My chest is heaving, and my hands reach up to fist my hair. It doesn’t matter how she got that ring; she belongs to me. This changes nothing. I will bring her back, but she won’t like how I do it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
RYAT
I SIT ON the black leather couch, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. My right hand absentmindedly spins my wedding band.
Till death do us part is engraved on the inside of the band—identical to my wife’s.
She has been gone for two days now. Not a single word, not a clue as to where she went. And no fucking idea where to even start looking. She disappeared—poof—like a ghost.
When I find her—and I will—it’s going to take everything in me not to fucking kill her. That’s how angry I am.
My new phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s a text from an unknown number.
Negative.
Locking it back, I grind my teeth. Well, that’s interesting. But something that I don’t have time to devote my life to right now. One problem at a time.
“What do we know?” my father-in-law asks, sitting behind his desk in his office overlooking downtown Dallas. Once again, in the middle of the night.
“Nothing,” Prickett answers, sitting to my right.
I haven’t said much since I found out she decided to run. It seems pointless because there’s not much to say.
“She didn’t return to her apartment, her car is still in the same spot it was before, and she left her cell at the house of Lords, along with her wedding ring,” Gunner informs, sitting to my left.
My father sighs while he stands by the floor-to-ceiling window. “She’s just vanished.”
“People don’t just disappear.” Her father slams his hands down on his desk. I’m pretty sure Phil wants to strangle her too. “She needs money to survive.”
“She gets a job,” Prickett offers.
“She’s never had one a day in her life. What skills does she have?” he barks. “But if she does have one, then there’s a record of her somewhere out there.”
“Not if she’s making cash, getting paid under the table,” Gunner states, sitting back on the couch. “Vegas and stripper come to mind.”
My hands clench at his words, and I want to punch him for even thinking that.
“Matt played her,” my father states, turning around to face the room. “He realized his chance with her was gone, so he chose to sabotage her marriage with Ryat.” His eyes meet mine. “He was probably planning on her making a big scene in front of everyone but was granted something better when she ran instead.”
We had watched the video of Matt and my wife in my bedroom when we first arrived thirty minutes ago, I’ve watched it more times than I can count by now. You would think that I’d realize that there is no evidence to tell me where she went.
But the video didn’t change my mind about the situation she’s left us in. I don’t give a shit how upset she is with me; she’s still going to pay for this. So will Matt, but he’ll come later. Right now, she’s my main priority.
Phil runs his hands down his face, letting out a deep breath. “Find her.” His eyes meet mine. “Find her and bring her back. By whatever force you deem necessary.”
I nod once. I’d planned on it anyway, but thanks for the permission.
“Her biggest threats are those who want to hurt Ryat,” he goes on. “A wife of a Lord is one who can be used against us. And it was just announced to the goddamn world.”
Marriages inside the Lords are always to create power. Wives have been kidnapped for ransom. Some have been raped, others murdered. Any of our enemies can see what we have and take it. Doesn’t matter if the couple loves each other or not. It still impacts our world. The wife is our toy and also our weakness.
“She’s vulnerable out there by herself.” He stands and shoves his computer off the desk. It crashes to the ground. “FUCK!” Placing his hands on the surface, he breathes heavily. “We can’t go to the press with this. We can’t do anything to let the public know she’s missing. It’ll bring a fucking war on us. Someone could see her and then grab her before we even find her.” His eyes dare me to argue. I don’t. “By the time we find her body, it’ll be too late.”
He’s right. We can’t trust anyone outside this room. “I’m going to find her,” I say calmly, finally breaking my silence. But what no one knows is that I’m the biggest threat she’s got right now.
BLAKELY
“YOU MAY KISS your bride.”
Out of everything I’ve done since I ran into Ryat in the hall of Barrington, those are the most terrifying words I’ve heard.