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The three of us load into Antonio’s car, and he speeds away from the warehouse.

“Emilio!” I yell into the phone. “Do you have her?”

“No,” he huffs out. “She’s gone.”

41

Today was supposedto be happy.

A celebration of a new milestone in our lives.

But that’s ruined.

Regret flows through me.

I should’ve never followed Sage out of Safe Hearts.

In the back of my mind, I thought the threat of Dima was gone.

As I come into consciousness, I see only darkness. The floor is cold beneath me, and the stench of cigarettes, bad odor, and mold surrounds me.

Something covers my head, but when I attempt to take it off, I realize my arms and feet are restrained.

My breath knocks from my lungs when someone pulls the bag off my head, and my mouth is taped shut. I struggle, trying to tug my way out of the restraints. My wrists and ankles already burn.

The man in my father’s office, who Dima burned with the cigar, stands in front of me. Hearing a whimper, I peek over to find Sage tied up in a chair a few feet away from me.

There’s no bag over her head, but she has duct tape over her mouth, like mine.

Her gaze pings from the man to me.

Frantic.

Back and forth, over and over again.

Her eyes are wide, but she’s not fighting to release herself, like I am.

Is she here because of me?

Or am I here because of her?

The door opens, and Dima walks in, dressed in a black suit and holding a gun.

My blood chills.

I expected him, but still, seeing him here makes everything so much more real.

The light flickers above us, and we’re in some dim warehouse building. I don’t hear the flow of traffic, just the whoosh of the wind and Dima’s footsteps as he comes closer.

His threatening stare is pinned on me, as if Sage weren’t even here. He plays with his thick gold ring, sliding it up and down his finger.

“Hello,nevesta,” he says, putting so much emphasis on the last word.

I jerk my head from side to side, saying, “I’m not your fucking wife,” beneath the tape.

He steeples his fingers together and taps them against his mouth before making atsksound. “Now, I’d prefer to have you tied up in our bedroom, but since you’ve been a bad girl, here will suffice for now.”

I wrestle with my restraints, pleading with my body to get stronger so I can break out of them.