“I’m not,” he said. “I’m bringing backup. Just not the kind that waits for permission to get involved in a police investigation.”
Tony grabbed his keys. “I’m in.” He didn’t bother to look over at his wife for permission. Luca knew that Aurora would try to stand in their way, but ultimately, she’d let them go. She wanted Sophia back, too.
Aurora shook her head. “You can’t just?—”
“I’m not staying here while that psycho has her,” Luca cut in. “Not happening.”
Jonesy exhaled hard. “If you go out to that cabin, you need to promise me that you won’t go and pull any hero shit. Let the cops do their job.”
Luca nodded. “I will,” he promised. “I just need to be there if they find her.”
Aurora stepped closer, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Bring her home.” She looked over at her husband, “both of you.”
Luca’s jaw clenched. “I will.”
“Thanks for letting me tag along, honey,” Tony said, pulling his wife in for a kiss. She grumbled something about them both being idiots, and Tony chuckled.
Luca turned and headed for the door, Tony right beside him. Every step felt heavy with purpose, with fear that they wouldn’t find her, and with the promise he’d made Sophia. He wouldn’t disappear again, and when they found her, he’d be right there by her side, keeping every promise and making her more if she’d allow that.
Peter had chosen the wrong woman to kidnap, and the worst possible man to take her from. Luca would make sure that Pete knew the score—Sophia was his woman, now and forever.
The road blurred beneath the headlights as he sped toward the cabin. Honestly, Luca barely remembered the drive. His death grip on the steering wheel and the constant images of Sophia’s face burned into his mind as the miles passed in a blur. Every mile closer to the cabin sharpened his focus and burned away the fear until there was only purpose left. He was going to find her, get her out, end this, and if he was lucky, kill the bastard who took her.
Tony followed close behind in his truck, far enough back not to draw attention, close enough to matter if things went sideways. The cops were still on their way to the cabin, but Luca didn’t care. Peter had taken too much already, and he needed to be there when they caught the asshole.
The cabin came into view just as dusk settled in. It was smaller than he remembered, with boarded windows and a single light glowing weakly by the front porch. The rest of the cabin was dark. He thought that the place didn’t have electricity, but maybe he was wrong. The cabin that once housed family vacations was now forgotten, isolated, and perfect for a coward hiding behind walls.
Luca killed his headlights a quarter mile out and parked behind a stand of trees. He grabbed his jacket and checked the gun in his hip holster. He brought it along, not because he wanted to use it, but because he would if he had to.
Tony parked his truck a few feet away and quickly joined him. “You ready for this?” he asked.
“I’ve been ready to get my woman back for days now. I just hope that we’re not being led on a wild goose chase,” Luca said.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out if she’s in there,” Tony said. “You think we should wait for the cops to show up?” Tony was always the practical one, but Luca didn’t feel like being safe or waiting for the cops to show up.
“Would you wait if it were Aurora possibly in there?” he asked, nodding to the cabin.
Tony sighed and shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t wait,” he admitted. “Let’s move.” He stared at the cabin, moving quietly, every step deliberate. When they reached the cabin, he felt like he was holding his breath, hoping that they’d find her there. The place was so quiet, and the old boards of the porch creaked under his boots, making his heart race.
“Quiet,” Tony whispered to him. Luca rolled his eyes and nodded back at his friend. He wanted to point out that he didn’tintentionally make the porch boards creak, but he was pretty sure that they didn’t have time for explanations.
A muffled sound came from inside the cabin, and he couldn’t help but whisper her name. “Sophia.”
Luca’s blood went ice-cold as he circled around to the side window, peering through a crack in the warped wood. Inside, Sophia was tied to a chair, her head drooping forward, her wrists red and raw. She looked exhausted. Her face was bruised, and she looked scared to death, but she was alive.
Relief nearly dropped him to his knees, but he didn’t have time for that kind of nonsense, because Peter stood in front of her, pacing, ranting, and acting completely unhinged. “You were always mine,” Peter was shouting, his voice sharp and erratic. “You just didn’t realize it.”
Luca saw red. Peter was delusional, believing that Sophia was ever his. He didn’t bother with subtlety after he heard everything that Peter was saying to her. He knew that he needed to move, and it was now or never. The door splintered inward under his shoulder, the sound echoing through the cabin like a gunshot. Peter spun around, his eyes wild, just as Luca crossed the room in three long strides.
“Get away from her,” Luca growled.
Peter laughed—actually laughed. “You finally found us.” Luca didn’t answer. He had no answer to give, so he hit him instead.
Years of fighting, discipline, and control all poured into that single punch. Peter went down hard, crashing into a table and taking it with him. He scrambled, reaching for something on the floor, but Luca was already there, hauling him up by the collar.
“You don’t get to touch her,” Luca snarled, slamming Peter against the wall. “Ever again.”
Tony flanked his side. “Easy, man,” he said. “The cops will be here any minute, and we don’t want to go and do something stupid that will give Peter a free pass.
