Page 44 of Stolen Bride

“Putting them out, Mr. Valentino. Where were you this evening?”

“Looking for answers out of town. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my wife to ensure her safety.” I end the call and fly fast down the road to my estate. I’ve called Benz and see if he’s in the house to check on Stella, but he doesn’t answer.

“Something’s not right. That asshole Benz isn’t answering. Did we get the information on him?”

“Not yet. In fact, I have less information on his past, like his name isn’t Anthony Benzino like he said. The real Anthony Benzino supposedly was killed in a gun battle three years ago.”

“What?”

“Although there could be another.”

“Check Benzino’s relatives and friends.” He continues to dig, and I wish I hadn’t let that bit slip in the past two days, but there were too many fucking problems to push and Gabe’s the only one I trust.

“Shit, it’s going to take a while longer,” Gabe grumbles. A sick, twisted feeling in my gut filled with dread takes over. All I can think about is that something is wrong where Stella’s concerned. I don’t know why I didn’t give her a cell phone. Hell, I know exactly why. Because it would mean I’d have a chance to call her for no damn reason, a way for her to find an escape to the outside world and me.

I call my staff at the estate and ask about my wife. “Sir, we believe she is at your parents’. She hasn’t been here sinceyesterday. Benz dropped her off yesterday.” I ended the call because they were useless to me now.

“We’re going to my parents’.” I speed off in their direction, switching off the last five minutes in the opposite road. Fuck, I’m so damn close. When I pull into the driveway, I barely put it into park before I’m out of the SUV and rounding the front of it. Taking the stairs two at a time, I push past my parents’ guards and into the house.

“Where is she?” I roar, tearing through my parents’ home.When her guards said she wasn’t home yet, I nearly lost my already insane mind. Our delicious fuck at the club had been one that pushed me over the edge. I want more and I need her to stay, even if it taints everything I have lived with inside my deranged head and heart.

“Calm down, Son. Who are you looking for?” my father asks, stepping in front of me as I run up the stairs where I know she’s likely to be.

“Who the fuck else? My wife.” I shrug his arm off me.

“She’s not here,” the hardened voice of my sister comes from behind me. I spin around, flying down the steps in a rush, and glare as she dares to look pleased.

“What the hell do you mean, she’s not here?”

“She’s on her way far away from you where she can be happy.”

“Tell me you didn’t betray me and help her leave.”

“I did.” My hands are around her throat before I can stop myself.

“Damiano, stop,” my mother says, grabbing onto my arm.

Gabe is at my side. “Let my woman go.”

I let go and say, “If anything happens to her, you’re dead to me.” I step back, hating myself, but not more than my sister at this moment. How could she have let the woman I love run away from me? I drop back to the chair with my head in my hands.

“We’ll find her, Son,” my father said.

“If you actually showed you cared, she wouldn’t have wanted to leave,” Grace says through her coughs.

“I’d shut your fucking mouth. I’ve had enough of this family’s betrayal to last a lifetime. Blood means shit to me anymore, Ms. Valentino.”

“Watch yourself, Son. You’re both my children, and I love the two of you. This is not the same thing as my bastard father.”

“No? Another betrayal. Another stab in the back by my own blood.”

“You were going to get rid of her anyway. I was trying to save her heart. You’re a man of your word, and you promised to let her go. Did you think she wanted to wait around until you finally tossed her out? You might not have a heart, but she does, and you don’t get to break it over and over because you saved her from killing herself. I’d rather have her as a sister than you as a brother any day.” She storms out of the room.

“She doesn’t mean that.”

“I don’t give a fuck what she means. I want my wife.”

“About damn time, but if you ever put your hands on my future wife, I’ll forget who you are,” Gabriele snarls.

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