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Looking at my brother, I sighed. “What would you do if Quinn ever betrayed you?”
“I’d tie her to my bed and make her promise to never do it again. Then I’d—”
Freya threw her hands over her ears. “Stop talking.”
Taking in the serious expression on my brother’s face, I shook my head. Surely it wasn’t that easy. “But how could you forgive her for lying to you? For putting your family in danger?”
Liam didn’t hesitate to answer. “Quinnispart of my family. I love her more than anything. I can’t live without her. And I know she loves me too. If she betrayed me, there would have to be a damn good reason.”
Had I made a mistake sending Vanna away? My brother made it all sound so easy. But could I really forgive Vanna for what she’d done?
There was only one way to find out. And that was to talk to her.
Turning on my heels, I waved over my shoulder. “I have to take a shower. I trust you can show yourselves out?”
I didn’t wait for their responses and went to my room. Once I’d hastily showered, I tore through my closet in search of something to wear. In the end, I grabbed whatever was closest, ending up in a black suit with a blue shirt that Mom had given me a few Christmases ago.
My family was gone when I came back out, leaving behind dirty coffee mugs and a casserole from Mom.
The drive to the house took longer than usual since there had been an accident. When I finally pulled into the driveway, I was clutching the steering wheel with clammy hands.
I should have checked if Cleo was there. After all, there wasn’t much left for her to do since nobody lived in the house at the moment.
But when I made my way inside, the clanking of pots directed me toward the kitchen, where I found a flustered Cleo wiping up soup that had spilled all over the stove and counter, dripping on the floor.
I cleared my throat, and her head shot around, her eyes wide, her mouth open as if she was about to scream. When she recognized me, her shoulders dropped, and she turned to face me fully. “Gabriel. I wasn’t expecting you today.”
“I need to ask you a few questions.”
She put the dripping cloth in the sink and wiped her hands on a towel. “Of course.” She took a deep breath in. “Have you heard from Vanna? Is she okay?”
I took in Cleo’s drawn face. “I was hoping you would be able to tell me.”
Her face turned ashen. “I haven’t talked to her since she left. And I’m so worried about what she’s going to do.”
“What do you mean?”
Cleo twisted her shirt in her hands. “Whatever happened between you two destroyed her. I was hoping you’d work it out, but since you’re here by yourself, I’m guessing that hasn’t happened.”
My stomach went into a free fall, and I clenched my hands. “Explain what you mean.”
“I’m not sure where she is.” She handed me a business card. “But I called her a driver from this company to get her.” She tightened her hands into fists, then loosened them. “She was a mess when I found her, and she said she’d make things right. But I assumed that meant she’d go talk to you.”
There was only one place she could have gone to make things right.
Aleksándr’s.
My blood boiled, and every muscle in my body tensed. I wanted to rage and tear something down. I’d forced her to go back to the person I’d sworn to protect her from.
At the rate I kept clenching my hands, it wouldn’t take long for my nails to break skin. I rushed out of the house, ignoring Cleo calling out behind me.
The guilt and anguish I felt in that moment overtook any rational thought. The only thing on my mind was to get her out.
As soon as I was back in my car, I called Jude. He picked up after only one ring. I didn’t bother with a greeting. “She’s at Aleksándr’s.”
He groaned. “Are you serious? I don’t have enough men close by for what I know you’re about to do. Just remember, you can’t go in there and start shooting things. That’ll start a war.”
I tapped the fingers of my right hand on the steering wheel. “Maybe a war is exactly what we need.”
