Antonio and I frantically made phone calls to every person we couldn’t reach while we were in the air, and still nobody knew, or they weren’t saying.
The front door of my home flew open, and Trixie and Letty ran out. Both their faces fell when they saw I was alone.
“Where the fuck is she?” Trixie yelled as I walked past her.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You’re the most powerful man in this city, you have to know.” Her voice was more frantic as she ran to catch up with me. I ignored her as I ran up the stairs to see our room. Maybe something would give it away. “You have to find her, Nico.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” I stopped mid-step and turned to face my sister. “She’s my fucking wife, and now I failed to protect her, and I know I have to find her. You’re the last person I need telling me the obvious.” I wanted to slam the door in her face, but the pain in her eyes made me stop in my tracks.
The front door opening caught my eye, and I met the grief-stricken look of my mother, which made me ache even more.
“No, Nico, you have to find her because she’s pregnant.” Trixie’s eyes filled with tears.
“What do you mean?”
“She took a test after you left, because she didn’t want to drink any wine just in case.” Trixie pushed past me and walked into my room. She picked the blue-and-white test up off the floor and handed it to me.
Pregnant - six weeksis what the test said. Six weeks, had I not been paying attention to her for six weeks? How had I missed this? I was intimately aware of everything that went on with her body, but I hadn’t noticed she didn’t get her period, or that her being tired was from this and not Christmas.
Stumbling back, I sat on the edge of our bed and stared at it. My mother’s gasp made me look up. “I have to find her.”
“Lorenzo and Antonio are looking at footage. Both men are ready to follow you anywhere, son. And so am I.” She held her head high, and for the first time, I realized she was in black tactical gear. “I haven’t fought in many years, but this is an attack on our family, and I’m ready to go.”
It was in this same room that she stood in front of my grandfather when her family came looking for their pound of flesh, and she’d risked her life for this family after only being here a few weeks. Now she was ready to fight for my wife. It was all the strength I needed to get my feet moving.
“Let’s get her and my baby home.” I stood from the bed and dropped the test onto it. Trixie took my hand as I walked past her.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t keeping a better eye on her.”
“This isn’t on you, it’s on me. I shouldn’t have lost my temper at you, I’m sorry. We’ll get her back.” I gave her the best smile I could muster, but she didn’t return it, so I imagined it wasn’t convincing.
In the hallway, I turned to go to my office when Lorenzo came bounding up the stairs. “Nico, you need to go to her father’s house,” he said as he pulled his cell phone from his ear.
“She’s there?”
“No, but I managed to find someone willing to talk, and it looks like Grand Central Station at that house tonight. They don’t have safe houses or second homes to hide out in, so comings and goings all happen out of the Carminatti home.”
CHAPTER 33
EMILIA
My eyes were growing heavy,and I didn’t know how long I’d been here, but the way my ass and hips ached from the metal chair I’d been sitting for hours. I had to stay awake; I needed to remain alert. At some point, whoever this was would slip up, and I needed to be ready.
The large metal door was pushed open with such force that it bounced off the concrete wall, making a banging sound that would wake the dead. I jolted upright. I’d fallen asleep again. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but it was long enough that I was back on my game.
Hushed voices came from behind the plastic that had been hung around the room.
A kill room.
“You better not have touched her.” The first low, gravelly voice said. His cadence in speaking was familiar.
“I didn’t, I swear she’s flawless.” The other man’s voice raised a decibel or five, and then the sound of skin smacking skin made me look up. One of these men will have a black eye come morning. It was someone I didn’t know; his voice wasn’t familiar. When I was in charge, I made it a point to know everyvoice in the organization. The other voice was one I’d known forever.
The plastic was pulled back, and I watched a man walk through. He was in an ill-fitting suit; most would miss the fact that his pants were a little too long and his coat hadn’t been fitted properly. His white shirt gleamed; it must have been one he’d bought ages ago. His tie matched the colour of his suit to perfection, just like it always did. “Hello, Father,” I said, scowling at the man now standing a few feet in front of me.
“Oh, Emilia, my daughter.” He leaned over and frowned. “What were you thinking?” Shaking his head.
