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I hung up, dizzy with relief as I stared into my brother’s eyes.

“That was Michael. He said she is there.”

Drake whistled with happiness. “Well, thank fuck for that. I’m coming with you.”

I didn’t have the strength to argue as he followed me to my truck, the two of us attracting attention as we walked.

I didn’t think it was that obvious we were brothers. I suppose we shared the same stocky build, but while I had dark blonde hair, his was a deep chocolate brown, which showed no sign of fading as he got older. He wore it long, tying it up in a bun in summer.

Summers in New York were deadly anyway, the heat bouncing from building to building like a pinball lost in a machine. I don’t know how he coped with long hair and a beard, I wanted to shave mine off in the heat.

We got in my car and began the journey to the Salvatore house, my heart in my throat the entire way. Every obstacle that could have cropped up, did. The traffic dragged at a snail’s pace as I growled with frustration.

“You aren’t going to lose your shit, are you?” Drake sighed.

I glared at him.

“That depends.”

“On?” he pressed.

“How she is. She better be as she was the last time I saw her.”

He smirked at me then. “Irrevocably in love with you?”

I didn’t answer as we pulled into the street that held my girl captive. The one place in the world I wouldn’t have ever wanted her to go to, the place that held my most horrific memories.

Maybe I should burn this fucking house down.

I cut the engine as I jumped out, running up the steps, the door unguarded this time.

Drake caught up with me as the door swung open to reveal Michael Salvatore, his dark eyes taking in my brother and me.

“Come in.”

I intend to.

My eyes scanned the room, and I frowned when I didn’t see her.

“Where is she?!” I hissed, unable to contain my rage.

Michael narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms, his voice low and deadly. “I think you mean,thank you. She’s a beautiful woman, I almost wanted to keep her here a little while longer.”

White hot fury ran through me as I walked towards him, my face close to his.

“She ismine. Don’t eventhinkabout her in that way.”

The eyes of the soon to be ruler of the underworld widened with delight at my words.

“I see. If she was mine, no one could take her from me. Yet, she spent the night here last night,” he leaned back on a chair, goading me to knock his teeth out of his handsome face.

“Becauseyoufucking forced her, youbastard.”

Drake was between us, his eyes on mine as he spoke. “Leo. No. This isn’t what she needs right now. She needs to go home. Think of her.”

I turned away as Michael chuckled.

“I can assure you, Leonardo. I didn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do.”