Chapter 114
As we pull up, I don’t rush to movr immediately
“I’m going to find her,” I say quietly, no matter where she is and no matter how long it takes.
If she walked away from that crash on her own, I’ll tear this city apart until I find the road she took.
If someone touched her i don’t let the thought finish.
Fredrick kills the engine when we reach the house, but before I open the door out I order Thomas to keep an eye out on the villa I found Elaine in when she left the house days ago then I open the door and step out with my mind still under that bridge.
I don’t know yet whether she was taken or whether she ran.
All I know is she’s not here and until she is nothing else matters.
I’m halfway out of the car before it fully stops.
And then I see her.
My wife.
She’s standing on the front steps and for a second, my brain doesn’t process it It It feels like something my mind made up to survive the drive back.
Her hair is plastered to her head, dark and tangled like she ran her hands through it too many times. Her clothes are wet, clinging to her arms, her legs, there’s dirt on her knees and a tear along the side seam of her shirt.
She looks so small but she’s standing and alive.
The world narrows to just her and I stop walking.
I actually stop
Fredrick says something behind me but I don’t hear it.
She shifts her weight slightly, like she doesn’t know whether to come down the steps or wait for me up there.
Then I notice Aaron.
He’s in the shadows near the door with his left arm still strapped in a sling. There’s a cut running from his temple down toward his jaw, stitched but still raw. He looks pale and tired.
He doesn’t meet my eyes. I walk forward slowly.
My chest feels tight, like I’ve been holding my breath for hours and only just realized it.
When I reach the bottom of the steps, she starts down toward me and that’s when something snaps loose inside me. I close the distance in three strides and pull her into me. Hard.
My arms wrap around her shoulders, her back, pressing her against my chest like I’m trying to push her into my ribs.
She’s cold and her clothes are soaked through with her body trembling not violently, but enough that I feel it.
My jaw tightens against the top of her head.
For a second, I just hold her.
I don’t speak.
I just need to feel that she’s solid and reel. That she’s not some sick hallucination my brain invented to stop me from losing it.
My chest aches like actually aches.
Relief hits first then anger.
Then something uglier that feels too close to fear.
I pull back just enough to look at her.
Her face is pale and there’s a faint bruise forming near her wrist and her lips are slightly blue from the cold.
I take all of it in hungrily making sure nothing is missing.
Half of me wants to drag her inside and lock every door in this estate. Lock her in a room where nothing can reach her and no one can harm her, the other half wants to chain her to my side so she never takes a step without me knowing.
“It’s good to see you too Zane,” she says quietly.
Her voice is rough and… tired.
“I figured I’d stay out here and wait for you p>
My hand slides to her jaw. I tilt her face slightly, checking her eyes.
“Why are you wet p>
Her lips twitch faintly, like she wants to smile.
“The car didn’t go into the river,” she says. “It hit the embankment and I climbed out before it tipped, so I ran down toward the water so whoever forced us off would think I fell in p>
I look at Aaron.
He finally speaks. “Two vehicles boxed us in. They rammed us hard enough to spin, I lost control and when I came to, she was already gone p>
Elaine’s fingers tighten slightly against my shirt.
“I didn’t see who it was,” she continues. “I just ran p>
“You ran into the river p>
“I ran along it, then doubled back once I didn’t hear anyone chasing p>
My heart is still pounding too hard.
“You could have easily drowned p>
“I didn’t p>
Her tone sharpens slightly.
There it is that stubborn edge.
Relief surges again, tangled with frustration so thick it almost chokes me.
I tuck her into my side without asking, my arm firm around her shoulders, and start walking toward the door.
As we pass Aaron, I don’t soften my expression.
“I’ll deal with you later,” I tell him flatly.
His jaw tightens but he nods.
“Don’t take it out on him,” Elaine says quickly. “They hit us before he could react, I forced him to keep driving when he said we should turn back. I forced him to leave the estate”
The front door clicks shut behind us as we enter.
Warm air hits her damp clothes and she shivers.
I shrug out of my jacket and drape it around her shoulders without breaking stride.
She looks up at me like she wants to argue about that too.
“Not now littlespitfkre.” I mutter.
We move into the living room and I just stand there, staring at her again.
She pushes the jacket back slightly so she can see my face clearly.
There are too many emotions on hers to name. Relief, defiance, guilt and Anger?. She’s fucking angry at me?. I’m supposed to be angry at her not the other way around.
“You look like you’re about to kill someone,” she says.
“I almost did p>
She goes still.
“For what p>
“For being near the scene p>
Her brows knit together.
“You thought I was taken t p>