight to Dante’s bedroom. I slam the bathroom door shut and lock it. My stomach empties as tears pour down my face.
He’s missing.
Please come back to me.
Please. This time it has to work.