Page 13 of My Sunfall

They both freeze at the sound of my voice and turn to watch me with wary eyes. But neither of them replies.

I step closer. “Where. Is. Chiara?” I grit out through my clenched jaw.

Lily chews on her lower lip but remains silent and that’s when I snap. “Tell me where your sister is,” I bellow, “or I swear—”

The next thing I know, I am pinned to the nearest wall with a hard arm shoved against my throat. D is growling into my face, eyes deadly.

“I’ll let it pass because I know what a hotheaded motherfucker you are,” he seethes, “but you threaten my wife once more and I’ll shoot you myself. Is that clear?”

My first reaction is to go at his throat. But his gaze holds mine, full of warning and something else I don’t want to acknowledge. Worry. Slowly the red haze lifts and I realize what I did. I lost my fucking mind. My blood is pounding in my ears, and my chest is heaving with each ragged breath. I grit my teeth, wrestling back some control and nod once.

D releases me with a warning look, and I turn to the women who still look at me with shock on their faces.

“Sorry, Lil, Erin, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I mutter.

Lily nods, subdued, and that seems to appease her husband who grabs me by the shoulder and silently drags me to his office. Teo follows us. Once we’re inside and the door is closed, D spins around to look at me.

“What the fuck was that?” he snaps.

I step to the wet bar and pour myself a whiskey, then turn to them with the raised bottle. They shake their heads and I set it back down. Since I cannot stall any longer, I let out a long breath. “Long week, s’all.” Teo grunts and I scowl at him. “What?”

“Where’s Chiara?” he asks.

“That’s what I am trying to find out.” I hate the desperate edge my voice is taking.

“What did you do?” he asks, deadpan.

“Why do you think I did something?” I bark at him, losing it again. “She doesn’t reply to my texts or answers my calls. I have no goddamn idea where she is and it’s getting fucking annoying.”

I watch them intently. Do they know where she is?

“What do you know?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “Your women don’t seem overly concerned so I guess she’s well and alive. Someone must know where she is and why she vanished.”

They exchange a look then turn back to me.

“I didn’t know she went missing until today. I’ll ask Lily,” D says with a calculating glint in his eyes.

I nod and sit down with a defeated sigh. That’s my best shot, I guess.

He walks to me and claps me on the shoulder then goes to sit on his chair behind the mahogany desk. “I’ve”—he clears his throat—“been there, Luc. I get it.”

I look up with a frown. “It’s…not like that. She’s a friend and I’m worried about her. That’s all.”

Again, they exchange that look as if they were silently communicating and I think I might just punch one or maybe both of them.

“There’s something else.” I take a swig of my whiskey, relishing the earthy notes burning the back of my throat.

Teo takes a seat in the chair next to me, and they both look at me, waiting for me to go on.

“We might want to have someone keep an eye on Francesco. The other day I went to check on Chiara and he was there, shitfaced on the sofa.”

D curses under his breath.

“Have you sent a medical team to check on him?” Teo asks quietly.

“No, fucker,” I snarl. “I sent my goddamn fairy godmother to put him into a dress and shiny slippers.”

His lips twitch but he remains silent, one brow raised in challenge.