Page 118 of Ashes

Sienna had been missing for almost three days with no indication of where she could be and I’d felt like my heart had been ripped out every second of it.

I was losing it.

Literally.

I’d barely eaten or slept. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see were replays of that security tape and Siennabeing taken. So I stayed awake, the only thing fueling my body being sheer will and desperation.

I’d spent day and night rummaging through every known Barrera building with no luck. The only thing I’d left behind was a trail of ashes stating that I wanted my wife back and I would burn anyone who stood in my way.

Barrera was yielding, yet he wasn’t the one I wanted. Mateo was, but his son wouldn’t give out his location. I’d even incessantly called and sent Mateo messages, but I hadn’t gotten a response.

Until today.

And when he did, the small glimpse I’d gotten of Sienna’s voice was only a temporary balm to my despair until fury eviscerated the blood in my veins.

She’d been taken from me and it was all my fucking fault.

I kept reminding myself to keep it together, but bile rose in the back of my throat at the thought of them hurting her.

I’d thought my parents’ deaths were the worst things that could have happened to me, but Sienna’s abduction was even worse.

I missed my wife. I just wanted her back in my arms. All I wanted was for her to please be alive. I just needed her back and I hoped she knew I loved her even though I’d failed to tell her.

It was her day off today and she was fast asleep in ourbed, her knees tucked into her chest and her hands sandwiched between her thighs.

I reached for the fallen curls of her loose high ponytail and pushed them back away from her face.

I studied her face, entranced by her beauty. The arch of her strong brows. The defined curvature of her cheekbones. The small beauty mark on top of her perfectly soft lips.

Her mouth was slightly parted and a smile curved my lips when I heard her soft snoring. She was adorably cute.

Adorably cute and all mine.

Sienna was a pleasant gift in my life and she made me feel like a kid inside, infusing in my soul a happiness I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Or probably ever.

I couldn’t wait to unwrap all of her layers and discover more about her.

My thumb softly traced her cheekbone when her eyes fluttered open.

“How long have you been staring at me?” she muttered.

Since the moment I laid eyes on you.

“After you started snoring so loud, you woke me up.”

Her eyes widened. “Jamal Aguerd, I donotsnore.”

I chuckled, brushing a small kiss on the tip of her nose. “I don’t mind it.”

She shook her head and closed her eyes.

A few seconds later, her eyes flew open again. “What?” she asked as I still stared at her.

My heart expanded in my rib cage and the words “Ilove you” bloomed on their way out, but they got stuck in my throat.

So instead, I kissed her.

“I found her,” Kai announced, drawing my attention to him as he barged into my office where I’d been holed up for the last three days, working on finding her.