Emilio was awake. Sitting up against the headboard. "What's wrong?"
"Stefan Romano infiltrated Inferno last night. Matteo's men caught him. He's locked in one of the upstairs rooms." I started getting dressed. "We need to go assess the situation."
Emilio's eyes widened. "You should call the police. Return him to his family before this becomes a kidnapping charge on top of everything else."
"Matteo won't allow that."
"Then this is going to get very complicated very quickly."
I smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. "Our lives are already complicated. What's one more disaster?"
We drove to Inferno together.
I kept my hand on Emilio's back possessively as we walked through the club toward my office. Whatever came next, we'd face it together. The RICO trial that could destroy everything. Matteo's dangerous obsession with the rival boss's son. The federal government trying to dismantle my empire brick by brick.
I wasn't worried anymore.
I had Emilio. That was all that mattered. Everything else was just details we'd figure out along the way.
When we reached my office, Matteo was waiting.
Elio was there too. Looking tense. Luca stood by the window. The three of them had clearly been discussing the situation before we arrived.
"Show me," I said.
Matteo gestured toward the one-way glass that looked into the upstairs room where we kept people who needed to be isolated.
I looked through and saw Stefan Romano.
He wasn't wearing the disguise anymore. Just clothes that sat awkwardly on his frame, like they weren’t his. Dark hair still damp from where they'd made him shower and change. He was pacing the room like a caged animal. All nervous energy and defiant fury.
Even locked up and clearly terrified, he held himself with pride. Chin up. Shoulders back. Refusing to show weakness.
I looked at Matteo.
My enforcer was staring at Stefan through the glass with an intensity I'd seen before. Something dark and possessive flared in his eyes as he watched the clever-eyed young man who'd met his stare at the auction without flinching.
And I knew—absolutely knew—that Matteo wouldn't be able to walk away from this.
"What did he say when you questioned him?" I asked.
"Nothing useful. Claims he was just looking around. Denies his father sent him. Says he came on his own." Matteo's jaw clenched. "He's lying. Giuseppe Romano doesn't let his sons make their own decisions. Especially not Stefan."
"What do you want to do with him?"
"I already told you. I'm keeping him."
Elio made a sound of frustration. "That's kidnapping. We've got federal prosecutors building a RICO case and you want to add kidnapping charges?"
"I don't care."
"Matteo—"
"I said I don't care." Matteo's voice was flat. Final. "He came into my club. Tried to steal information. Got caught. That makes him mine until I decide otherwise."
I studied him carefully. Saw the truth underneath the justifications.
This wasn't about leverage or security or protecting our operations.
