Page 39 of Ice & Steel

“Yes, sir.” Peregrine spun on his heel and disappeared down the hallway.

Cosimo appeared at the landing in his motorcycle gear, his rifle held at the ready. Behind him, Duran had his pistol out and his dark eyes were wide, shifting over the room.

“Is anyone gone? Is everyone okay?” Cosimo barked.

“Olivia.” The word burst from my mouth as I pushed past them. “She was taken.”

Cosimo swallowed, following me down the hall towards the kitchen. He was calm, but so pale his brown eyes glittered black.

“Where is she?” he breathed.

I shook my head, kicking in the door and sweeping the kitchen. Even opening the pantry where we sometimes fucked before breakfast. The empty bin we’d knocked over during our last quickie was still sitting on its side. I whirled, letting the door slam shut and entered the kitchen to find Duran on his phone.

“What—what the fuck?” I asked. “What are—who is that?”

He glanced up. “Officer Randall. You have him on the alerts for the security system.”

“Get him the fuck over here,” I spat. “I want his whole fucking force.”

I pushed past him, Cosimo at my heels, and moved up the stairs again. I needed to see the bedroom, to go over it for clues. Maybe she wasn’t gone, maybe she was hiding in a closet. Maybe if I looked again she’d appear somehow.

“Fuck,” Cosimo swore as we stepped into the bedroom.

The sheets were tangled, the bedside table drawer was open, revealing some of her intimate items. A set of ice blue lingerie, a vibrator, and her daily planner with a pen tucked in the spine. Something was missing. I crossed the room and pulled the drawer out, setting it on the bed.

Cosimo joined me. “What is it?”

I ran my fingers through the contents. “There was a gun here. I gave Liv a gun, loaded. All she had to do was turn the safety off and shoot. It’s gone.”

He began circling the room, his face white and his dark eyes glittering. Duran’s footsteps sounded in the hall and he passed by the door, heading for Peregrine’s post by the bedroom doors. I heard their voices and Duran’s steps continued down the back stairwell. He was making a sweep of the property.

“When did you see her last?” Cosimo asked.

“This morning,” I said, crouching and checking under the bed. “I woke up at five, I texted Peregrine about a meeting. I…uh…I went here.” I rose and traced my steps to the bathroom, as if that would help.

“Okay,” Cosimo said, his voice strained. Like it was about to break. “And then?”

I swiveled, my mouth so dry I almost gagged. “I had a shower…got dressed. She was still sleeping so I…I went down the hall and Peregrine’s car picked me up outside. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” Cosimo repeated. He worked his jaw.

“Yes, that’s fucking it,” I snapped. “Why does this fucking matter?”

“Because my sister is gone,” he snapped back.

I lost my temper, the strain, the panic—it was all too much. Rage erupting, breaking through my ice, I shoved him hard in the chest and sent him flying against the wall. The air burst from his lungs and the door frame shuddered as his broad body made contact with it.

“And she’s my fucking wife,” I roared.

Automatically, his hands went up to defend himself. We froze, inches from each other.

“Fuck,” I breathed.

I’d hurt him, my wife’s brother. Regret washed through me and I stepped back, rubbing my hand over my face. Trying to pull myself together. The downside of never feeling anything was that when I did have emotions, I had no idea how to handle them.

“Jesus—fuck,” I breathed, my hand over my eyes.

To my shock, Cosimo peeled himself from the wall and took hold of my upper arm.