Page 25 of Fatal Love

“We aren’t with her. Michael and I met with Agent Jackson about the case. She’s back at Michael’s house.”

Keeping my brother on the line, I watched as Michael pressed the call button and dialed Rachel. Ringing filled the car's interior. When her voicemail picked up, he tried again. “Fuck. She’s not answering.”

“I’ll call you from the club. I’m almost there.”

I tossed my phone to the dashboard and turned to Michael. He was still calling her phone, only to have her voicemail pick up each time.

“What the fuck?” Michael grunted. “If someone came on the property, I would know. Nothing’s gone off. Maybe she's in the bathtub.”

“Right… a bath. After that long shower we took?” I bit back not meaning to sound so hateful. I wanted him to be right, but my gut told me something was seriously wrong. “I will kill Dmitri if she’s hurt, Michael. That man has tried to take everything from my family.”

Michael laced his fingers with mine and squeezed. “I know.” What more could he say?

He was just as worried about Rachel as I was, but he was trying to keep it together for me as usual. Michael eased down his long drive and slowed the car to a stop. I hopped out, rushing up the steps and inside. The house was just as we had left it, and there were no signs of trouble.

“Rachel?” I called out, moving through the lower level, checking for her. My feet skipped steps as I ran upstairs in search of her. “Rach? She’s not up here, Michael.”

Michael's tone sent a chill through my veins. “Antonio.”

I practically jumped down the flight of steps and raced into the living room. Michael was holding her phone in his hand. “This was on the table.” He pinned me with a stare that curdled my blood. “She’s left us… Rachel—she's gone."

I wouldn’t believe she'd just leave. "What do you mean, Michael? She wouldn’t just leave us."

"She called a cab.” He turned the phone toward me, showing the website of a local company.

My phone rang, interrupting us. “What?” I snapped into the speaker.

“Brother,” Massimo spoke softly. His voice held a hint of sadness. “Rachel’s in trouble.”

“Fuck. Let me guess. The man was her cab driver.”

“Yep. Somehow Ivanov intercepted her cab request and threatened this driver. He was supposed to bring her to a location and dump her there.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“Hold on a second, Antonio. He didn’t do it. Rachel convinced him to slow the car and let her jump out. He came straight here.”

“Where did he take her?”

“South of Michael’s somewhere. It’s a back road off the main highway—Hickory Ridge. You know it?”

“Yes. We’re heading out now to look for her.”

Michael watched me with wide eyes as I threw my phone onto the couch. “Goddamn it!” I screamed out, my hands immediately fisting the short strands of my hair.

“Calm down. We’ll find her.” Michael tugged me into an embrace. “She’s going to be fine. Rachel is a strong woman.”

“What if Ivanov finds her first?”

Michael pulled his phone out and pressed the speaker button. “Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Donny’s voice filtered into the room. “Michael?”

“Donny, I assumed Massimo told you what's going on."

“I’m still here with him and the driver. I was the one here when he came in talking crazy. Look.” Donny paused. “You and Antonio stay put. My guys are headed that way now and will search for her. If she makes it home, she’s going to need you both.”

I bellowed into the room my restraint gone. “You expect us to just sit here and wait on her?”

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