But Salman was there to kill me. He waited for a moment when Maxim wasn’t with me and Diablo was still in the car. And then he struck—with a sword. That alone said everything about how much he hated me. The bastard wanted to see me bleed. The fight ended with the scar above my brow, and his death.
Diablo had lost his mind that day. He’d been barking from the car, howling to be let out. When I opened the door, he lunged at Salman’s corpse and latched on. Wouldn’t let go for hours. I had to pry him off, had to convince my loyal boy that I was safe. Ever since that day, that dog reacted to Salman’s scent like it was death itself. And Giuseppe knew that.
“Salman’s scent on Emily wasn’t random,” I muttered. “Giuseppe planted it. He used it to make Diablo attack. He knew exactly how to trigger him.”
I’d noticed it too late. The moment she stepped out of the car, that scent hit me, but by then, Diablo was already reacting. Everything happened so fucking fast. In the span of one hour, I lost everything—my wife, my unborn child, the illusion that I was still in control.
And now? All I felt was numb. I should’ve been furious. Should’ve been tearing down the walls, burning cities. But my rage was buried under something colder. Something heavier. This wasn’t like before. This wasn’t a wound I could patch or a threat I could kill. This... this felt final. I couldn’t find a way forward.
I stood up slowly and nodded to one of my men. “Bury him by his den.”
Pulling out my phone, I dialed Giuseppe’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. I tried again, but the result was the same. Desperate, I called Brando, hoping he might have a lead, but to my surprise, his line also went straight to voicemail.
Maxim stepped closer. “I’ve sent people to every place Giuseppe might be hiding.”
“If we haven’t caught him in four years,” I said bitterly, “it means someone on the inside is protecting him. We won’t find him unless he wants to be found.”
“So what do we do now?”
I exhaled heavily. “We’ll wait for him to contact us with the details for the exchange. And pray for a miracle that a doctor gets to Emily in time.”
Maxim stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. “So you’re going to give up that easily? Let that bastard get what he wants? You’re the Capo.”
My blood boiled. “And I’m also a husband. And a father. What do you expect me to do? Say to hell with Emily and the baby she’s carrying? Do you even understand what Giuseppe is capable of? Do you think I can live knowing that every night my wife is being tortured by a madman?”
I grabbed his collar and pulled him close, my voice a furious growl. “Is that what you want from me?”
Maxim sighed and lowered his head. “They’ll kill you. They’ll torture you to death.”
I released him. “So what? Didn’t we know what risks we were taking when we chose this life? I walked into this world willingly, but Emily didn’t. She’s here because she loves me. If anyone deserves torture, it’s me, not her.”
When he didn’t say anything, I let go of him and walked inside.
Midnight came, and we were still waiting. Lorenzo and Giorgio were out, scouring every possible hideout Giuseppe might use. The tension in the room was suffocating, the silence broken only by the occasional shuffle or curse under Maxim’s breath.
Then, at exactly midnight, my phone rang. The screen glowed but instead of Giuseppe it was Brando.
I answered sharply, “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours. Where the hell have you been?”
“Emily’s with me.”
The words were a punch to the gut. For a moment, I couldn’t speak, my mind reeling. Maxim, noticing the shift in my expression, came closer. I put the phone on speaker and forced out, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Brando’s voice was calm, almost unnervingly so. “I’m saying your wife is in my hands right now, and I’m planning to throw her to the dogs and let them tear her apart. Though, to be fair, she’s already more than halfway there. Or we can make a trade. Her for you.”
Maxim’s fists clenched at his sides, curses spilling under his breath. My body burned with rage at the betrayal from my own brother.
“If you harm her, I’ll burn you alive, Brando.” I growled through gritted teeth.
“You know there’s nothing you can do to me.”
“I thought this was all Giuseppe’s twisted plan, not yours.”
“You guessed right. This was all his idea. He arranged the kidnapping. He’s sitting right here beside me, hoping you won’t agree to the exchange so he can have a little fun with your little doll.”
“Lay a finger on her, and I’ll hunt you both down and drag you to hell before I rip you apart!” I shouted.
“Calm down. The only thing I want is to reclaim what’s rightfully mine. You know I have no interest in the little bird, especially now that her wings are clipped.”
