I stormed out of the building, catching a glimpse of Romero running after Aria who hurried down the steps toward the Metro. I ran after them. Fuck. I needed to catch her, needed to stop her from doing something stupid, needed to explain. Fuck it all. People jumped out of my way in wide-eyed shock.
I jerked to a halt on the platform just when the doors closed. Romero was a few steps ahead, but he too hadn’t managed to board the Metro.
I watched the Metro disappear with Aria in it. My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the sprint, but from worry over my wife. My crying, hurt wife.
“Fuck!” I snarled.
Romero turned to face me, panting. “I’m sorry, Luca. I don’t know how she found out. She tricked me and slipped away.”
I was too worried about Aria to be pissed at Romero for letting her run off.
I fumbled for my cell and lifted it to my ear, calling Matteo.
“I thought you were banging Grace,” was the first thing out of his mouth. In the background, I could hear women laughing.
“I need your help. Aria caught me, and now she’s disappeared. We have to catch her before something happens to her.”
“Where are you?”
I told him where we’d be heading then hung up and called Cesare. Romero was already checking the stops of the Metro on his phone. “Where should we start?” he asked.
I took a deep breath, trying to anticipate Aria’s next move, but I didn’t know my wife well enough to guess where she’d be going, and she wasn’t familiar enough with New York to have favorite spots. “I want you to return to the penthouse in case she goes back there.”
Romero opened his mouth as if to protest, but I sent him a warning look. He’d messed up, not as bad as me, not nearly as bad as me, but still.
I went back to my car and drove to the first stop of the Metro. I doubted Aria had gotten off here, but I was at a loss as to where she could be.
Matteo pulled up next to me on his bike and opened his helmet. “Any clue where she could be heading?”
I shook my head.
“You realize your shirt is buttoned wrong?”
I ignored his comment. Where could Aria be? She was responsible and aware of the risks of our world. She would stay somewhere public, probably somewhere in Manhattan or maybe Brooklyn, but that still left about a million options. I closed my eyes briefly. If something happened to her…
“Luca?”
I looked at Matteo, who was frowning at me. “We’ll find her. Aria won’t run off. She’ll come back eventually.”
Eventually?
“Why don’t you call Gianna?”
I nodded. That was a good idea, but I doubted Gianna would tell me the first thing. Grabbing my phone, I realized I didn’t have the redhead’s number.
“Do you have her number?” I asked my brother. After all, he’d kissed her, so who knew if they’d exchanged more than spittle.
Matteo shook his head.
“Calling Scuderi is out of the question,” I muttered. Aria’s father would call my father, and then things would get nasty.
Cesare pulled up in his car and got out. We were only three men who needed to search New York.
We had to find Aria. There was no other option.We’d been searching for Aria for almost two hours, but there was still no sign of her. My temple was throbbing, and I actually considered calling Scuderi after all. Screw the consequences. The only thing that mattered was getting back Aria.
My phone rang, and I picked up immediately.
“Aria just came home,” Romero said.
I sagged with relief. “Is she all right?”
“Yes,” Romero said without hesitation.
“Keep watch on her. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
Matteo, Cesare and I arrived less than fifteen minutes later at my penthouse. Romero perched on the barstool but jumped off the moment we entered. “She’s upstairs, showering.”
His face reflected the same relief that I felt.
I walked past him, then continued upstairs. I pressed down the door handle but it was locked. I knocked. “Aria?”
No response.
I knocked harder. Still nothing. I could hear movement behind the door.
“Aria, let me in!” I hammered my fist against the door once more. I needed to see her with my own eyes, needed to make sure she was okay, unharmed. “I’m going to kick in the door if you don’t let me in.”
Matteo and Cesare slowly came up the stairs, watching me with worry. I didn’t give a fuck.
“Aria, open the fucking door!”
Finally, the lock was turned and I shoved open the door and stalked inside. Aria stood in the center of the room, dressed in a silk nightgown, her eyes swollen and red. I moved toward her and grabbed her arm, needing to know where she’d been, needing to explain what she’d seen.
“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked, wrenching out of my grip.